Akissi #2

Abouet and Sapin bring their sun-drenched West African neighborhood to life in this delightful volume subtitled Super-Héros en Plâtre — "Plaster Superheroes." The cover sets the tone perfectly: Akissi herself perches mischievously at the top of the cover logo while below, children gape at a kid wearing a cardboard-box mask leaping dramatically off a rooftop, a monkey sits cheekily in the dusty alleyway, and scattered mice add to the cheerful mayhem between warm red-clay walls and a bold banana tree. Sapin's vibrant, expressive artwork captures the energy and humor of childhood adventure with an irresistible charm that makes this 2011 Gallimard series a genuine pleasure.