Les contes de la ruelle #[nn]

A sun-dappled hutong street sets the mood for this charming French-language bande dessinée from Nie Jun, published by Gallimard in 2016. The cover draws you straight into a lively neighborhood scene: a tall, cheerful figure in green pedaling a bicycle with a small helmeted child perched up front, passing a grand traditional Chinese courtyard building flanked by stone lion guardians. There's a gentle warmth to the watercolor-style artwork that promises stories rooted in everyday life along the old alleyways.