Bachelet, Gilles 1952-

Personal

Born 1952, in Saint Quentin, France. Education: Studied at École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs.

Addresses

Home—France.

Career

Illustrator and educator. Teacher at École Supérieure d'Art, Cambrai, France. Exhibitions: Work has been shown at Bibliothèque Paul Marmottan, Paris, France, 2006-07.

Awards, Honors

Prix Baobab, Salon de la Littérature et de la Presse de Montreuil, for Mon chat le plus bête du monde.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Le singe à Buffon, Seuil (Paris, France), 2002.

Mon chat le plus bête du monde, Seuil (Paris, France), 2004, translation published as My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, Abrams (New York, NY), 2006.

Champignon Bonaparte, Seuil (Paris, France), 2005.

Quand mon chat était petit, Seuil (Paris, France), 2006, translation published as When the Silliest Cat Was Small, Abrams (New York, NY), 2007.

Hotel des Voyageurs: (A Naughty Pillow Book), Abrams (New York, NY), 2007.

Il n'y a pas d'autruches dans les contes de fées, Seuil (Paris, France), 2008.

ILLUSTRATOR

Claude Klotz, Drôle de samedi soir!, Hachette (Paris, France), 1979.

Jean-Jacques Greif, Les ordinateurs et les robots, Hachette (Paris, France), 1987.

Philippe Chatel, Papa trop loin, Nathan (Paris, France), 1990.

Katia Kraft, Le monde merveilleux des volcans, Hachette (Paris, France), 1994.

Also contributor to magazines and other publications.

Sidelights

Gilles Bachelet, a French artist and educator, is the author of the self-illustrated picture books My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World and When the Silliest Cat Was Small. The author/illustrator's humorous works revolve around a clueless pet owner, the animal that shares his home, and an outrageous case of mistaken identity.

In My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World readers are introduced to the protagonist, an obtuse painter, and his unusual "feline" companion. Though the artist clearly loves his pet, he somehow fails to notice that the incredibly large creature, which has trouble landing on its feet and using a litter box, looks nothing like a cat; in fact, it possesses a long trunk, huge floppy ears, and tusks. Bachelet "has crafted a fabulously ridiculous spoof," remarked a Kirkus Reviews contributor, and a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that the illustration of "a sad-eyed elephant jammed uncomfortably into a tiny cat basket is sure to garner a laugh from the get-go."

The imperceptive artist and his oversized pet make a return appearance in Bachelet's When the Silliest Cat Was Small, a prequel. The tale describes the protagonist's search for an animal companion, the creature's adjustment to apartment life, and a misunderstanding over a stuffed toy elephant. According to a critic in Kirkus Reviews, the story "is as much of a goofy read as the droll first and sure to please the kids who are in on the joke."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2006, Todd Morning, review of My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, p. 78; October 15, 2007, Randall Enos, review of When the Silliest Cat Was Small, p. 55.

Horn Book, July-August, 2006, Susan Dove Lempke, review of My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, p. 421.

Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2006, review of My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, p. 342; August 15, 2007, review of When the Silliest Cat Was Small.

Publishers Weekly, June 26, 2006, review of My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, p. 51.

School Library Journal, April, 2006, Catherine Callegari, review of My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, p. 96; December, 2007, Blair Christolon, review of When the Silliest Cat Was Small, p. 86.