The Old Man and the Child

Summary

Musical Picture Book

Story Gabrielle Roy Adaptation Dominique Fortier Translation Katherine Sehl Narration Jalianne Li Illustrations Rogé

A touching, poetic inter-generational story about friendship that takes place on the Canadian prairies. Christine lives in a small windswept prairie city where time moves slowly. One morning, at the height of a hot, dry summer, she befriends an old man who lives just a few streets over. As their unlikely friendship grows, they hatch a plan to visit Lake Winnipeg, a vast inland ocean the old man longs to see again and the young girl can only imagine.

Pub Date: 2025
Ages: 7 to 9
Keywords:  Friendship / discovery / summer / prairies

Authors

Gabrielle Roy (1909-1983) is one of the most prominent figures in French Canadian literature, and considered one of the great contemporary writers on the human condition. She is the first Canadian to win France’s Prix Femina, for the debut novel Bonheur d’occasion. The translation (The Tin Flute) won the Governor-General’s Award in 1947. She was awarded a Canada Council Medal in 1968.

Novelist Dominique Fortier holds a Ph.D. in literature from McGill University and is also a respected editor and literary translator. Her novel Au péril de la mer (2015) won the Governor General’s Award for French fiction and her essay Maisons de papier (2020) was awarded the prestigious Prix Renaudot in France. She lives in Montreal.

Illustrator

Rogé is a prolific illustrator, painter and writer, with more than 30 children’s books to his name. He has won numerous awards for his work; amongst many others he is a winner of the prestigious Governor General of Canada Award in 2006 and The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award in 2014. He resides in Montreal.

Buy
Physical

Available for purchase starting September 1, 2025

Musical Picture Book

Hardcover illustrated picture book (8” x 11”, 52 pages) with QR code to access recording (23 minutes).

ISBN 978-2-89836-111-1
$19.95 CAD / $18.95 USD

Digital

Available for purchase starting September 1, 2025

Audiobook

Narrated story. Duration: 23 minutes