For his first youth album We are all different!, Cœur de Pirate tells the touching story of Clou, a little dog who dreams of his first day at school… but is quickly disappointed by what he discovers. His heart sinks as soon as he enters the school… He’s not like the others and they tell him so. His parents and his teacher Madame Truffe have to accompany him on the way to self-confidence.
Through the character of Clou, inspired by her dog, Béatrice Martin presents a beautiful story, but also a story that speaks of otherness and self-affirmation.
Clou, on the way to school, dreams of making a new friend, feels ready to learn. But he quickly becomes disillusioned when he comes to class. The others know each other, they take the opportunity to make fun of him. We laugh at his spots. In short, the start of the school year is tough.
The successful singer-songwriter wants to accompany children through the adventure of Clou, who are going through the crucial phase of the start of the school year.
In an email interview, Béatrice Martin explains that she has long dreamed of writing a youth album.
“I’ve always loved children’s books, I’ve read many throughout my life and I find it to be a great way to teach young and old alike.”
keep talking about it
Like Clou, has she ever experienced a difficult start to school and rejection at school?
“Absolutely, I experienced bullying when I was in elementary school so I know it well, the fear of going back to school and the anxiety that comes with it.”
Through the story of her characters, Béatrice instills values of acceptance, self-esteem, and respect for differences.
“I think future generations really do care about differences in others, but we definitely need to keep talking about it. I always felt a little left out as a kid, but maybe that was because I didn’t have enough references to feel accepted.”
The writing experience went really well and her experience as a singer-songwriter gave her a plus. She also made everything rhyme in the lyrics. “I like the style of Ludwig Bemelmans who wrote Madeline and made everything rhyme… like a nursery rhyme or a song.”
Finally, what would you say to a child who is afraid to go back to school?
“That young people who are less nice are probably going through things themselves, that your parents are there for you, the teachers too, that sometimes it seems big, but it’s just another step to take… Right, the list is long and I can’t give advice to all children, but I would have liked to know that people were there for me when I was little.
♦ Béatrice Martin, known as Cœur de Pirate, is a singer, lyricist, author, composer, performer, pianist, businesswoman and now a children’s book author.
♦ A narrated version of his story accompanied by an original song, which can be downloaded via a link included in the book, is also offered.
♦ Illustrator Jess Pauwels was born in Brussels and graduated from the Institut Saint-Luc. She has illustrated several books at Auzou.