THE ALTERNATIVE CHILI PEPPER

Des piments doux or sweet peppers fresh from Martinique. These have the same flavor as hot peppers, but without their intense spiciness, and are a favorite in Caribbean cuisine. The pepper is also known as "le piment végétarien" and is used as an alternative to the hot and spicy piment antillais.

Vocabulary

piquant(e):  spicy hot; bitingly humorous

Take your pick. . .

Discover the latest adventure of Papa Lapin and his entourage in Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, which is also available in English, The Rabbit and King Frog. Click on the titles to take a peek. Both illustrated children's books are available on Amazon sites.

©2018 P. B. Lecron

UNBOXING POMPON

This blog's mascot, Pompon, poses to illustrate l'unboxing-- or le déballage for purists of the French language. Pompon is a Sacré de Birmanie, or Birman, the third most popular cat breed in France.

More from Pompon

This cat does have a following. For those of you who would like to revisit some of his favorite pages, here are a few links:

A French Education: DOG-TIRED
A French Education: LEARN FRENCH WITH POMPON
A French Education: LONG LIKE A DAY WITHOUT BREAD
A French Education: HOW DO YOU SAY 'TO HAVE A CRUSH ON' IN FRENCH?
A French Education: FOR PITY'S SAKE

Speaking of unboxing
Perhaps you have the same problem as my French daughter who expatriated to the USA has--finding French children's books for her kids can be difficult. She decided to take matters into her own hands and has started writing her own books...and the results have been serendipitous! She has so far published Le Lapin et la Lune as well as Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille.

It works both ways, expatriated English speaking mothers also have trouble finding books in English for their children, so the books my daughter has written and that I have illustrated, are also available in English: The Rabbit and the Moon and The Rabbit and King Frog.

All are available on Amazon sites. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

FANCIFUL

Beautiful dreamer

An unexpected, fluffy thistle seed resting on the brow of this iron ornament in a private garden in Saint-Omer gives this child figure a dreamy and wistful quality.

Vocabulary
rêveur, rêveuse:  dreamy
un rêveur:  a dreamer
chimérique:  fanciful


Time to read!
There's nothing quite like the unexpectedness of an imaginary tale to incite children to read! Here's an enchanting, fully illustrated story to delight both young and old alike! Papa Lapin, whom some of you might have already met in our first children's story, Le Lapin et la Lune, is the protagonist in Le Lapin le Roi Grenouille. Both books gently teach moral lessons and use an enhanced vocabulary to stimulate young readers' curiosity. They are also available in English: The Rabbit and the Moon, and The Rabbit and King Frog. Click on the title to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

A NIGHT-LIGHT

This wrought-iron night-light, or veilleuse, in the form of a bat, dates to the 1930's and is on display in the Musée Le Secq des Tournelles, Rouen. According to information provided by the wrought-iron museum, the decorative form harkens back to olden days when superstitious ancestors would nail a bat on a barn to ward off bad luck.

Vocabulary
une chauve-souris:  a bat
une veilleuse:  a night-light


A new book on the shelf ... 
Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille
Young and the not so young will enjoy this new, illustrated tale, featuring Papa Lapin, the endearing protagonist from Le Lapin et la Lune. Both it and Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, as well as their English versions, The Rabbit and the Moon, and The Rabbit and King Frog, are available on worldwide Amazon sites. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

FALL PROVISIONS

Faire son marché  

To go buy provisions

Squash or courges, at the public outdoor market in Versailles, to keep for winter, in a cool, dry place.

How about a fairy tale?

Learning French? Reading children's stories in a foreign language can jumpstart the acquisition of a second language. Illustrated and easy to understand, they are great resources for increasing vocabulary and becoming familiar with grammatical structures. These new and original fairy tales are for young and old alike: Le Lapin et la Lune and its English version, The Rabbit and the Moon; and Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog. All are available on worldwide Amazon sites. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

ANOTHER GRUMPY CAT

Famous French cat, Pompon, and mascot of this blog, does his best rendition of Grumpy Cat to illustrate a French slang term for junk food:  la malbouffe.  This term not only emcompasses certain fast foods, but can also include any processed foods that contain too many additives, sugar, fats, hollow calories, or artificial flavorings.


For young and old alike...
We would like to recommend an enchanting and captivating children's story, which is available in French, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, and in English, The Rabbit and King Frog. Both are sold worldwide on Amazon sites. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

A KING-SIZE KEY

Where else but Versailles would you expect to see a record holder for one of the biggest locks and keys in the world? And a remarkably decorative one at that? A Versailles locksmith, the late Bernard Bouguin (1932-2009), built and fashioned the elaborate locking mechanism and its key, which were listed in the Guinness Book of Records 1996. The lock and key à l'ancienne are on display in the family's locksmith business at 9 Place Saint Louis, Versailles.

Vocabulary
une serrure:  a lock
une serrurerie:  a locksmithery
un serrurier, une serrurière:  a locksmith
une clé, une clef: a key

Read in French!
A fun an easy way to speed up the acquisition of a second language is to read illustrated children's books in that language. Great learning resources, their images often make the text self-explanatory. We'd like to suggest the charming and captivating adventure, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille. This original tale written by Marianne Lecron, and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog, are available worldwide on Amazon sites. Both books have colorful watercolor illustrations and an enhanced vocabulary that will  keep up the interest of older children and incite the curiosity of younger. If you have Amazon prime, the delivery is free! Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

HANDS ON FOR EARLY LITERACY

In an effort to set a good example for my very young grandsons, my franco-american daughter and I have taken a hands on approach to encourage creativity and early literacy--she has written and I have illustrated children's stories, all the while with the boys watching on and beginning to learn to read. At first the illustrated tales were just for them, but once printed and shown around, we realized that the stories have a healthy market! 

Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, above, and it's English version, The Rabbit and King Frog, is our second endeavor. It's an adorably surprising tale about Papa Rabbit's youngest daughter, Gladys, who gets stuck on a lily pad. 

We're also really excited to learn that our first book, Le Lapin et la Lune, is being used by some French school teachers to teach children to develop their imagination and to understand the moral of a story! Its English version is The Rabbit and the Moon. 

All titles are available worldwide on Amazon. You can click on the titles to take a peek!

Vocabulary

acquérir:  to acquire, to get hands on

©2018 P. B. Lecron

SETTING THE SCENE

A neo-classical setting complete with a broken jardinière is an eye-catching detail in the intimist painter Henri Le Sidaner's suspended Italian garden at Gerberoy. If this arrangement were part of a theater set or a film production, you could call it une mise en scène--and one which creates the sensation of stopped time. For a virtual visit of the garden and village, click here.

For young and old alike...
From early literacy for kids to jump-starting the acquistion of a second language for adults, nothing compares to reading easy-to-understand illustrated children's books! We recommend a captivating and original tale, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog. Both are available worldwide on Amazon. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

GOLD!

The girolle or golden chanterelle is a choice and much sought-after culinary mushroom. Its season in France lasts from May through the end of November. These were on sale yesterday at the Versailles open market.

Reading matters!

If you or your child are learning French or English, then why not immerse yourselves in reading children's books? Illustrated and easy to understand, they are great learning sources and are a fun and effective way to jumpstart the acquisition of a second language--even for adults! 

We would like to recommend our collection of tales that not only delight, but also teach valuable moral lessons: our first and ever popular book,  Le Lapin et la Lune and its English version, The Rabbit and the Moon; as well as our newest and very colorful edition, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog. All are available worldwide on Amazon. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

YESTERYEAR CHARMS

Invitingly nostalgique 
Vintage wrought-iron, ice-cream parlor chairs harken back to idle summer days. These are at the salon de thé and restaurant, l'Atelier Gourmand de Sarah, located in the heart of one of France's most beautiful villages, Gerberoy, in Picardie.

Vocabulary

d'antan:  of yesteryear, of long ago

autrefois:  in the past; in the old days

Read in French!

Jumpstart yours or your children's French language learning by reading illustrated children's books in French! We'd like to suggest the charming and captivating adventure, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, écrit par Marianne Lecron, illustré par P. B. Lecron. It and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog, are available worldwide on Amazon. Both have enhanced vocabulary that will keep up the interest of older children and incite the curiosity of younger. If you have Amazon prime, the delivery is free! Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

WELCOME ON BOARD

Tranquility and tradition: les "Paudeau" sailboats

Good old-fashioned fun for children, traveling or not, at the bassin du Jardin du Luxembourg. The famous model sailboats, hand-crafted by the late Pierre Paudeau beginning in 1927, have become collectors' items. Parents rent the toy boats at a concession stand for their children to sail in the basin.

Vocabulary
un voilier:  a sailboat
Bienvenue à bord:  Welcome  on board
une maquette:  a model

For young and old alike...
We would like to recommend an enchanting, illustrated children's story, which is available in French, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, or in English, The Rabbit and King Frog. Both are sold worldwide on Amazon. Click on the titles to take a peek!



©2018 P. B. Lecron

END OF SUMMER MAGIC

At summer's end and until the first freeze, dahlias are undeniably the stars of Claude Monet's garden at Giverny.

Vocabulary

le premier gel:  the first frost

Story time!
Promote early literacy and encourage your little ones to curl up and read. We'd like to suggest an imaginative and illustrated children's story, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, to read in French, or its translation, The Rabbit and King Frog. Both are available worldwide on Amazon. For the young and old alike. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

SOCIAL CLOUDS

Des nuages sociaux

No, we're not talking about computer networking, but altocumulus clouds like these, above. Because they appear in groups, they are also known also as social clouds.

Fuel for a second language!

Reading an illustrated children's story in a foreign language is a great way to energize your acquisition of a second language. Get started now with a new and original conte published by Birdie Bergamot Books, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, écrit par Marianne Lecron, illustré par P. B. Lecron. It and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog, are both available worldwide on Amazon. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

HOMAGE

In French, the word is hommage, with two "m's". 

Monument to General Lafayette

The above photo is of French military jet contrails that formed a cross during the inauguration of monuments of both General Lafayette and General Pershing in Versailles this past year. The equestrian statues are mounted on twin pedestals and pay homage to the two generals and the armies they led respectively in the American War of Independence and in World War I.

Monument to General Pershing

Vocabulary

une traînée de condensation:  a contrail, a vapor trail

Recommended reading

A new and enchanting illustrated children's book available worldwide on Amazon in both French and English. With its colorful watercolor illustrations and enhanced vocabulary, the book appeals to both young and old alike. Check out  Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog.

©2018 P. B. Lecron

PRUDENCE

Qui s'y frotte s'y pique

"You better watch out" expresses the idea of this very old French proverb, which grosso modo means he who rubs himself against, will get pricked. This is also along the order of "if you play with fire, you'll get burned." 

A big thanks to my good friend, Sylvia, who contributed the photo along with the expression!

Vocabulary

frotter:  to rub

se frotter:  to rub against; to cross swords with somebody; to come up against

piquer:  to sting, to bite, to prick

se piquer:  to prick oneself

Wake up your French! Reading an illustrated French children's book is an effective and easy way to jumpstart your fluency. No matter what your age, and whether you're learning French as a second language or looking for a new book for your child, we would like to recommend Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille. It and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog, are available worldwide on Amazon. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2018 P. B. Lecron

NATURE WALK

On the Baie de Saint-Brieuc

What's wonderful in France are the foot paths along much of the nation's coastlines, like the one going off to the right in this photo taken in Bretagne. Known as des chemins or sentiers des douaniers, these were the paths that custom officials once walked to guard against maritime contraband. Maintained today as pedestrian nature paths, they are a walker's delight, and short of boating, are the best way to become acquainted with French coasts. 

Vocabulary

le littoral:  coast

un chemin: path

un sentier de randonnée pédestre:  hiking trail

un douanier:  a customs officer

Take a peek in our new children's book!  Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog, are both available worldwide on Amazon.

©2018 P. B. Lecron

LIKE A PEACOCK

Legend has it that the glorious peacock emits a long, mournful cry at the sight of its ugly feet.

Fittingly, the French have an expression to describe a vain person who becomes vexed when his faults or defects are brought to his attention:  "Il est comme le paon qui crie en voyant ses pieds."  He is like the peacock who cries when he sees his feet.

Although Pompon, a French Sacré de Birmanie and this blog's mascot, has lovely white mittens, he has very accommodatingly struck a pose to illustrate today's post.

What's up?

My franco-american daughter has written another charming children's story in French and I have had the pleasure to illustrate and translate it to English. If you'd like to take a peek, the books are available worldwide on Amazon: Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille, écrit par Marianne Lecron et illustré par P. B. Lecron, and its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog.

As in her first conte pour enfants, Le lapin et la lune, a story about the importance of helping one another, the protagonist is Papa Lapin. Its English translation is The Rabbit and the Moon.

©2018 P. B. Lecron

GOOD READING!

Bonne lecture !

We are pleased to announce colorful new additions to our bookcase, Le Lapin et le Roi Grenouille,

as well as its English version, The Rabbit and King Frog. This enchanting story was written by my daughter, and illustrated by yours truly. Both are available worldwide on Amazon. Click on the titles to take a peek. For young and old alike!

Vocabulary

bonne lecture:  good reading, happy reading

une bibliothèque:  a library; a bookcase

Our collection is growing! See also: Le lapin et la lune, écrit par Marianne Lecron et illustré par P. B. Lecron, and its English version, The Rabbit and the Moon.

©2018 P. B. Lecron

RED AS A POPPY

Rouge comme un coquelicot is a French expression describing either a deeply blushing person or someone who is red with anger. A favorite French wildflower, the coquelicot was one the first flowers to spring up on graves of soldiers buried in northern France and Belgium during World War I. The small, red species of poppies quickly became an international symbol of remembrance after being immortalized in the 1915 poem In Flanders Fields written by Canadian military doctor, John McCrae. The red poppy is also a favorite of pollinating insects. The poppy field above was photographed by our friend Sylvia, near her village in the Gard.

Vocabulary
un coquelicot:  poppy
un butineur: a nectar gatherer; a browser; a crawler (as in a search engine indexer)
un pollinisateur:  a pollinator
éclatant(e):  brillant, bright
champêtre:  country, rural, open-air
une fleur champêtre:  a wildflower


Reading in French is fun!
Immerse yourself or your child for a moment in a French children's story! Reading an illustrated children's story in a foreign language is a great way to jump-start the acquisition of a second language. For starters we suggest a charming conte, Le Lapin et la lune, écrit par Marianne Lecron, illustré par P. B. Lecron. It and its English version, The Rabbit and the Moon, are both available on worldwide Amazon sites.

For more posts about poppies:
A French Education: THE ARABLE WEED
A French Education: COCORICO
A French Education: CORSICA OF COURSE
©2018 P. B. Lecron

RECYCLE THAT CORK!

In case you didn't know...

Wine bottle corks are a very recyclable product, and today more and more wine sellers or cavistes around the world collect them to that end. If yours doesn't, then it's high time to militate and get a program started! Used corks are transformed into many decorative and construction products. In France, people can localize the nearest businesses where they can drop off used corks by consulting planeteliege.

Vocabulary
un bouchon de liège:  a wine bottle cork

©2018 P. B. Lecron

IN MATCHING SHADES

Ton sur ton

The tone-on-tone color of these tulips sunning on the windowsill are an inspired choice for the gardener's house of the Parc Bagatelle, Paris.

Vocabulary

un rebord de la fenêtre:  an exterieur windowsill

un appui de la fenêtre:  an interieur windowsill

©2018 P. B. Lecron

Click and take a peek!

Le lapin et la lune

The Rabbit and the Moon

FIFTY SHADES OF GREEN

A peahen in the Parc Bagatelle in Paris's Bois de Boulogne on a very warm, spring day.

Vocabulary

une paonne:  a peahen

un paon:  a peacock

©2018 P. B. Lecron

Read it in French!

We're pleased to post these links to the French and English versions of a new children's story, written by my daughter and illustrated by myself:  Le lapin et la lune, écrit par Marianne Lecron, illustré par P. B. Lecron; and The Rabbit and the Moon.

BEFORE AND AFTER

Some of friend Sylvia's last year's batch of cerises à l'eau de vie shown with this spring's cherry blossoms in her country garden in the south of France. Fresh cherries are washed, placed in a jar and left to macerate in aqua vitae with a little bit of sugar and a cinnamon stick for at least 5 to 6 weeks. Sylvia says that in her recipe, however, she used equal parts of Pineau des Charentes liqueur and aqua vitae. To consume with moderation!

Vocabulary
cueillir:  to pick, to gather
un bocal:  a jar
un bocal à conserves:  a kilner jar, a canning jar
l'eau de vie:  aqua vitae


©2018 P. B. Lecron


Read it in French! For young and old alike, an illustrated children's book with an engaging and gentle lesson in the importance of helping others:  Le lapin et la lune, écrit par Marianne Lecron, illustré par P. B. Lecron. The conte is also available in English: The Rabbit and the Moon. Both are sold on worldwide Amazon sites.

HIGH DRAMA

There's drama in the garden when the cherry trees are blossoming. Friend Sylvia in the Gard just sent us this dramatic photo of what will soon be confiture of her own making! Merci pour la photo, Sylvia!

Vocabulary
les fleurs de cerisier:  cherry blossoms


©2018 P. B. Lecron


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