The Professor's Daughter -- Joann Sfar & Emmanuel Guibert

I don't know how anyone could even think about resisting this book. 

Or why anyone would want to.

Just look at the cover!  How adorable is it?  So adorable that the first time I saw it, I wanted to take it home and sleep with it under my pillow.  So adorable that I picked it up and wandered around the comic shop with it for twenty-odd minutes, even though I knew I couldn't buy it*, because a few minutes of pretend ownership were better than none at all.

Now I own it, and I am happy again**. 

Lillian is the daughter of Professor Bowell, the eminent Egyptologist.  One day, while the Professor is out, Lillian wants to go to Kensington.  As she can't go out unchaperoned, she brings along Imhotep IV.  Who is a mummy.

Brief moment for gushing about the adorablosity of it all:  How did Sfar and Guibert make Imhotep IV (who, other than a bump for a nose, has no real visible facial features) a wicked hottie?  Is it the cigarette holder?  The top hat?  The spats?  Or is it his romantic nature?  His melancholy?  His tragic background?  Whatever it is, it works.  I fell in lurve with him by the end of the first page.

Mystery and murder and dream sequences and tragedy and kidnapping and a huge room full of mummies and a cameo by Queen Victoria and I loved it that no one found it strange that there was a living mummy running around London.  It's bizarre and funny and touching and so, so cute.

SO CUTE.

Excerpt here.  Have fun.

*I hate that whole BILLS thing.

**Yes, I know.  Simple minds, simple pleasures.  Whatever.  It's easy to make me happy, therefore I'm usually happy.  Not a bad existence.

Comments

[Kelly Fineman]

Oh my! How delightful!

[Fuse #8]

When I was at the Midwinter ALA Conference I heard that the First Second booth was handing out ARCs of this. But could I get one? Nooooo. No, instead I had to decide the Newbery. I'm not getting any pity on this one, but I just want you to know that I really really really wanted to get my hands on this. You are lucky.

[Sarah]

Okay, this has got to stop. Seriously, quit reviewing all the books that I just wandered around the store with yesterday and then couldn't buy (also the bills thing, feh!). If you don't stop doing that, I'll be forced to conclude that you're secretly my brain-twin, and then we'll have to have some sort of nauseating Parent Trap-style hijinks.

I *love* The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar, have you read that one yet?

[Erin]

You have me sold. I LURV the cover!

[cc]

You've sold me too, and you know how I feel about comics.

[Paige]

This looks wonderful. I'm so excited to see that my library has it on order - can't wait to read it!

[jessmonster]

I had to read it three times before I could handle the thought of returning it to the library. The bit with the soldiers spotting Queen Victoria was priceless. Deeelightful.