FROM THE ILLUSTRATOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING "NICHOLAS" SERIES A NEW PICTURE BOOK ABOUT MARTIN WHO BLUSHES, RODDY WHO SNEEZES AND LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIP. MARTIN PEBBLE is the delightful story of a little boy who blushes all the time for no particular reason. Written and illustrated by the New Yorker cover artist Jean-Jacques Sempé, MARTIN PEBBLE is now available in English for the first time for an American audience. He is also the illustrator of Nicholas (Phaidon, 2005), the recent winner of the 2006 ALSC's Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Award for an outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language. MARTIN PEBBLE is a timeless, touching and humorous book that brings to life the adventures of a little boy who blushes a lot, and who is happiest in the summer, when everyone else has a red face too. He sets out to find a reason for his strange affliction, and finds a friend instead - Roddy Rackett, who keeps on sneezing, even when he doesn't have a cold. One day, his new best friend moves away and Martin Pebble is very sad. He goes on to make other friends, but doesn't have the same bond with any of them as he did with Roddy Rackett - the kind of friendship where you play games and make jokes and never feel bored. Years pass and Martin grows up, and moves to the big city. One day they meet again, on a crowded bus, and there's a lot of catching up to do. Soon they realize that some things never change: Martin still blushes, Roddy still sneezes, and the two of them are still the best of friends. A French classic since 1969, MARTIN PEBBLE is now available in English for the first time, in a translation by the award-winning translator Anthea Bell. Illustrated with Jean-Jacques Sempe's colorful drawings, it the perfect gift for any child who has ever felt that they were a little bit different and found a best friend that makes them, even for a little while, feel better. MARTIN PEBBLE will make the perfect holiday gift and is sure to become an instant classic.