Third Title in the Award-winning "Nicholas" Children's BookSeries Available for the First Time in English; The Perfect Holiday Gift. NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAY is the third in the acclaimed Nicholas children's bookseries, featuring the adventures of a young French schoolboy who is alwaysgetting into trouble.With text by Ren+- Goscinny, the beloved author ofthe Asterix the Gaul series, and with illustrations by New Yorker coverartist Jean-Jacques Semp+-, NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAYis now available inEnglish for the first time for an American audience.The first book in theseries recently won the 2006 ALSC's Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Award foran outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language. Following the publication of Nicholas and the second book in the much-lovedseries, Nicholas Again, NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAYis the equally charming thirdtitle, bringing to life the adventures and exploits of Nicholas on summervacation. We follow Nicholas on his escapades at the beach with his parentsand then to overnight camp with a new set of friends. Whether playingminiature golf, going on a fishing trip, or heading out to a treasure huntin the middle of the night, delightful mayhem always ensues. Firmly established as a literary cult figure, Nicholas has already charmedmillions of readers worldwide since these books were first published inFrance over forty years ago.Considered classics and available intwenty-six languages, the Nicholas stories have the ability to delight bothchildren and adults.Amanda Renshaw, Editorial Director of Phaidon Press said, "I was visitingSemp+-'s French publisher browsing their bookshelves when I spotted a copyof "Le Petit Nicholas." We couldn't believe this classic book wasn'tavailable in English and knew immediately that it was an amazing find forPhaidon.I read the Nicholas books as a child in French and they stillmake me chuckle out loud.The sublimely innocent world of this speciallittle schoolboy will delight a whole new audience of English speakingchildren and adults who have never had the chance to read these booksbefore." For illustrator Jean-Jacques Semp+-, who still works from his Paris studio,the secret of the character's enduring popularity lies in his innocence. "Petit Nicolas lives in an ideal world. It is the childhood that everybodywould have liked to have had. That was Goscinny's great talent - to havesucceeded in creating a children's world that everyone dreamed of."Offering an insightful glimpse into everyday French life and culture,NICHOLAS ON HOLIDAY, translated by the award-winning Anthea Bell, is thethird in the series of five classic titles that Goscinny and Semp+-collaborated on between 1959 and 1965.The fourth book in the series,NICHOLAS AND THE GANG, will be published in 2007.