Amphibian
Découvrez Amphibian : l'histoire touchante et drôle de Phin, 9 ans, génie de la nature et écologiste en herbe, qui se bat pour sauver les animaux et comprendre les adultes.
Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Canada and Caribbean region)
A Globe and Mail Top Five First Fiction Title of 2009
Nine-year-old Phineas William Walsh has an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world. He knows that if you wet a dog's food with your saliva and he refuses to eat it then he's top dog, and he knows that dolphins can sleep half a brain at a time. What he doesn't know, though, is why his grandfather died, or why waste-of-flesh Lyle always picks on him. Or why his parents can't live together - after all, when other mate-for-life animals have a fight, it's not like one of them just packshis bags and leaves the country.
To make it to-infinity worse, he's worried sick about what humans are doing to the planet, and his mother is worried sick about him. But shouldn't everyone be losing sleep over the fact that a quarter of all Earth's mammals are on the Red List of Threatened Species? So, when a White's tree frog ends up in an aquarium in his fourth-grade classroom, it's the last straw, and he and his best friend, Bird, are spurred to action.
"Carla Gunn's prose crackleswith energy in this illuminating, heart-gripping novel. A hilarious, brilliant, loveable, exasperating child, Phin and his mesmerizing voice need listening to. The powerful, authentic narrator brings to mind The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but Gunn's an original, and draws us deeply into Phin's many and varied worlds. A compassionate tale balancing light and dark, this is a must-read book.' -Sheree Fitch, author of Kiss the Joy As It Flies
"I'm thrilled to promote Amphibian as our number one summer reading suggestion to customers of all ages, many of whom have returned to say how much they enjoyed it. It really has all the elements of a classic in the making. In nine-year-old Phineas Walsh, Carla Gunn has created a narrator that is perceptive, hilarious and frustrating, as he grapples with humanity's seeming indifference to the rapid destruction of our animals and our planet. The issues are urgent, yet the author maintains a light tone throughout that isbreathtakingly delightful, heartfelt and ultimately hopeful. It's fresh, timely and very hard to find fault with. I was thrilledto read it and shed light on this gem of a book that might otherwise get lost in the shuffle. It's what independent bookselling is all about." -Andrew Peck, Singing Pebble Books, Ottawa
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A Globe and Mail Top Five First Fiction Title of 2009
Nine-year-old Phineas William Walsh has an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world. He knows that if you wet a dog's food with your saliva and he refuses to eat it then he's top dog, and he knows that dolphins can sleep half a brain at a time. What he doesn't know, though, is why his grandfather died, or why waste-of-flesh Lyle always picks on him. Or why his parents can't live together - after all, when other mate-for-life animals have a fight, it's not like one of them just packshis bags and leaves the country.
To make it to-infinity worse, he's worried sick about what humans are doing to the planet, and his mother is worried sick about him. But shouldn't everyone be losing sleep over the fact that a quarter of all Earth's mammals are on the Red List of Threatened Species? So, when a White's tree frog ends up in an aquarium in his fourth-grade classroom, it's the last straw, and he and his best friend, Bird, are spurred to action.
"Carla Gunn's prose crackleswith energy in this illuminating, heart-gripping novel. A hilarious, brilliant, loveable, exasperating child, Phin and his mesmerizing voice need listening to. The powerful, authentic narrator brings to mind The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but Gunn's an original, and draws us deeply into Phin's many and varied worlds. A compassionate tale balancing light and dark, this is a must-read book.' -Sheree Fitch, author of Kiss the Joy As It Flies
"I'm thrilled to promote Amphibian as our number one summer reading suggestion to customers of all ages, many of whom have returned to say how much they enjoyed it. It really has all the elements of a classic in the making. In nine-year-old Phineas Walsh, Carla Gunn has created a narrator that is perceptive, hilarious and frustrating, as he grapples with humanity's seeming indifference to the rapid destruction of our animals and our planet. The issues are urgent, yet the author maintains a light tone throughout that isbreathtakingly delightful, heartfelt and ultimately hopeful. It's fresh, timely and very hard to find fault with. I was thrilledto read it and shed light on this gem of a book that might otherwise get lost in the shuffle. It's what independent bookselling is all about." -Andrew Peck, Singing Pebble Books, Ottawa
Carla Gunn
**Carla Gunn** est une auteure canadienne originaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, où elle enseigne la psychologie et travaille comme ergothérapeute. Son premier roman, *Amphibian*, publié en 2008, a été salué par la critique pour son originalité et sa voix narrative unique, celle de **Phin**, un enfant précoce et préoccupé par l’état de la planète. Engagée pour les causes écologiques, Carla Gunn puise dans son expérience professionnelle et ses préoccupations environnementales pour créer des récits à la fois drôles, tendres et profondément humains. Ses écrits ont été publiés dans des médias canadiens comme le *Globe and Mail* et le *National Post*.
shield_question Frequently Asked Questions
Amphibian offre une plongée unique dans l’esprit d’un enfant surdoué, Phin, dont la vision du monde est à la fois drôle, touchante et profondément inquiète pour l’avenir de la planète. Ce roman allie humour, émotion et réflexion écologique, tout en abordant des thèmes universels comme la famille, l’amitié et la différence. La voix narrative de Phin, aussi savoureuse qu’inoubliable, en fait une lecture à la fois divertissante et enrichissante.
Le livre explore plusieurs thèmes majeurs : l’écologie et la protection des espèces menacées, la difficulté de grandir et de comprendre le monde des adultes, la famille recomposée, l’amitié, et la quête de sens face à l’indifférence humaine. À travers les yeux de Phin, l’auteure interroge aussi notre responsabilité collective envers la planète et les générations futures.
Amphibian s’adresse à un large public : aux jeunes lecteurs (dès 10-12 ans) pour son héros attachant et ses aventures, mais aussi aux adultes pour sa profondeur thématique et son humour fin. Les amateurs de récits à la première personne, de romans engagés ou de personnages hors norme y trouveront leur bonheur. C’est aussi un excellent choix pour les clubs de lecture ou les discussions familiales.
Avec la fonctionnalité de chat, vous pourrez interroger le livre sur : les comportements animaux mentionnés par Phin, les enjeux écologiques soulevés dans l’histoire, les relations entre Phin et sa mère, les scènes clés du roman, ou encore les inspirations scientifiques ou littéraires de l’auteure. Vous pourrez aussi demander des éclaircissements sur le vocabulaire utilisé ou les références culturelles.
tag Keywords
amphibian carla gunn
roman écologique
littérature jeunesse engagée
phin walsh personnage
livre sur la protection des animaux
roman sur l'enfance
famille recomposée littérature
humour et écologie
premier roman carla gunn
livre sur les espèces menacées
roman à la première personne
littérature canadienne contemporaine
livre pour ados et adultes
écologie et fiction
roman drôle et touchant
livre sur l'amitié
narration enfantine
roman sur la différence
livre sur la responsabilité environnementale
roman psychologique jeunesse
livre primé commonwealth writers' prize
roman sur la nature
livre pour clubs de lecture
roman sur la quête de sens
livre sur les animaux en danger
littérature jeunesse adulte
roman sur l'injustice
livre optimiste et engagé
roman sur la famille
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