MR CRUMP, THE HEARTLESS GRUMP

A curmudgeon slowly softens in this French import.

Mr. Crump, who has thick tufts of white-gray eyebrows and a mustache, is rude and even downright nasty. He pushes to the front of lines, never says thank you, and believes that children “get too many treats.” His dislike of animals extends to feeding park pigeons hot sauce–laced crumbs. And if he wants some cauliflower from the garden next door? He simply takes it. What a shock, then, to learn that each night, Mr. Crump reads tenderly to his collection of teddy bears. A single page of backstory reveals that neglect and unhappiness characterized his childhood, its sadness reflected in the monochrome palette of that spread. When unwary local kids discover him on Halloween cuddling his favorite bear, he’s dismayed—will they laugh at him? But the kindly youngsters each pick a bear instead of a treat, bonding happily with them and embracing Crump before departing. He still has his original, beloved bear, a thank-you note from the kids, and the oddly enjoyable sensation of having received his first hug. Over time, he becomes more social, until he is “soft and cuddly, just like his bears.” Léon’s stylishly baroque illustrations depict detailed old-world backgrounds, washed in antique gold and occasionally muted blue-gray. Lockwood-Holmes’ translation is graceful; together the creators make clear that even a grouch can melt with proper care. Like Mr. Crump, most characters are pale-skinned.

An elaborately and entrancingly illustrated redemption story.