Sometimes

A clever, colorful, and mischievous journey into emotions and self-discovery — perfect for little hearts.

Sometimes we’re quiet. Sometimes we’re impatient. Other times, we’re angry — or maybe free, wild, wise, joyful… But always, we are filled with a wealth of emotions that swirl within us, meet, and help shape who we are.

This book offers a gentle way to explore the variety of feelings we all experience — feelings that can sometimes overwhelm us, yet never fully define us. Learning to recognize, name, and welcome our emotions — and to understand that they don’t dictate our entire identity — is key to accepting ourselves and others.

On every page, through a playful game of shadow-guessing, a new side of the child’s personality is revealed — until all the pieces come together to show the whole of who they are.

The Author-Illustrator

Maxime Derouen lives in Bordeaux. Trained as a philosopher, he spent years crafting words before trading his pen for shapes and images. In his stories, he loves to stage the animal world with tenderness and humor. He works in a shared studio, surrounded by fellow illustrators, always seeking in his books a way to bridge dreams and thought.

His art for children — spontaneous and full of color — follows in the tradition of Mario Ramos. With Grasset Jeunesse, he has published C’était pour de faux !, Le livre des secrets de mon dinosaure préféré, et Un trésor lourd à porter.