“Nathan in the land of pirates”: Anik Jean signs a first children’s book

With “Nathan in the land of pirates”, her first book for children and their parents, Anik Jean wants to allow young people to enter the world she created thanks to her son Nathan, but also to develop their imagination.

Anik, how and when did you get the idea to write this book?

“The idea came to me about two years ago. Nathan will be 9 in December, and Patrick [Huard] and me, we separate all the time to go to bed. We have a large library of books; we read fairy tales, stories … Patrick started doing superhero stories and I said to Nathan: “do we make a fantasy world and go into it every night?” He said: “ah mom, that’s so cool! It’s going to be called the Land of Dreams. ” In his room, Nathan has a big wooden cabin, with a ladder. When you put Nathan down, you have to climb the ladder, like in the book. ”

– Why did you choose the pirates?

“I am a pirate! On my left arm I have a big pirate tattoo. I have always been into pirates. Nathan has a passion for pirates. Who doesn’t love pirates? When Jack Sparrow arrived, he was the idol of many people. Even moms fall for Jack Sparrow. Pirates, I think it’s a beautiful world for a first book, it’s a world where all children want to go. I also thought it was important that we have a quest. The two main characters must overcome a fear to become a pirate. ”

– You thus create a parent-child bond …

“It was wanted because at first I thought I could do a book where only Nathan was the hero. At the same time, I tell myself that there is something cool about the parent becoming a hero. My son is afraid of certain things that I am not afraid of and vice versa. I found it interesting that the parent participates in this epic with the child … “

– Besides you and Nathan, who did illustrator François Thisdale take inspiration from?

“Captain Rolland Fou-de-Bassan, he’s my father. I wanted to wink at my father, who hadn’t passed away at the time. He was able to see the book and since he was in the Gaspé, it’s Captain Rolland Fou-de-Bassan. I thought it was really “cute” and Nathan wanted to have his grandfather in the book. My father was like a pirate … In each story, we put people we know. Maybe I’ll integrate Nathan’s friends and Patrick will be one of them. The next is the seabed. Nathan and I are getting somewhere and Patrick is going to be there, but in a character. “

– What will your other books be about?

“Nicholas Aumais, who coaches me, […] happened to me with an idea. I lost my father a month ago and he said to me: “we should do one about death, but cool for the kids”. Example: Nathan goes to a cemetery, comes into contact with ghosts and learns a lot about ghosts like Beethoven … This is one of the next books. I want to play down things for children, whether it is fear, anxiety … Imagination helped me a lot when I was little because I had a little rock and roll childhood. . My parents separated when I was 4 years old and the imagination came to take care of me. ”

• “Nathan in the land of pirates” is available in bookstores.