Rosalie's Catastrophes Ginette Anfousse. Illustrated by Marisol Sarrazin. Translated by Linda Gaboriau. Charlottetown: Ragweed Press, 1994. 93pp. paper, $5.95. ISBN 0-921556-47-0 Subject Headings: Orphans-Fiction. Family-Fiction.
	Rosalie's Battles Ginette Anfousse. Illustrated by Marisol Sarrazin. Translated by Linda Gaboriau. Charlottetown: Ragweed Press, 1994. 93pp. paper, $5.95. ISBN 0-921556-50-0 Subject Headings: Racism-Fiction. Immigrants-Fiction. Vietnamese Canadians-Fiction.
	Rosalie's Big Dream Ginette Anfousse. Illustrated by Marisol Sarrazin. Translated by Linda Gaboriau. Charlottetown: Ragweed Press, 1994. 93pp. paper, $5.95. ISBN 0-921556-52-7 Subject Headings: Friendship-Fiction. Dance-Fiction. Kindergarten - grade 3 / Ages 5 - 8. Review by Tracey Keryluk

excerpt:

Now I don't want you to think that I say "Holy hopping horrors" because I'm badly brought up. I say it because it annoys my mothers. Actually, it drives all seven of them crazy. I like teasing them once in a while, they're so perfect.

I am exactly nine years, seven months and three days old and my name is Rosalie. My life began with a catastrophe, one holy hopping horror of an enormous catastrophe.

---

Thus begins Rosalie's Catastrophes, the first in the "Rosalie" series. Told from Rosalie's own exuberant perspective, the reader is given an introduction to both her life and her family. She has not one, but seven mothers, since her seven eccentric aunts adopted her following a plane crash that killed her parents.

Perhaps because of her unconventional family, or perhaps, as Rosalie's friend believes, because Rosalie is a Gemini-Horse, Rosalie continually finds herself in one adventure after another. Her attempt to become the next Fred Astaire, which includes gluing six quarters to the bottoms of her runners, is particularly entertaining. Much to the consternation of her aunt, she leaves four hundred and thirty-two little marks in the house's hardwood floors.

Great for use as first chapter books, I particularly liked the way Rosalie's experiences encourage questions and discussion on such diverse topics as the Chinese horoscope, the Viet Nam War, pneumonia, and tap dancing.

Ginette Anfousse has won a number of honours including the Mr. Christie Book Award and a nomination for the Governor-General's Literary Award. These translations of her work, by Linda Gaboriau, are excellent.

The illustrations also add greatly to the books, especially in the latter two where the drawings are more plentiful. They expressively convey Rosalie's scrapes and adventures, including the snowball war that breaks out at school, and her attempts to become the best video-clip tap-dancer in North America. Marisol Sarrazin is a particularly apt choice for the illustrator of these books since she is the author's daughter, and was herself the inspiration for some of the characters she helps depict.