Cast Away on the Letter A: A Philemon Adventure

When Philemon, a youth living in the French countryside, visits the old, disused well, he discovers a strange bottle in the water with a message asking for help. Falling into the well, he finds himself trapped on an imaginary island in the map of the Atlantic Ocean. He meets an old well-digger, who has been trying to escape for the last forty years; Philemon hopes he can be more successful and somehow find his way home soon – after all, he has chores to do!

The adventures of Philemon have been beloved in France for decades, so it is very exciting that these comics are being issued for American readers. This book is entertaining and funny, full of whimsical adventures and characters, and also clever references to art and history that enhance the story; readers will enjoy rereading to find these allusions. This volume guides readers to finding some of them, and also asks critical thinking questions to get them to dig deeper and analyze the action. It is all a lot of fun, and I hope there are many more volumes to come!