Well we've already mentioned Tintin in our #Booky100Keepers list so it would be incredibly unfair not to mention Asterix.

Again, these were books that were hotly sought after at school. The stories of the diminutive but powerful gaul Asterix and his menhir-lugging bestie Obelix are still a huge draw even today, under the new creative ownership of Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad, who inherited Asterix from Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and continue to produce all new stories with uncanny accuracy and due homage paid to the original creators.

It's difficult to explain why these are so great. Kids love them because kids spend a lot of time in school learning all about the Romans, so anything that pokes a bit of gentle fun at the all-conquering Roman Empire is an instant draw.

Then there are the many in-jokes, pop culture references and just downright hilarious puns and japes that are woven expertly into every story. Even back as far as 2017 in "The Chariot Race" the mysterious masked charioteer for the Romans is called...Coronavirus. Yep, go check, it's all true.

C loved these from the moment I introduced them to her, and goes back to the books quite frequently. She did point out something weird about them though. She actually found that in nearly every story, poor Asterix ends up almost playing second fiddle to every other character in the story, almost like he's too pint sized to be taken seriously, and ends up being shouldered aside. This wasn't something I ever noticed myself, but in stories where the creators are juggling with so many different plot threads and characters, perhaps she has a point. That's no criticism though, these are fantastic stories and we've included links to original reviews below...

Original Review Links: 

Asterix and Cleopatra (Book 6) by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo & Translated by Anthea Bell (Asterix Publishing)

Asterix and the Secret Weapon by Albert Uderzo (Orion Paperbacks)

ReadItDaddy's Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 8th December 2017 - "Asterix and the Chariot Race" by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad (Orion Children's Books)

ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 22nd April 2016 - "Asterix and the Missing Scroll" by Jan-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad (Orion Children's Books)

Asterix - A Whole World to Colour In (Orion Children's Books)

With the most exquisite alignment of the planets, and timing that is quite breathtaking, the 38th Asterix book, "Asterix and the Chieftan's Daughter" by Jean Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad steams its way into our Comic / Graphic Novel of the Week slot with absolute buttery smoothness.

I mean, we would have probably made this a book of the week regardless. Both of us love Asterix and Obelix, I grew up with the plucky Gaul and his super-strong sidekick but with the new team of Ferri and Conrad, the new books are finding a hugely appreciative audience with C, who loves them just as much (perhaps even more) than I did.

So what's in store for our gallant Gaulish heroes with this 38th book? A subject very close to home at the moment. What happens when you're living a fairly peaceful life (aside from the odd spot of Roman bashing) in your village - but soon have that peace and quiet disrupted by a new arrival?

The daughter of the famous Gaulish chieftain Vercingetorix is being hunted down by the Romans. She is Adrenalin (no really, that's her name) and like her biological namesake she's a heck of a force to be reckoned with. Having done her own bit to disrupt the mighty Roman empire, she is now on the run - and has found her way to Asterix and Obelix's home village, as her father the mighty Vercingetorex believe she'll be perfectly safe alongside a couple of potion-swilling badasses. 

Our Picture Book of the Week this week once again takes up the reins with one of our favourite comic characters of all time. The mighty Asterix (and Obelix of course!)