With text and illustrations by Jean-Jacques Sempé, Ralph Sprockett is a funny and charming story about friendship, honesty and competitive bicycle racing, where seizing the moment and being true to yourself turn out to be just as important as winning a stage of the Tour de France.

Jean-Jacques Sempé (b.1932) is one of the worlds most successful illustrators and cartoonists. He is the illustrator of the classic childrens-book character, Nicholas, and author of a collection of some thirty albums of his cartoons and graphic novels, all published or to be published by Phaidon. His world-renowned illustrations and cartoons are featured on the cover of the New Yorker and in Paris Match . Anthea Bell was awarded the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize (USA) in 2002 for her translation of W G Sebalds Austerlitz . Her many works of translation from French and German (for which she has received several other awards) include the Nicholas books and, with Derek Hockridge, the entire Asterix the Gaul saga by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.