Naomi and Mrs. Lumbago

Nominated for the IBBY Honour List 2004 by the Canadian Section of IBBY for the quality of its translation Naomi is seven and three-quarters years old. Her mother says she's old for her age, but not as old as her best friend, Mrs. Lumbago. Mrs. Lumbago lives upstairs with her frail husband, Emile. Although the Lumbagos are poor, their apartment holds many charms for the lonely little girl. In fact, there may be a real treasure hidden there and Naomi is determined to find it. Her search for the Lumbago's treasure reaps Naomi more than she realizes, for in their modest home she finds companionship and the love she craves. Long a favorite in Quebec, Gilles Tibo's sensitive and funny exploration of intergenerational friendship received the Governor General's Literary Award and appears in English for the first time, with the original art by Louise-Andre Laliberte.