Akissi #10

Despite the subtitle *Enfermés Dedans* ("Locked Inside"), the cover of this tenth Akissi volume by Abouet and Sapin bursts with cheerful, barely-contained energy — Akissi herself leads a joyful stampede of kids, animals, and neighborhood characters through a sun-drenched West African street, a kite soaring overhead and a mischievous cat prowling the rooftops. Every corner of the illustration is packed with personality: a masked child, a strutting elegant woman, a curious monkey, and adults reacting with exasperated amusement from doorways and windows. Published by Gallimard Bande Dessinée in 2020, this is the kind of all-ages bande dessinée that radiates warmth and wit from its very first glance.