Billy le môme #[nn]

A tiny cowboy in an oversized hat perches atop a dark, grazing horse against a spare desert landscape of red mesas and rocky outcroppings — Ronan Badel's delicate pencil-and-wash cover immediately charms with its mix of wide-open West and gentle whimsy. Created by Françoise de Guibert and Ronan Badel, *Billy le môme* looks like a tender adventure story about a very small figure in a very big country. Published by Éditions Thierry Magnier in 2011, this French album has an understated warmth that's hard to resist.