As the author of this book himself writes, 'Every story has its own backstory.' In 1985, Daniel Pennac wandered into a bookstore where he saw an album of sketches from the life of a dog and was so moved that he sent the album's author his book, 'Dog Dog.' Thus began a long-term correspondence between Pennac and Gabrielle Vincent, the Belgian artist behind the legendary picture books about Ernest the Bear and Celestine the Mouse. Vincent's albums inspired Pennac to write the screenplay for an animated film, which was nominated for an Oscar and won a César Award. Following the film, the book you hold in your hands, 'The Story of Ernest and Celestine,' was published in 2012. It is a true novel with a poignant social message: about the glaring inequality in society and the possibility of finding a kindred spirit despite taboos and prejudices.