Creators Laurent Rivelaygue and Mohamad Al Shibani tell the Sharjah International Book Fair how the playful world of the popular French series blends imagination, humour and inclusivity to inspire young Arab readers

Sharjah, November 13, 2025

In a warm exchange that moved between nostalgia and new ideas, French creator Laurent Rivelaygue and Emirati writer Mohamad Al Shibani joined moderator Zeina Basil at the ongoing 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) to explore how humour and comics can nurture empathy, curiosity and connection among young readers. The launch of Les Qui Quoi by Kalimat Group marked a milestone for children’s literature in Arabic, expanding access to one of France’s most imaginative comic universes.

Laurent Rivelaygue, a content creator described the Qui Quoi, a cheerful group of six friends with strong personalities who try to solve existential questions of their age in a completely wacky way, as a world where “chaos, creativity and kindness live side by side.” “We often just sit together with piles of pages and draw at the same time,” he said. “It’s playful and unpredictable; just like the characters themselves.” His cast, a mix of animals and humans with distinct personalities, reflect the everyday emotions of children. “They argue, get sad, laugh, and make fun of each other. They’re not perfect,” he said. “They’re real.”

Reflecting on the series’ evolution from page to screen, Rivelaygue said: “It began as a small creative experiment, where we went from one book to another. Now it’s become 52 episodes. We never planned it. It just grew, like a conversation that never ends.”

Another content creator, Mohamad Al Shibani shared that while comics make us laugh, they are also a mirror for cultural understanding. “When children see themselves in characters from other cultures, they learn that difference is not something to fear, but to celebrate,” he said. “It’s an excellent way to start a conversation about who we are and how we can be friends despite differences.”

He credited classics like Tintin for shaping how Arab readers perceive storytelling through illustration. “Tintin looks simple, but it’s deceptively complex,” said Shibani. “That kind of layered storytelling – with humour, tension and visual rhythm – is what we hope to build upon in our region.”

Both creators agreed that humour remains a universal language. “There’s something wonderful about a joke that you laugh at as a child, and then again 20 years later for a different reason,” Shibani added.

The discussion was part of the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025, held under the theme ‘Between You and a Book’ and organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) until November 16.

-ENDS-