Abstract: 1932–1933 was a period of intense activity for Giono. Jean le Bleu was published between Solitude la pitié and Le Serpent d’étoiles, when Lanceurs de graines was finding great success on the stage. Critics speculated: Was it autobiography, memoir, a novel? Its reception was generally very positive: they stressed its liveliness, the power of the work as a whole, the originality and accuracy of the images, the elegance with which the memories are arranged, and the sensitivity of the narration of this children’s book, which exudes strength, joy, and sensuality.
