The Partridge Who Always Lost
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Book cover: Marie the partridge, in a blue coat, clings to a green lamppost in a Paris square while Suzanne the duck looks on.

The partridgewho alwayslost

David & AliceHoffmann

A picture book about the art of losing… and trying again.

Available to order in December 2026, in English and in French.

A view of the square des Galinettes: a green bandstand, lampposts, benches, a statue and Paris buildings in the distance.

The story

Marie the partridge leads a busy, exciting life, but she has never won anything. When the defeats pile up, her feelings get the better of her.

Luckily, she can count on her friends in the square to help her make sense of losing… and find her courage again!

At cards, at chess, in the sandpit, in the roller-skating race: in the square des Galinettes, Marie loses at every game. And it drives her mad.

Who lives in the square

In the square des Galinettes, everybody knows everybody.

Marie the partridge, with a red bow on her head and a blue coat, perched on a lamppost.

Marie

the partridge

Red bow, blue coat and a big heart. She dances, reads and draws in her cosy nest in the bandstand… and she hates losing.

Suzanne the duck, in a pink skirt, holds up a playing card, with her ducklings around her.

Suzanne

the duck

Always followed by her ducklings, always the winner at cards. Above all, she is the friend who knocks on the door when things go wrong.

Hugo the crow, in a black suit, tie and sunglasses.

Hugo

the crow

Black suit, sunglasses and a chessboard under his wing. He often wins, but what he really loves is learning.

Bernadette the barnacle goose, wearing a pearl necklace.

Bernadette

the barnacle goose

Pearls around her neck, she spends her days perfecting her honking.

A sparrow in a red cap and red top, wings raised, in the sandpit.

The sparrows

the sandpit gang

Red caps, spades and buckets: a noisy gang who build the biggest castle in the square, and invite everyone to join in.

A grey pigeon in yellow roller skates, one wing raised.

The pigeons

the roller-skating champions

They cross the finish line first. Their secret? They lost a great many races before they won one.

When I don’t win…

A book for talking about losing, the anger and sadness that come with it, fair play, and wanting to try again. Each of Marie’s friends has an answer.

Marie, in a red helmet, speeds along the paths of the square on roller skates.

…I practise!

The champion pigeon

Finishing the race is already a victory. Every race you lose makes you stronger for the next one.

Hugo the crow and Marie talk at a table outside the café in the square.

…I learn!

Hugo the crow

To get better, you have to play a lot of games, and lose a lot of them too.

Suzanne the duck swims in the pond with her ducklings while Marie watches.

…I have fun!

Suzanne the duck

We play first of all to have a good time with our friends. Winning is often just luck.

Look inside

Watercolours full of detail, from fury to comfort.

A furious Marie sweeps the chessboard clear with her wing; pieces fly and Hugo ducks for cover.
“I hate losing!”
Marie builds a tall, slender sandcastle while the sparrows pile up a mountain beside her.
A sandcastle that is a true work of art
Under a lamp, in a blue room, Marie draws with her head in her wing, beside a steaming cup.
When sorrow gives way to melancholy
Marie dances on one leg in her little kitchen, under a string of lights.
Marie’s cosy nest in the bandstand
Suzanne hugs Marie in her wings.
A friend to count on

For parents, and for children

A book for parents who care about building their children’s character. And for children, who need to meet defeat before they can value victory for what it is worth.

Story: David Hoffmann · Illustrations: Alice Hoffmann

At dusk, Marie and Suzanne play cards on a green bench under a lamppost.

So how do you think Marie reacts now?

The answer is in the book, this December.

Coming soon on Amazon