I first stumbled upon the illustrator Pierre Le-Tan by chance, while exploring Vietnamese art. His work carries a distinct wit and charm—the kind of style you might recognize from classic French or Belgian comics like Tintin, Les Schtroumpfs, or Asterix & Obelix.
I managed to track down and order two books he illustrated: A Booklover’s Guide to New York and A Few Collectors.
A Booklover’s Guide to New York is written by his daughter, Cleo Le-Tan. It’s a lovely, almost whimsical guide to the small, hidden bookshops tucked away in New York’s streets. I bought it partly as a collector, partly because the subject itself feels so full of quiet charm. I can’t help but imagine carrying this book with me and exploring those shops one by one, if I ever return to New York.
A Few Collectors is both written and illustrated by Pierre himself. It feels like a notebook of stories about unusual collectors he met over the years. Each chapter paints a vivid portrait of a person and their collection—and some of the things people choose to collect are truly unexpected.
These are books worth owning—whether to read, to collect, or simply to admire. For me, I bought them because they’re beautiful, and because they’re a quiet tribute to a Vietnamese talent I deeply admire.
And here’s a little surprise—Pierre Le-Tan is actually the son of Lê Phổ, one of Vietnam’s most celebrated painters.
