The title tells what it is, a mostly text story of Obelix and Asterix and their childhoods ( )

This slim volume is not a typical Asterix book; rather than being a comic strip album, it is an illustrated short story with the usual division of labour between Goscinny and Uderzo. Originally published in Pilote, the story tells how Obelix came to fall into the cauldron of magic potion and become the permanent bearer of super-human strength we know so well. Asterix himself narrates.

People who know the Asterix canon will be thinking, six years old? Surely Obelix was a baby when that happened? Well, I can't explain the contradiction and I'm not going to worry about it too much. I suggest other readers do the same and instead focus on the witty story and the delightful full page and double page illustrations.

This is essential for all true Asterix fans. ( )

Match found in the German National Library.

A light-hearted look at the story behind Obelix falling into the magic potion. It was fun to see the characters acting as little-kid versions of themselves.. and seeing that Obelix had been a huge fan of eating boar his whole life. ( )

For those who have read an Asterix book or two will be well aware that his more ample mate, Obelix, possesses super-strength that does not require a sip or two of the magic potion made up by the village's in-house chemist (meth lab?) Getafix. It is referred to on many an occassion how Obelix fell into the potion when he was a child, but now you get the actual story.

In a move away from the traditional cartoon panel layout, this story follows a story book with illustrations. It is narrated by Asterix and is set in a time when they may have been about five years old.

We get to see many of the other villagers we know and love at this age; Fulliautomatix, Cacofonix, and Unhygenix amongst others. We also see Chief Vitalstatistix, who is chief in this, but is younger and slimmer. We also meet the parents of both Asterix and Obelix.

Not laced with the normal humour/punning we are used to in Asterix volumes, and for a story it is also very short, and the end was shut off very quickly which was a disappointment. But still, as a historical record every bit as important as any other in Gaul, it makes a subtly pleasant change...although I wouldn't be too quick to read another in similar format...cartoons and prose just do not mix! ( )