Sibylle Delacroix

Just returned home from their holiday at the seashore, a little girl and her younger brother imagine what crop the golden grains of sand left in the girl's shoe might produce, if sown in a field. Perhaps beach umbrellas, waving hello to the sun, or lemon-flavored ice cream balls, all growing in a row? Perhaps enough sand to make an entire golden beach, or, as Daddy suggests, to fill the Sandman's bags...?

Originally published in France as Graines de sable, this lovely picture-book offers a show more quiet but emotionally resonant look at the simple pleasures of a holiday at the shore, and the inevitable sense of melancholy that is felt, when bidding farewell to said pleasures. Still, as the grains of sand left in the girl's shoe suggest, the shore will stay with us, if only in our memories and dreams. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about (relatively speaking) the seashore, or about the inchoate experience of things coming to an end. show less

Grains of Sand by Sibylle Delacroix is a simply gorgeous book perfect for the littlest of littles and the oldest of vacation lovers.

When two children arrive home after a vacation at the beach they feel “as blue as the sea”. When they realize that they have brought some of the beach home, trapped in their shoes, they decide to plant it and go on an incredible journey through the imagination to figure out what will grow.

This book is a beautiful mediation through the imagination, leading show more to questioning and discovering and storytelling. What do you think will grow if you plant beach sand? The incredible illustrations in black and white with yellows and blues scattered in evoke all the beach you feelings we experience when we are out on vacation and free from the constraints of the daily routine and the feelings we long for when our vacation comes to an end. It is there where we can find a “field of umbrellas, and a forest of pinwheels”. Sibylle Delacroix uses the most incredibly descriptive language, you don't even need the pictures of the book to see the story unfold. Definitely a book to have on hand upon returning from vacation or perhaps to even bring with you. show less

Tears by Sibylle Delacroix is a lovely picture book that helps teach kids about crying and emotions.

I needed more books like this growing up. Fiction books are fun and all, but sometimes learning about hard emotions is important! I didn't get a lot of learning about emotions as a kid, so I can see great value in these books. Preschool classrooms or guardians reading to their kids - this book is where it's at. I think it's really important to find books like these and use them. Education show more matters, especially in fun and engaging ways.

I also really like the illustrations of this book! It looks like someone hand drew them with a pencil, but this illustrator is one incredible artist! I'm digging the style! What a cool way to illustrate this book.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. show less

Jenny is a young girl who is at the stage in her life where nothing feels right. Throughout the story we learn that Jenny is often in an indecisive mood and forgets to be thankful for what she has. It soon becomes clear that Jenny feels as if she is so difficult that no one loves her or understand her. Jenny feels as if everything will get better as she gets older, but for now she will continue to be unhappy. I believe that as a young child we all forget how to be thankful and we want a lot show more of things that we can't have. At such a young age we begin to become confused with how we are feeling and we begin to feel alone and resume to act ungrateful. Although it may seem as if Jenny is ungrateful, she is still learning how to properly control her emotions and she is experiencing what many young children go through while growing up. show less