Grains of Sand by Sibylle Delacroix is one of those odd books that if you are in a good mood it will keep you there. If you are in a not so good mood it might be too hopeful and sugar-coated. It is modern and classic mixed. There is no action, just the active imagination of a child. Clever, simple and has just that “something more” to it, this is a good bedtime story or quiet time read.
The story is about a young girl, who on her last day of vacation is blue as the sea and has sand in her shoes. She does not know what to do with it. She does not wish to throw it away. In a burst of inspiration, she decides to plant the grains of sand. As she and her brother imagine what might happen (rows of lemon ice cream, umbrellas and more), they slowly start to tire out, rub their eyes and their father gives them the best idea of all: those grains of sand will fill the bags of the Sandman. He also promises, that next year, they can go back and find more grains of sand to plant again
Delacroix’s signature style of simplistically detailed illustrations are more the story than the text itself. The simple strokes are extreme and soft all at the same time. They take your eyes on an adventure that the text only compliments.
Everything lends itself to possible discussions on can sand grow the things the girl imagines? Or what would you thin could grow?
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.