Graines de sable

by Sibylle Delacroix

À partir d'une poignée de grains de sable retrouvés au fond d'une chaussure, c'est tout un monde qui renaît : un monde de vent et de soleil, d'éclaboussures et de parfums. Un monde qui file entre les doigts comme le sable : le monde des vacances et de l'enfance.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Summer, Storytime, Nature, Family, Adventure

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Sibylle Delacroix is the illustrator of Tears, Prickly Jenny, Grains of Sand, and Blanche Hates the Night. She graduated from the ERG Saint-Luc School of Graphic Research in Brussels and worked for many years as a graphic designer before becoming a full-time illustrator. Sibylle lives in France.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour*

Two children hope to extend their vacation by planting grains of sand in their yard, but wind up stretching their imaginations instead.



A sweet concept, but really not much of a story.


*William Blake

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about beach, sand and the imagination of children. I really loved the illustrations, the style is simple but they're absolutely wondeful!!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, cute story about imagination. Two children return from the beach and are very sad. When they find sand in shoes, they decide they will plant it and see what grows. Of course it is all beach and vacation related items. The illustrations are black and white except for blue and yellow. This actually accentuates the beach items which could be used as a discussion tool with children. It could also be a fun bedtime story based upon the ending. A good addition to a family library. The publisher generously provided me a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of hope and imagination. May we never stop having a child's imagination.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute enough book, children missing the beach and dreaming about going there again.

I like how the girl finds some sand in her shoes and thinks she can plant it to make memories of the beach grow, and wonderful memories they are, beach umbrellas, and beach huts, and such.

But I have a slight problem with it. It is that these children are so very young, probably three or four years old, and the father says they will not go to the beach again for another whole year.

That is a lifetime away for a child. Will they even remember what the beach was like? Perhaps in France they can only go to the beach once a year. From the story it sounds as though they spent their whole vacation there. Perhaps the dad can only stand to do that once a year. (Which in France, would be an entire month).

The pictures are lovely, and the idea is lovely, but I feel so sorry for those kids, to not see the beach again for a whole year.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 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.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grains of Sand is a short and sweet story of a boy and girl who bring sand home from the beach in their shoes, and then wonder what would happen if they planted it. If grains of sand were seeds, what kinds of things would they grow into if you threw them in your garden? Ice cream? Pinwheels?

It is fun to watch children's imagination at work (and inspire the imagination of those reading), and the simple illustrations are appealing -- black-and-white images with splashes of blue and yellow here and there.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books like this! Ex-pat moves to a foreign country... I have collected, and read, quite a few and this one is every bit as entertaining as the others! Only instead of Italy or Spain- it's France. Mr. Greenside is a very brave man! I am very sure I could never move to a foreign country. Seriously, My family moved to the US two years before I was born;. I returned "home" for a visit, and was counting down the days to leave! And I LOVED Germany! I miss my family there, too. But never enough to move there! It was just too difficult to want to tackle as a permanent move and I speak the language, too! I read these stories and am astonished that the ex-pats stay. I'd be running home! But still I do enjoy the tales they tell and I am sure they inspire many to try it out. I finds the one week trips are plenty enough, with a tour group! Fun read!
Thank you Netgalley for an advance Kindle copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Christine The Uncorked Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine coming home from a beach vacation as a young child, filled with longing for sun-packed days and endless sandcastles. Away from the water, our wistful protagonists—an adorable brother and sister—are clearly disappointed that the trip has ended and are craving more of their sandy playtime. The rest of this review is posted on theuncorkedlibrarian.com

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh, my first kid's picture book that I've read after it was translated from the original French.

What a concept, especially when leaving the seashore: planting grains of sand.

Imagination is a great consoler. I'm in love with this book about moving past loss -- including the gorgeous illustrations.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beautiful pencil drawings illustrating this simplistic book about the imagination of a young girl, returning from her beach vacation, are delightful. enjoy!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two children imagine what might grow when they plant the grains of sand that have come home from vacation with them in their shoes. What a sweet little book! Grains of Sands perfectly sums up the feeling of melancholy that comes when vacation is over. The illustrations are wonderful and the sparse use of color adds to the atmosphere of the book.

[Jasmine Ariti · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet, beautiful, and poignant. From the first imaginative page with the umbrellas sprouting, I was moved.

I love the round baby feet in the illustrations, and such wonderful expressiveness in little brother Ulysses' body language.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story gets a bit lost in translation. The French typically go on vacation in August, often to a beach, so the kids not being able to go back to the strand for a whole year makes sense. For American readers, not so much. The imaginative drawings are nicely rendered, however, and the kids enjoy their reveries of their time together at the beach.

[Literacy Alliance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine coming home from a beach vacation as a young child, filled with longing for sun-packed days and endless sandcastles. Away from the water, our wistful protagonists—an adorable brother and sister—are clearly disappointed that the trip has ended and are craving more of their sandy playtime. With minds still reeling with gold and blue beach hues, our little duo decides to plant their leftover sand. Watering these unique sand seeds with their imagination, the children watch and skip along as umbrellas, pinwheels, and ice cream grow. Eventually calm and sated, they head to bed.

Although ideas like waves of laughter painted with ocean surf might be more abstract to younger children, Grains of Sand is a beautifully written and illustrated book that evokes nostalgia in all ages—including myself. The sweet, simple concept of bringing home the beach and overcoming forlornness is perfect for pre-k to second graders. The color-penciled illustrations, using a base of three colors, tightly wraps the picturebook in the serenity of memories meant to console our protagonists and spark new inspiration. I can relate when I come from home the beach. Like these children, I should take my ocean-induced inner peace and despondency and create.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Grains of Sand will be published on April 15, 2018.
Review by Christine F./The Uncorked Librarian

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two children return home from a wonderful vacation to the beach. As they mourn the end of the vacation, the little girl finds sand in her sandal. The two children decide to plant the sand and dream what might grow from the sands, and in the process share their favorite parts of their vacation.

This is beautifully illustrated in black and white pencil sketches with highlights of yellow and blue. It makes the beach memories feel dream-like but also cheerful. I love the imagination of the two children - a field of beach umbrellas or lemon ice cream or a sand castle - and the way this lets them process the wonderful time they’ve had. A great read for kids after a vacation that leaves them feeling a little sad to be returning to real life. A good extension activity would be to read this and ask kids what would grow from their “grains of sand,” allowing them to share the favorite parts of their trip they wish they could bring home. (Perhaps do this instead of the “What I Did This Summer” typical return to school assignment, teachers.) Definitely recommending for our elementary library to purchase this title.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two small children return home from a beach vacation. The little girl notices that her shoes are still filled with sand. When her brother asks her what she will do with them, she decides to plant them in the garden like seeds. Perhaps they will grow into yellow beach umbrellas, or huge pinwheels, or lemon ice cream. They could form a huge sandcastle, big enough to live in. Or best of all, maybe a beach will form at home. Before they can think of more ideas though, it’s time for bed and their father promises another trip to the beach next year. This picture book has a lovely mix of boisterous imaginings and also a steady quietness. The two children dream of what would grow from the grains of sand, thinking together about the possibilities even as they settle in at home. The illustrations are beautifully done in pencil with bursts of blue and yellow, the yellow setting the page aglow. This is a winner of a summer read, just right for bedtime. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the colour scheme of these illustrations, not sure what it's called when it's a tri-tone of black, yellow and blue. A very simple story, short, of a kid imagining what she could do with the handful of sand left in her shoes in order to keep her beach vacation going. Sweet, childlike imaginings of what would grow from a few grains of sand, and her falling asleep at the end. I can't decide if it's a perfect simple story or if there's not quite enough there. And I have to admit there was something painfully pretentious about the little brother being named Ulysses. But worth a read for the illustrations and the reminder that kids can dream up anything. My three year old seemed to enjoy it and be disappointed when it ended.

[Darcie Caswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl and her brother are sad about having to leave the beach at the end of their vacation. As the girl takes off her shoes, sand pours out and she decides to plant the grains of sand, spreading them across the garden. What will grow? "Maybe a field of beach umbrellas" or a "forest of pinwheels" or "a crop of ice cream." The little girl imagines all the wonderful, beachy things that could grow from seeds of sand, until she and her brother are yawning and her dad suggest the grains of sand could grow more sand "to fill the sandman's bags" and carries them off to bed.

Ages pre-k to grade 3

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a trip to the beach, a girl finds sand in her shoes and imagines what will grow if she plants it--a field of beach umbrellas? or a crop of lemon ice cream? or a beach? But soon fatigue sets in, and dad carries her to bed. I loved this. Soft, monochromatic pencil drawings are punctuated only by the blue of the siblings' clothes and the yellow of the sand and all the imaginings. I love the idea that you could plant sand and a beach or a forest pinwheels could grow. Comforting, imaginative, lovely.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated picture book telling the power of imagination through the story of two children who’ve returned home from a vacation at the beach and miss it already.

Though sparse, the writing is powerful: “Ulysses still has water in his eyes. I am as blue as the sea.”

When one of the kids removed her sand filled shoe, she has an idea to plant the grains of sand to grow their summer memories of beach umbrellas, a forest of pinwheels, and lemon ice-cream cones.

The illustrations are magnificent: black and white pencil drawings with pops of yellows and blues.

[Victoria Whipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, gentle book about a little girl who returns home from a beach vacation with sand in her shoes. When little brother asks what she's going to do with it, she decides to "plant" the grains and see what grows. What grows are fantastically imagined events; beach umbrellas, ice cream, pinwheels. The illustrations are done in shades of black and white, with bright yellow sand and its creations, and bright blue clothes on the children that anchor them to their cozy home life. Highly recommended. PreK-2

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this translated text is striking, I wonder how beautiful the original words are. A beautiful offering of the imaginative wonder of childhood, the love of the beach, and a satisfying ending which will delight readers of all ages. Begs to be read again and again. Evokes the absolute bittersweet bliss of the last day of vacation. Scope for the imagination. Engaging use of limited color. Captivating line.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc COPY...beautiful pencil sketch illustrations with splashes of colour highlighting certain important objects. Very much a parable on summer memories, preserving those memories on the sad last day of summer (the memories seem to convey via sand grains) and the anticipation of going to the beach again next summer.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely illustrated with grey pencil illustrations sprinkled with pops of color to focus attention and a sweet narrative about childlike imagination. A bit of a 'tacked on' ending with an abrupt feeling, but otherwise would make for a great read-a-loud: make sure to ask the kids what they think the sand grains will grow!

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 something more to it, this is a good bedtime story.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for a K-1 read aloud that could naturally lead into a writing prompt about weekend or summer experiences the students have had. It also lends itself to teaching students to use their imagination to form predictions as the character in the story did about what kind of fantastical things could grow if she planted the beach sand from her vacation.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable, engaging and imaginative story that is so relatable. Beautiful illustrations! Who wants summer vacation to end....no one. These children use their imagination to problem solve. Love it!

[Katie N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrated in grays with pops of imaginative yellow, Grains of Sand celebrates the power of imagination. Two little children use their imagination to answer the question: what happens to the sand we bring back from the beach?

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this way more than expected. A lovely ode to missing vacation as soon as you get home. And cute ideas for what might happen if you planted sand. Illustrations are black and white sketch except for yellow sand and blue ocean. Quite heartwarming for anyone that loves the beach.