[Monday Reading] The Poetry in Ingrid Chabbert’s Picturebooks

It’s Monday, What are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers (new host of Monday reading: Kathryn T at Book Date). Since two of our friends, Linda from Teacher Dance and Tara from A Teaching Life have been joining this meme for quite awhile now, we thought of joining this warm and inviting community.

Four months ago, I featured the book entitled, Waves, for our #WomenReadsWomen2019 graphic novel edition. I liked the book so I decided to find other works by the author, Ingrid Chabbert. I was fortunate to find a few copies of her picturebooks, which were all illustrated by Spanish artist, Raul Nieto Guridi, or simply Guridi. Chabbert’s books have a certain charm to them. I hope you find at least one of the titles below in your local library! Happy reading!

Background image above courtesy of Wow Lecture.

The Day I Became a Bird

Story by Ingrid Chabbert
Pictures by Guridi
Published by Kids Can Press (2016) – English translation
ISBN-13: 9781771386210

Buy The Day I Became a Bird on Amazon | Book Depository

The Day I Became a Bird is the affectionate story of an unnamed boy who falls in love for the first time. The girl responsible for this is Sylvia. Sylvia is in the boy’s class, but she sits in front of him. He sees her but she doesn’t see him. The boy knows that Sylvia is a bird lover and that she only has eyes for birds. One day, the boy decides to “become” a bird. Will Sylvia finally notice him?

The Last Tree

Story by Ingrid Chabbert
Pictures by Guridi
Published by Kids Can Press (2017) – English translation
ISBN-13: 9781771387286

Buy The Last Tree on Amazon | Book Depository

The Last Tree is told in the perspective of a young boy. The boy gets bored easily, so his father would tell the boy stories about the world that he grew up in. The boy hears about his father and his best friend who enjoyed rolling around in the grass. The boy and his father live in a “concrete city,” filled with nothing but “roads, walls and lots of other ugly things.” One day, the boy’s best friend, Gus, asks the boy to follow Gus around the city on their bikes. Behind a low, crumbling wall, the boy finds a small tree. When the boy learns that the city will build a luxury condo on the lot where the small tree is, he goes on a mission to save what could possibly be the last tree. I like the environmental theme of this book.

A Drop of the Sea

Words by Ingrid Chabbert
Pictures by Guridi
Published by Kids Can Press (2018) – English translation
ISBN-13: 9781525301247

Buy A Drop of the Sea on Amazon | Book Depository

A Drop of the Sea is an endearing story of a boy named Ali and his love for his great-grandmother. Ali and his great-grandmother live at the edge of a desert. At night, they like to look at the night sky together, full of starry wonder. Ali and his great-grandmother live a happy, simple life. However, Ali notices that his great-grandmother is finding it harder to walk because of her age. One day, Ali asks her if all of her dreams have come true. All but one, his great-grandmother tells him. She wants to see the sea, but her legs cannot carry them that far. Ali ponders about this overnight. The next day, with a pail in hand and a pack of dates and water, Ali embarks on a journey to seek the sea and bring it back for his great-grandmother.

#WomenReadWomen2019 (France)

Currently Reading…

These YA novels are both written by Margaret Rogerson. Sorcery of Thorns came out this year, and it is our book pick for January. Although these are standalone titles, I could not help but read An Enchantment of Ravens first, which was her debut novel.
Are you the same way?