#390 of 1001 · August 25, 2021

If you have an elderly friend or relative whom you truly cherish, you know just how important even small acts of kindness can be. @ingridchabbert and @guridi___ know this too, and show us in their contemplative and moving book A Drop of the Sea. Ali lives at the edge of the desert with his great-grandmother, who is beginning to feel the pains of old age. One day, he asks her whether all her dreams in life have come true, and she reveals that she has always wished to see the ocean. Inspired, Ali undertakes the four-day round trip on foot to bring back a pail of seawater. By the time he reaches home, most of the water has evaporated, and only a few drops remain…but those are enough to lift the spirits of Ali’s great-grandmother and fulfill her dream at long last. Chabbert’s text, originally written in French, employs the present tense, giving the reader a gentle sense of immediacy and honesty. Guridi’s art, executed in gouache and pencil combined with digital technique, uses exaggerated anatomical forms and collage-style textures to imbue both characters and environment with an appealing visual quality. #drop #sea #desert #ocean #family #love #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks