About the Author

Agnes de Lestrade loves to write stories. She has published more than 20 books. Her book Mes yeux menthe a l'eau was a finalist for the 2008 Tam-Tam Award. Follow her on Facebook: @agnes.delestrade.

Valeria Docampo's inspiration for her art is rooted in everyday life: the eyes of a dog, the shape of a tree, the sound of rainfall, and the aromas of breakfast. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she studied fine arts and graphic design at the University of Buenos Aires. She has illustrated several books for children, including Cinderstella and Phileas's Fortune. Visit www.valeriadocampo.com and follow on Facebook: @ValeriaDocampoOfficial

Reviews

K-Gr 4-A young boy lives in a strange land where people must buy and swallow the words they need in order to speak. Those who can't afford expensive words must resort to using dull, boring, discarded terms found in trash cans and gutters, and old-fashioned, useless words that go on sale. Occasionally, if they're lucky, they can catch a few good words floating in the air. Phileas desperately wants to wish his friend Cybele a happy birthday and profess his love, but unlike the bully Oscar, who has enough money to blurt out his feelings, He can't afford the right words. Instead, he smiles at her and, with all the love in his heart, utters "cherry!" "ruby!" "chimes!" Cybele doesn't have any words either, so she simply gives Phileas a kiss, to which he responds with a word he has been saving for just the right occasion: "again!" The exquisite and evocative sepia-tone paintings, highlighted with bold, vibrant reds, beautifully illustrate the poetic text and breathe life into the characters. Demonstrating that what we say is not nearly as important as how we say it, this import provides a wonderful springboard for discussing the power of words and the importance of honesty and sincerity. It will be a welcome addition to picture-book collections and useful to teachers engaged in values education.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Nautilus Gold Award Winner, Children's Illustrated

"The exquisite and evocative sepia-tone paintings, highlighted with bold, vibrant reds, beautifully illustrate the poetic text and breathe life into the characters. Demonstrating that what we say is not nearly as important as how we say it, this [book] provides a wonderful springboard for discussing the power of words and the importance of honesty and sincerity. It will be a welcome addition to picture-book collections and useful to teachers engaged in values education."--School Library Journal "In this lovely tale, the power of sincerity and love invest even simple words with tenderness."--ForeWord Reviews "The text is very lyrical, and holds a very simple but powerful message for children 4-8 years of age about what is important in life. This is another book I would add to my book shelf, because no matter the age of the child, it's meaning will grow in value and in significance. Children will enjoy Docampo's illustrations, which are bold and in shades of brown and red, which add tremendously to the book's appeal and message."--Children's Books Heal "This book is sweet and loving. The illustrations are amazing and contribute to the powerful message about self-expression."--Read Schmead