Author: Agnes de Lestrade
Illustrator: Valeria Docampo
Age: 4+
Rating: 5/5
About: In a world where people must buy words to eat in order to speak them, how do you tell someone how you feel if you do not have the words to tell them? Phileas captures words left floating in the sky and puts his heart behind the words he owns to share what he feels.
Thoughts: Phileas can't afford the words he wants to speak to his neighbour for her birthday. But he's found some beautiful words that he's been saving for her, and when he finally gets to share them... The combination of anticipation, intimacy, colour and the words created a rushing feeling in my ears and a warm feeling in my fingers.
I also love the versatility in words that author uses. The idea that one word can mean so much more than what you might find in a dictionary is so lovely to me, and can show how important it can be to choose your words carefully. Words can hurt, they can help healing, they can show great love. How words are shared with the people you exchange them with gives so much to their meaning and how they are received.
This story is simple but gets an important message across. Sincerity and actions filled with love are more powerful than cold thoughtless ones.
