Author/illustrator: Ludovic Lecomte, ill. by Andrea Espier
Ages: 6+
21 x 27.5 cm
32 pages
Hardback
French
La Cabane Bleue éditions
Barbara's Birds
Barbara weeps each day for her sailor husband, gone never to return. Until one rainy morning, she hears the chirping of a canary in a shop.
Curious, she brings the bird home — and little by little, soothed by its sweet song, she begins to rediscover joy in life.
But as sunlight slowly returns to Barbara’s heart, the bird falls silent. Trapped in her grief, trapped in a cage… in the end, is there really any difference?
A moving story about grief, about freedom, and about altruism, showing that helping others can make you happier than focusing on yourself.
THE AUTHOR
A primary school teacher, Ludovic Lecomte began his writing journey in 2015 with short stories and novels for adults. Two years later, the picture book In the Shade of an Umbrella marked his entry into children’s literature. Since then, he has published the early reader series Oscar and Carrosse (L’École des loisirs), with the first volume winning the Bernard Versele Prize.
THE ILLUSTRATOR
Andrea Espier wears two hats: secondary school teacher and illustrator. After studying graphic design in Madrid, she went on to attend the School of Fine Arts in Bordeaux, before settling in the Paris region. Her brushes have already brought to life several picture books and children's novels.
She was one of the winners of the Bologna Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition in 2025, and her picture book Nosotros, los pequeños (Tres Tigres Tristes) was selected for the BRAW Amazing Bookshelf.