Jacques Goldstyn

"A dazzling story about love--for the stars, and for one another--between two young people. Every day, Yakov takes his sisters to the park. He's supposed to look after them, but their games are boring, so he reads about space and dreams of becoming an astronaut instead. His father, though, has other plans: he wants Yakov to take over his grocery store when he grows up. Yakov's world changes when at the park one day, he comes across a girl also reading...

A man arrested and imprisoned for being at a peaceful protest spends long days and nights wondering if he will ever be freed. As he begins to despair, a bird starts delivering messages of support from around the world, giving him hope and an unexpected release.

This is a charming, touching story about an imaginative boy whose best friend is an oak tree named Bertolt. The boy admits to being an outlier among his peers, but insists that while he is alone, he is never lonely. Being independent suits him, and he considers his difference to be his advantage.

Quand on est un petit garcon pas comme les autres et que cette difference ne nous embete pas, on peut tres bien se lier d'amitie avec un arbre et l'appeler Bertolt. Il est un chene tres vieux et son immense feuillage est non seulement une cachette mais aussi une maison, un labyrinthe ou une forteresse. Un jour, un nouveau printemps arrive et Bertolt meurt. Quand un chat ou un oiseau decedent, on sait quoi faire, mais pour un arbre, on fait quoi?