Alouette

Alouette is an illustrated children's book set to the lyrics of the French song by the same name. The title Alouette translates to little skylark and the  song tells the story of a singer being annoyed by the little skylark and threatening to, "pluck your feathers off." The chorus translates to, "Little skylark, lovely little skylark, little skylark, I'll pluck your feathers off." Each verse then specifies a place the singer will pluck feathers from such as the head, beak, wings, legs, back, tail, and neck.

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I chose this song because, while many know the tune and even some lyrics in French, most people do not know the brutal English translation. I took this opportunity to provide a learning moment along with fun lighthearted illustrations. The larger text at the top of the page is the traditional French lyrics, while the bottom has the English translations. The bold text corresponds to the parts of the body so it is easy to follow along in both languages.

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The illustrations provide a light backdrop to the dark lyrics with comedic scenes of a wily cat being outsmarted at every turn by
the clever little skylark.

Art Director: Abby Ryan Guido

Student Project at Tyler School of Art