The Silence of Water

José Saramago



Manuel Estrada (illustrations)

«... and there I was, with the day fading fast and not a twitch from the cork float to indicate any signs of subaquatic life, when, suddenly, without even having felt the initial exciting tremor that announces a fish trying to nibble the bait, the float plunged down into the depths.»

On the shores of the Tejo river, during a lonely afternoon
of fishing, a child is about to catch the big fish. At the
very moment the boy loses his prey, he gets involved in
a moving adventure that will end with the awakening
of lucidity.

Inspired by a childhood memory, the Portuguese Nobel
Prize winner unfolds a tale of extraordinary beauty
and wisdom in The Silence of Water.

Manuel Estrada, one of the leading contemporary
graphic artists, recreates the profoundness of this
memorable story with striking images.

Age 6 and up; 210 x 280 mm; 24 pp. Hardback
ISBN: 978-84-92412-38-9 Català: 978-84-92412-39-6

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Ode to a Star

Pablo Neruda



Elena Odriozola (illustrations)

«Reaching out at the night
on the terrace of a very tall and sullen skyscraper,
I could touch the nocturnal canopy
and in an art of extraordinary love
I grabbed a celestial star.»

From the top of a skyscraper, in the hugeness of the night, the poet seizes a star. He keeps it in his pocket and sets off on his journey. Its beams shine through the walls of his house and his life is never the same again. A memorable, poetic tale by Pablo Neruda, full of emotion, tenderness and wonder. Delicate illustrations by Elena Odriozola give this book an exquisite graphic dimension, which will appeal to both adults and children.

Elena Odriozola Premio Euskadi
de Ilustración 2009

Age 6 and up; 210 x 280 mm; 24 pp. Hardback
ISBN: 978-84-92412-36-5 / Catalá: 978-84-92412-37-2

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My lost stories

Xan López Domínguez

«Sometimes my lost stories come out and take flight, stories that sleep in me. Stories about wizards, about wizards with dragons, about friendly dragons, about sad dragons. Or the story of a shepherd lying on the grass who thinks he sees a goat flying over the bell tower.»

The delightful stories in this book lead the reader into a world that combines in equal measure both imagination and beautiful illustration. Taking the stories which are lodged in his memory, Xan López Domínguez has created a book that emanates with a profound sensibility, and which takes its place alongside his best works.

Xan López nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Prize 2010.

Age 6 and up; 210 x 280 mm; 24 pp. Hardback
ISBN: 978-84-92412-32-7 Català: 978-84-92412-33-4

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Xan López Domínguez

Lugo, 1957



Studied History of Art at the University of Santiago de Compostela. He has illustrated over three hundred works, winning numerous prizes, such as the Bratislava Biennale Shield (1991), the Illustrator of the Year prize at the Bologna-UNICEF book fair (1993), the Malba Tahon prize awarded by the Brazilian Federation for Children’s and Young People’s Literature -IBBY (1994).He featured in the IBBY List of Honour in Berlin (1992) and the official selection for the Exhibition of the Bologna book fair (1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994).

Published titles:
My lost stories

Story of the Parrot's Resurrection

Eduardo Galeano



Antonio Santos (sculptures)

«The man recovered his speech,
and explained that the parrot had drowned
And the girl had cried and the orange had undressed
And the fire had gone out and the wall had lost a stone.»

The death of the parrot saddened everyone: a girl, an orange, the fire, the wind... Their sadness was so great that news spread up to the heavens. How could happiness ever return? A legend from North East Brazil about death and rebirth, which Eduardo Galeano tells in simple words to create a profound, magical tale. Sculptures by Antonio Santos add extraordinary visual beauty to the story.

(Read the review published in Babelia here)

Age 6 and up; 210 x 280 mm; 24 pp. Hardback

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The Boy Who Fell Into a Hole

Jordi Sierra i Fabra


Riki Blanco (illustrations)

«The latest novel of the author of Kafka y la muñeca viajera, National Prize for Children and Young People's Literature 2007».

«No-one wants to see a child who has fallen into a hole. It bothers them. They feel bad. Think about all the people who see accidents on television. They eat lunch, they talk, and when there is something tragic on, they change channels with the touch of a button. A button! That’s how easy it is. Press a button, and reality can take a hike.»

Marc has problems. Since he fell into that hole, he has asked for help but no one does anything. Everyone passes him by, unable to commit themselves, to help out. How can they find a solution when there doesn’t seem to be anyone there? Buried beneath reality, Marc starts to discover what the world is really like.

An intelligent social satire which shows the hypocritical side of society, but also the friendship of some people and the clarity that is possible for those who decide to overcome their situation.

Age 10 and up; 165 x 240 mm; 136 pp. Paperback. ISBN: 978-84-92412-10-5 Català: 978-84-92412-11-2

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Jordi Sierra i Fabra

Barcelona, 1947




His prose has been translated into twenty-five languages, and is among the most widely-read in schools and libraries in Spain. He has won several prizes, including the Gran Angular Prize (1980, 1982 and 1990), the Columna Jove Prize (1993 and 1998), the A la Orilla del Viento International Prize (1999) and the Nèstor Luján Prize for Historic Fiction (2004). In 2006 he was shortlisted for the Andersen Prize and in 2007 he won the National Prize for Children and Young People’s Literature, awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.

Published titles:
The Boy Who Fell Into a Hole

Santiago

Federico García Lorca



Javier Zabala (illustrations)

Tonight Santiago went by
on a road of light in the sky.
The children are talking about him
as they play in the clear stream.

Where's he going, this heavenly pilgrim,
down the bright and infinite path?
On a horse that is whiter than ice
he'll ride to the glow of dawn.

Written in 1918 in Granada, Santiago is a fantasy work about the visitation of the Apostle to an old peasant. It is a magnificent tale, full of delicate descriptions that combine story-telling with folk tradition, written by one of the most admired poets of the 20th century. An unforgettable work that invites reading and re-reading, and which is enriched by delicate illustrations by prestigious artist Javier Zabala.

Age 8 and up; 190 x 280 mm; 24 pp. Hardback

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