Doubt

Pia Valentinis



«I always have so many doubts...»

Doubt is maybe one of the few items we are given in life to learn how to choose and how to appreciate its different paths. But doubt is also a way to explore the connection between both our inner and outer world.

This book invites us to think of ourselves, of the way we are related to our family and friends and all those feelings which set human condition apart.

The harmony between the text and the illustrations shows the sensibility of Pia Valentinis. She chooses the fable to create an atmosphere of intimacy and complicity with the reader. This is a book that will let the children think about their own certainties by means of doubt.

Age 4 and up; 225 x 280 mm; 32 pp. Hardback
ISBN: 978-84-02412-53-2 Català: 978-84-96509-83-2

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Pia Valentinis

Udine, 1965



She graduated at the National Institute of Arts. She is one of the most renowned Italian illustrators, and was awarded in 2002 with the Andersen Prize for The World of Childhood for best illustrator of the year. As an author of numerous children’s books in Italy and abroad, Pia Valentinis has been selected for the Illustrator’s Exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 1990, 1995, 1998 and 2001, Bratislava Biennial of Illustration in 1995, 2001 and 2007, and Catalonia Biennial in 1995. At the moment she combines her editorial work and the management of a laboratory of visual arts for children.

Published titles:
Doubt

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

Cisneros, Satie...

Ramon takes a walk

Ramón

Jesús Cisneros

«Along the road comes Ramón. Each Sunday he takes the same route. Early in the morning the orange shadow of his umbrella appears on the path. He likes to imagine that he is a ship with its sails unfurled, sailing towards the park.»

One morning, when it isn’t raining, Ramón goes out with his umbrella up. Everything he comes across on the way has a delicate magic about it: the people, the woods, the autumn and, eventually, the rain. A book in which narrative and illustrations combine to create a serene and profound poetry.

Jesús Cisneros, winner of the prestigious Lazarillo Prize for Illustration 2007

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

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Jesús Cisneros

Zaragoza, 1969



He studied illustration at the School of Art in Zaragoza. He has published, among other titles, Marieta (Pirineo, 1999); El castillo de Irás and No Volverás (Imaginarium, 2002); Papá tenía un sombrero (Anaya, 2006); Las palabras del agua (Anaya, 2008). His work has won the City of Alicante Illustrated Comic Book Second Prize (2006) and the Lazarillo Illustration Prize (2007). In 2008 Jesús Cisneros was selected for the international illustration exhibition of the Bologna Book Fair.

Published titles:
Ramón

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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Antonio Santos

Lupiñén, Huesca, 1955



He studied Fine Art at Barcelona University. A well-known painter, sculptor and graphic artist, his work includes: Y con la cebra que pasó (Sinsentido, 2000); Pancho y El viaje de Pancho (Kalandraka, 2005); La visita del vampiro (Siruela, 2005); Zoo (Sinsentido, 2006); Vacaciones en el Himalaya (Siruela, 2007); El sueño de Marta y El cumpleaños del Ratón (Anaya, 2007). His work has won the Daniel Gil Prize for Best Children’s Book 2003 and the Second National Illustration Prize 2004.

Published titles:
Story of the parrot's resurrection

The Bear's Discourse

Julio Cortázar



Emilio Urberuaga (illustrations)

«And in long summertime I swim at night in the starpecked cistern, I wash my face first with one paw then with the other then with both together, and this causes me a great happiness.» J. Cortázar

This is the story of a bear that lives in the plumbing of a building and who discovers the strange and lonely lives of human beings. This amazing story is a fine example of the literature of the great Julio Cortázar. The illustrations by Emilio Urberuaga light up the wanderings of the
main character.

Age 6 and up; 210 x 280 mm; 24 pp.Hardback. ISBN: 978-84-96509-80-1 / Català: 978-84-96509-86-3

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Emilio Urberuaga

Madrid, 1954



He is the illustrator behind one of the most famous characters in Spanish children’s narrative: Manolito Four-Eyes, which has been translated into more than eighteen languages. His other work has been successfully published in Latin America, Korea, Spain, the USA, Finland, France, Holland, England, Italy and Japan. As a writer and illustrator he has published, among other works, Hilda, das riesenschaf (Bohem Press, 1994); La selva de Sara (Edelvives, 2003); Marina (Anaya, 2004) and Kroko und der mond (Bohem Press, 2006).

Published titles:
The Bear's Discourse

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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Javier Zabala

León, 1962



He's one of the most talented graphic artists in Spain. He has illustrated numerous books, including Barcelona (Padua, 2003); Madrid para niños (Padua 2002, and Madrid, 2004); El bosque de los sueños (Madrid 2004); Don Quijote de la Mancha (Madrid, 2004), which won Special Mention for Best Work of Fiction in the Bologna Book Fair prizes 2005, and El soldadito Salomón (Madrid, 2004), winner of the National Illustration Prize 2005 awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.

Published titles:
Santiago