Spain (Spanish)
151
Álvarez, Blanca (text)
Salmerón, Rafael (illus.)
Milú, un perro en desgracia (Milú, an unlucky dog)
Madrid : Espasa, 2000. – 139pp
(Espasa juvenil ; 143)
ISBN 84-239-5897-3
City life - Dog - Misfortune
The narrative I, Milú, a manifest mongrel, lives happily with his human family, who has
picked him off the street. But ever since the day the cleaning-lady told him that he would
soon be thrown back out into the streets, Milú is completely nerve-wrecked. From the
point of view of the worried »underdog«, the reader learns a lot about stuck-up,
high-strung pure-breds, about humans and about life in general. The funny observations of
and commentaries on everyday life derive their humorous potential from the apparently
naive perspective of the protagonist, who nevertheless is endowed with shrewdness and a
good dose of sarcasm. (10+)
152
Cano, Carles (text)
Calatayud, Miguel (illus.)
Columbeta, la isla libro (Columbeta, the book island)
Madrid : Anaya, 1999. – 116pp
ISBN 84-207-9264-0
(Catalan orig. title: Capgirell, l'illa llibre)
Bestiary - Alphabet - Island
The origins of the island Columbeta's animal world go back to the day when letters, who
had fled a maths book, hid in the entries of an encyclopedia on animals. Columbeta is an
island, and the island is a book: a bestiary of strange species, like the fancy
»elefgante« (»elephgant«), the tasty »tartaga« (»tartle«) or the mean-smelling
»cacadrilo« (»cacadile«). These absurd animal portraits display much imagination and
linguistic wit. Lavish, decorative illustrations, in which colours and geometric shapes
combine to form artistic patterns, capture the fairy-tale-like fantastic nature of this
quaint animal world. (8+)¤
153
Mallorquí, César
La catedral (The cathedral)
Madrid : Ed. SM, 2000. – 203pp
(Gran angular ; 202)
ISBN 84-348-7239-0
Brittany <13th century> - Cathedral - Construction - Satanism
Navarra during the 13th century: 14-year-old stone carver Telmo is sent to Brittany in
order to assist in the construction of a gigantic cathedral, financed by some obscure
chivalric order. Telmo is also on a secret mission: He is to find out about the underlying
reason of this strange construction. When it turns out that the monstrous temple is to
enable the return of Lucifer, whom the commissioners want to be their leader in the battle
of Armageddon, the race against time begins. Mallorquí combines elements of historical,
adventure and fantasy novels, displaying once again the mastery of his craft. The
narrative flows easily, while the suspense is sustained until the very end. (12+) (Premio
Gran Angular; 1999)
Special Mention
154
Martín, Andreu (text)
Martín Farrero, Inés (transl.)
Mentiras de verdad (True lies)
Madrid : Ed. Siruela, 2000. – 190pp
(Las tres edades ; 73)
ISBN 84-7844-514-5
(Catalan orig. title: Veritats a mitges)
Father - Son - Truth - Lie - First love - Spain <1967>
Barcelona 1967: The strained relationship between 18-year-old Pep and his conservative,
taciturn father threatens to fall apart completely when Pep suspects his father to have a
mistress. His enquiries lead to an unexpected discovery and hold the mirror to the
indignant but also self-righteous Pep: Just like his father, he entagles himself in lies
when he attempts to impress his fellow student Julia. This multi-layered, gripping novel,
crafted like a detective story, explores the question of the motivations for lying. The
well-known Catalan author succeeds in describing the moods, feelings, fears, desires and
anxieties of the characters with a keen sense of observation, while evoking an engaging
portrait of the era. The speechlessness, the contorsions and tabus in Pepe's family
reflect the restrictive, petty-bourgeois and decrepit nature of the Franco-regime, that
penetrated all walks of life. (14+)
155
Moure, Gonzalo
El bostezo del puma (The yawn of the puma)
Madrid : Alfaguara, 1999. – 231pp
(Serie roja)
ISBN 84-204-4940-7
Suicide - Guilt - St. Jacob's trail - Quest for identity
Abram is tortured with feelings of guilt, because he thinks he may be partly responsible
for the suicide of Lisa, his friend. To find answers to his questions, he goes on the St.
Jacob's pilgrims' trail. He is pursued by Lisa's flat mate, Tim, who considers him Lisa's
murderer, and he is shadowed by the police. But along the way, he also comes upon people
like French Marion or the German Jewish young woman Alma, who fascinates him and whom he
falls in love with. Through the different, psychologically convincing characters, this
suspenseful and touching novel explores the fundamental question of the meaning of human
existence. (14+) (Premio Jaén de Narrativa Infantil y Juvenil; 1999)
156
Prats, Joan de Déu (text)
Filella, Luis (illus.)
Noche de Reyes (Epiphany)
Barcelona : Edebé, 2000. – [28pp]
(Biblioteca religiosa Edebé)
ISBN 84-236-5802-3
(Catalan orig. title: Nit de Reis)
Three Wise Men - Balthasar - Immigration/Europe - Xenophobia - Racism
»Do you have a working permit, and is your camel vaccinated at all?«, King Balthasar is
confused. He only wanted to deliver a present in time for Epiphany in Spain, but at the
borders of Europe he finds himself (black) face to (white) face with rough border police
officers, who refuse him the entry permit. How he finally does reach his destination, how
his camel is deported from the no-parking space on the way, and how he is confronted with
racist attacks – all this is related in this intelligent picture book for children
and adults. Witty parodies and simple devices unmask racism and xenophobia. (6+) <>
157
Prats, Joan de Déu (text)
Jiménez, Daniel (illus.)
Un safari en el salón (A safari in the living-room)
Madrid : Bruño, 2000. – 57pp
(Alta mar ; 127 : Humor)
ISBN 84-216-3435-6
Hunter - Mouse - Big game hunt/Parody
The passionate big game hunter Lord Haselmer plans a trip to Africa to add an elephant's
head to his collection of trophees. But instead, he suddenly engages in battle with a
mouse who creates havock in his house. With the assistance of fellow-hunters flown in from
Africa, he succeeds in cornering the animal, but the struggle against the unequal opponent
turns him into an animal lover. The entertaining, fast-paced story is told with slap-stick
humour. The comedy is equally evident in the crazy, cartoon-like illustrations that parody
familiar stereotypes with grotesque exaggeration. (5+) ¤
158
Sánchez Alcón, Chema
El radiofonista pirado que desenterraba filósofos para explicarse el mundo
(The presenter of the pirates' radio station who dug out philosophers to explain the
world)
Madrid : Anaya, 1999. – 215pp
ISBN 84-207-9278-0
Pirates' radio station - Philosophy
This entertaining story is all about »philosophy for everyone«. A radio presenter
questions the sense of his work, and, to overcome this crisis, he secretely starts a
nocturnal feature on philosophical themes, inviting listeners to participate. When a
concerned husband and father complains to the station, because he doesn't want his family
spending the nights philosophising around the radio, it all comes out and the presenter is
sent to prison. He suspects that he was really imprisoned for inspiring people to think
for themselves. The book takes the reader into the world of philosophy with wit, humour
and lightness. (12+)