Argentina
Special
Mention
154
Auster, Paul (text)
Isol (illus.)
Vera, Mariana (transl.)
El cuento de Navidad de Auggie Wren (Auggie Wren’s Christmas story)
Buenos Aires : Ed. Sudamericana, 2003. – 30 p.
ISBN 950-07-2450-2
Christmas – Old age – Loneliness – Lie – Trick – Deception –
Compassion
This touching Christmas tale by the famous North American author was
originally published in the New York Times in 1990. Later it was reused
in the script for the film Smoke (1995). The story within a story tells
of a tobacco shop owner in Brooklyn who tries to track down a thief. When he
arrives at the thief’s flat, he only finds the man’s grandmother there.
Not wanting to destroy the lonely and blind old woman’s illusion – she
accidentally (or intentionally?) takes him for her grandson – the man joins
in the pretend game and spends Christmas eve with her. For this story, the
Argentinean artist Isol has created sophisticated and very original
illustrations mainly in shades of brown. The rich detail invites readers to
look at the pictures again and again to discover new things. Thanks to the
unusual technique, a fascinating mixture of painted-over photographs and
collage, the illustrations occasionally seem like three-dimensional little
stages on which the tale is enacted. (9+) ¤
155
Baredes, Carla / Lotersztain, Ileana (text)
García Rodríguez, Gonzalo (illus.)
¿Por qué es trompudo el elefante? : y otras curiosidades de los animales a
la hora de comer
(Why does the elefant have a trunk? : and other peculiarities of animals at
meal time)
Buenos Aires : Ed. Iamiqué, 2003. – 59 p.
(¡Qué bestias!)
ISBN 987-98042-6-0
Animal – Physiognomy – Eating habits – Evolution
It is certainly true that many non-fiction books for children are well-made
but, nevertheless, they often seem a little boring because they follow
conventional concepts. This non-fiction title about animals published by a
small new publishing house is refreshingly different. As the second volume of
a series called ¡Qué bestias! (What amazing animals!), it examines
the interesting question of why certain animals look the way they do, and why
and how they eat the things they eat. With funny and smart headlines,
entertaining yet well-founded texts, and cartoon-like colour illustrations,
this book offers an original introduction to the animal world and the secrets
of evolution. (8+)
156
Wolf, Ema
Libro de los prodigios (The book of miracles)
Buenos Aires : Grupo Ed. Norma,
2003. – 135 p.
(Torre de papel : Amarilla)
ISBN 987-545-116-9
Example – Supernatural creature – Inexplicable phenomenon
In this book, the author – who is nominated for the
Hans-Christian-Andersen-Award 2004 – parodies the genre of medieval
exemplum-literature, albeit without its characteristic moralistic elements. 24
tales describe astonishing supernatural phenomena, such as cats made of sand,
or tigers who have mysterious messages imprinted on their foreheads. In a
brilliant manner, Ema Wolf exploits Latin and Arabic, religious and secular
sources, plays with different styles, and mixes archaic and ancient terms with
modern colloquial expressions. Thus she creates a refined intertextual blend
that can be interpreted in various ways by teenage and adult readers alike. (14+)