Spain
(Spanish)
147
Ajubel (illus.)
Robinson Crusoe. Según la obra de Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe. Following
Daniel Defoe’s novel)
Valencia: Media Vaca, 2008. – [174] p.
(Libros para niños; 15)
ISBN 978-84-935982-0-4
Wordless book
Shipwreck – Island – Survival
There is scarcely a literary work that is so often re-edited, reworked, and
parodied as Daniel Defoe’s »Robinson Crusoe«. Nonetheless, the Cuban-born
artist Ajubel, now living in Spain, succeeds in uncovering new facets of the
classic. The textless version he has created is an exciting masterpiece. In
the roughly eighty double-page illustrations, we see Robinson as if on the
spectacular stage of wild, untamed nature, which itself becomes an agent and
the second protagonist. The turbulent, deadly sea, the glowing beach, the
lush, impenetrable jungle – all inspire feelings of loneliness, despair,
fear, and anger. The dynamic pictures create tension, drama, and intensity
through powerful, dynamic lines, shining colours, extreme angles and sudden
shifts of perspective. For the viewer, the two sides of the place become
practically tangible: an »uncivilized« rawness, paired with the overwhelming
sensual beauty of tropical nature. (8+)
148
Aliaga, Roberto
Cactus del desierto
(Desert cactus)
Madrid: Ed. Siruela, 2007. – 100 p.
(Las tres edades; 146)
978-84-9841-034-1
Loneliness – Outsider – Differentness – Friendship
This story distantly but distinctly echoes the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale of
the Bremen Town Musicians. Here, however, we have to do with an even more
colourful bunch. A desert cactus, tired of the solitary life in a remote
corner of the world, goes in search of the happiness that he expects to find
at the sea but in the end unexpectedly encounters it there where he started
from. On the way, he is joined by a variety of companions: a canary bird, a
kite, a seal, and an old man. As different as these are in appearance and
personality, they resemble one another in their yearning for friendship and
security. With finetuned humour and a sense for subtle overtones, this
imaginative novel portrays the meaning of a life defined by affection and
mutual respect. (7+)
149
Cortázar, Julio (text)
Urberuaga, Emilio (illus.)
Discurso del oso (Reflections of the bear)
Barcelona: Libros del Zorro Rojo, 2008. – [24] p.
(Libros del cordel)
ISBN 978-84-96509-80-1
Bear – Night – House
The great Argentinean storyteller Julio Cortázar published »Historias de
cronopios y famas« (Cronopios and Famas) in 1962. These stories offer
glimpses into mundane, seemingly insignificant things and events, thereby
transcending the barriers into the magical and the absurd. One of these
stories, »Discurso del oso«, is here published for the first time as a
picture book for children. A bear describes how he crawls up and down the
water pipes of a house at night and explores the world of human beings with
curiosity, amazement, and also impudence. Emilio Urberuaga has framed the
short text within strikingly beautiful double-page illustrations. The
intensely shining colours – the red of the bear’s fur, the green and blue of
the night sky, the yellow of the walls – and the unexpected picture cut-outs
create a magical-poetic atmosphere. (5+)
150
Gómez Cerdá, Alfredo (text)
López Domínguez, Xan (illus.)
Barro de Medellín (Clay from Medellín)
Zaragoza: Edelvives, 2008. – 146 p.
(Ala delta. Serie verde; 68)
ISBN 978-84-263-6825-6
Family – Violence – Criminality – Friendship
Andrés and Camillo live in a poor city district of Medellín, Columbia’s
second-largest metropolis. The ten-year-old boys spend the days wandering
the streets. In a world that is filled with domestic violence, neglect,
criminality, and hopelessness, their close friendship and love for their
neighbourhood are the sole beams of light. When they steal and sell books
from the public library in order to finance the alcohol consumption of
Camillo’s father, they come to a crossroads in their lives. The open ending
allows for two options: hope for change or the possibility of failure. The
story comes alive with the animated dialogue of the boys, who see and
interpret the world through their own eyes. This persuasive portrayal of a
difficult childhood is pleasingly unsentimental, while maintaining an
optimistic tone. (10+)