Portugal
136
Cruz, Afonso (text/illus.)
A contradição humana. Com o devido espirito de contradição
(The human contradiction. With the proper spirit of contradiction)
Alfragride: Caminho, 2010. - [28] p.
ISBN 978-972-21-2135-4
Behaviour – Contradiction – Paradox
A boy’s reflections on the people in his environment are only seemingly
naive. Why does his aunt shut birds in cages, though she claims to love them?
Why does Mr. Oliveira ignore a poor person on the street, while paying such
close attention to the traffic? Why is the neighbour happy, when he hears
sad melodies on the piano? Such mundane observations guide readers’
attention to the contradictions and gaps in human nature. This picture book
is a feast for the eyes. Using three colours – white, a lot of black, and a
bright popping red –, raw shapes, “false” perspectives, and a text
hand-written using the most diverse scripts, Afonso Cruz visually captures
the clever-subversive character of children’s thoughts. (Age: 7+)