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A Soup Of Nothing

by Darabuc; Illustration: Rashin Khey

13,50€ + 10% CARD

 -If with that it’s enough… -If it’s enough? More than enough! Darabuc and Rashin Kheiriyeh are the chefs in this delicious Nothing in the Soup that from now on the hungry readers will find on the OQO editora menu. The author revives an old recipe, that of Stone Soup, a popular tale as often occurs with the stories of traditional origin present different versions depending on the country. Darabuc, knowledgeable about this rich tradition, takes inspiration from it but re-elaborates the ingredients and cooks Nothing in the Soup, personal, modern and with a great dose of humour. The result being a fable with which children will learn the importance of sharing and solidarity. Not only this, they will discover that to overcome situations of necessity and difficulty, on many occasions, all that is needed is a little imagination and ingenuity. The main characters, as in most fables, are animals. In this case, Mary Fox and John Cat, both mischievous, arrive at the palace gates one fine day asking for food. That’s where the miser John Rat lives and who doesn’t want to give them anything, and so they offer to prepare him a prodigious soup, Nothing in the Soup. The author plays with the symbolism of the characters, since the fox as well as the cat are animals that the collective imagery attributes characteristics such as intelligence and cunning. The same can be said of the rat, traditionally associated with meanness. Darabuc opts for a conversational structure in which the always humorous answers and counter-answers of the characters move the story along. The outline in general, faithful to tradition, is as follows: Mary Fox suggests some ingredient that will make the soup taste better and John Rat who doesn’t realize the cunningness willingly accepts because it’s only an ingredient of no importance. The repetition of all the ingredients each time a new one is added, besides helping with the rhythm of the story, offers younger children the golden opportunity to work with some of the measuring units (pinch, splash, handful, string) most used in cooking. Other recourses, such as the measure of the verses or the use of formulas that are repeated from beginning to end also strengthen the rhythm of the narrative. But if something should be made clear about Nothing in the Soup, is that it is an amusing album. Open it, a quick look at Rashin Kheiriyeh’s illustrations will put a smile on your face. What a surprise! And what strange characters! All dressed from head to toe in black and with dark glasses… They don’t look precisely like angels, more like… and if they were… shhh… mafia? The Iranian illustrator, captures perfectly the irreverent touch lent by Darabuc, presents some not so innocent protagonists. Also contributing with new reasons to smile, why? Is there anything more amusing than seeing such sinister characters in aprons and stirring a pot? Simplicity is one of the characteristics of this artist’s personality collaborating with OQO editora for the first time. For this work, a palette of reduced colours was chosen, based on earthy colours, some tones from the range of greens, black or white. However, this moderation is compensated with oil paints from which rich textures are obtained and also with collage, thanks to which, gives a sense of volume to the compositions. We cannot go without commenting on the scenario where the adventures of these three rascals take place, the Nothingthere desert. The choice of place represents a little homage on behalf of the author to the cunning in the Oriental tales, given that the Orient is the place with a greater tradition in this genre. Once again, a revealing detail of the enormous richness hidden in this album inspired on very ancient traditions and revives for new generations a valuable cultural heritage. To this, we still have to add the author’s fresh look in creating and without prejudice these rascally characters to have us in kinks of laughter, and the illustrator, crafting the modern aesthetic of the album and of such a surprising appearance of the protagonists.
ENGLISH

Petitusos

by Mar Pavón; Illustration: João Vaz de Carvalho

14,00€ + 10% CARD

 In this amusing and original story about the absurdity of certain prohibitions, Mar Pavón gives life to a gallery of surrealist characters that captivate us from the very beginning, at the same time the Portuguese illustrator João Vaz de Carvalho successfully overcomes the challenge of making us visible to some curious characters taking on a dreamy perspective that shrouds a proposal that, above all, invites us to smile. The Portuguese artist unfolds a generous chromatic palette of worm colours, in which whites and reds set the standard for some illustration clearly of a narrative orientation, that compliment the literary proposal maintaining a delicate balance in the informative charge provided on each of the double pages where the story develops. The typography is essential to underline some of the narrative moments that nourish the story, at the same time allowing for easy reading; its role in this album is important, especially in the final part of the book, where the adventure is resolved with the narrator’s contribution, proposing a solution to the proposed problem and closing the work full of humour from beginning to end.
ENGLISH

Codrile

by Roberto Aliaga; Illustration: Minako Chiba

13,50€ + 10% CARD

 Children learn almost without being conscious of their own evolution. Codrile, in spite of being little, shows a certain maturity in that he is able to face up to his needs and tries to demonstrate an independent behaviour. The cycle of life, growth and the birth of a brother make us face up to the new demands associated with independence. In a certain way, this situation implies breaking certain family ties. In any case, the birth of a brother is something beautiful that brings about more advantages than disadvantages. For that, any fear that brings about a conflict is totally dispersed when the elder child understands it does not mean competing for affection. A simple story musically narrated and recreated in affectionate and colourful illustrations. Images that allow approach, nearness and complicity with the feelings of the main character.
ENGLISH

The Three Bears

by Marisa Núñez; Illustration: Minako Chiba

15,19€ + 10% CARD

 In a cabin in the woods there lived three bears. One day, the bears went out for a walk before having breakfast; and Goldilocks found the house empty… Considered an anonymous folkloric tale, it was made popular in 1837 by the British poet Robert Southey, perhaps based on an older version. In Southey’s version, as in that of Eleanor Mure, published six years earlier, the intruder was a mean old woman; in 1849, Joseph Cundall published his "Treasury of Pleasure Books for Young Children" explaining the reasons for changing the old woman for a girl. Focusing on the traditional story, and without drifting away from the idea that intimacy should be respected, this version by Marisa Núñez establishes a link between the narrator and the reader which helps to facilitate an identification of the child with the bears, strengthening the formative efficiency of the story; with the excuse of explaining the characters actions, the narrator contributes, confidentially, a series of habits and good manners that point to the sense of responsibility, autonomy and the good use of freedom. Besides influencing in the behavioural and affective development, and stimulating artistic and literary sensibility, we find ourselves before a good instrument to transmit mathematical concepts, to understand notions of size (big, medium, small) or to establish functional relations between the animals and the environment to which they relate. The images by Minako Chiba also contribute to the development of the visual abilities that help the early reader to acquire the necessary vocabulary for the mathematical understanding of numbers and concepts.
ENGLISH

The Seven Kids

by Tareixa Alonso

14,00€ + 10% CARD

 There were once seven little goats that lived happily in a cabin in the woods with their mother; but there was a fierce wolf lurking near by… A widely spread and traditional story from Grimm’s classic version, a living reference of cultural transmission that feeds the imagination of younger readers and contributes quality to the panorama of children’s literature. A tale that produces intense emotions, a fantasy that frees us from terror as we are defeated by "implacable wolves", a suggestion in a symbolic way that brings the little ones face to face with basic conflicts (absence of the mother, the possibility of coming across wicked beings, reaction when faced with adverse circumstances…), helping them to trust in themselves and to advance in their personal maturing process. The renewed version by Tareixa Alonso is completed with the particular dimensions of the illustrations by Teresa Lima, that provide meanings at distinct levels, with clear characters and a wolf that isn’t lacking in attractiveness, helps the youngest to structure their dreams.
Segue-me!

by José Campanari; Illustration: Roger Olmos

15,50€

AVAILABLE

 Um elefante cinzento com pintas lilases que vive numa selva apaixona-se por uma formiga negra com cintura de vespa. O seu amor é correspondido mas, para ficarem juntos, têm um longo caminho pela frente. A formiga convida o elefante a segui-la e ele não pensa duas vezes. Nem lento nem preguiçoso, o proboscídeo percorre um caminho ladeado por árvores, vai até ao fundo de um cesto de costura, nada dentro de uma garrafa de água… Depois de muito andar, o elefante e a formiga encontram-se e, por fim, podem viver o seu amor: um amor com cintura de vespa e pintas lilases… que nada tem de estranho!
ENGLISH

The Incredible Story of the Birdgirl and the Terrible Boy

by Anna Castagnoli; Illustration: Susanne Janssen

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 That boy spent his hours up a tree. His mother shouted at him from the window; you’re a terrible boy! And so on every day of the year, so many times and so often that he forgot his own name. But on a strange day in May, the terrible boy found in the top of the tree a small bird´s egg… In the field of identity, the name is related to the questions: Who am I? Who are we? The absence of the name, as happens with the main character in this story, supposes a change in the identity, to be taken over by a negative adjective, because of what others thought of him. The terrible boy is always recriminated and only becomes aware of affection when he sees the love with which mothers treat their children; in this moment he recognizes an affection he had never had as a basic need, necessary for survival. Like the Calvino´s rampant baron, the main character in this story stands at a distance in the heights from a world he doesn’t share; a distance that offers him liberty and a new perspective on the world, on the people and the happenings from which he can reconstruct. We find ourselves in front of a book that gives us material for reflection on the importance of affection and helps to see the details that can be missed but which in reality make up the personality of an individual. With a bi-chromatisism of reds and blacks, Susanne Jansen presents us with a very personal imaginative narrative, with foreshortenings and impossible perspectives, working the psychological detail of the characters, combining hardness and sweetness in faces where the looks have a special importance. A plastic work of great impact and expressive strength, in the first work that this acclaimed German illustrator publishes in Spain.
ENGLISH

The Day Mother Had a Face Like a Tea-Pot

by Raquel Saiz; Illustration: João Vaz de Carvalho

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Little Mark’s mother was so annoyed, smoke started coming out of her mouth as if she were a dragon. Right then, her nose changed into a spout; and her left ear, into a handle. Finally, little Mark picked a tea-pot up off the floor that looked much like his mother. Frightened, the boy went to see his neighbour, his grandmother Lucy, his uncle John, his friend Frank, the librarian, Ignatius… but nobody seemed able to help. An agile tale, fresh and full of humour, inciting from the beginning and that, parting from the common-place and playing with the unexpected, it manages to take us to a fantastic world full of rhythm where everything is possible. A tale to transmit the pleasure of reading to children, and above all to those who think the imagination is the most powerful tool we have for learning about reality. The Portuguese illustrator João Vaz de Carvalho, through the images, connects with the surrealism of the text, creating typical characters, of a rigid pose and large eyes, in a personal imagery that plays with fantasy and humour.
ENGLISH

What a Snout!

by Paco Liván; Illustration: Iván Prieto

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Three sisters inherit a pot and a spoon. On stirring the pot with the spoon, three enchanted objects appear. The youngest sister thinks of using hers to help her meet the Prince of Castledom. Besides being handsome, he also turns out to be conceited, vain and mean, and through tricks and cheating he manages to humiliate the youngest sister and get his hands on the three sisters' inheritance. In the face of adversity, the youngest sister relies on her ingenuity to teach the Prince a lesson he will never forget. What a Snout!, tells the story of the amusing adventures of three sisters, who, thanks to the enchanted objects their father left them, set out to teach the idle and dishonest Prince a lesson. The youngest sister, in spite of her initial innocence, supported by the solidarity of her elder sisters, shows a shrewed and nonconformist character. The evolution of the events places the action in theatrically suggestive scenes where the Prince ends up being the victim of the young girl's cleverness. This version, collected in Quebec, and of a remote European origin is combined with other German versions to achieve a synthetic and effective rythm marking the suspense at the main moments of the work. The illustrator´s intention is to take three dimensional figures turning them into two dimensional figures using collage. Iván Prieto offers us his own interpretation of the story, a second reading, enriched with a wide range of hues. In What a Snout!, the artist from Ourense takes his first steps into the illustrative world after more than eight years submerged in the creative world of painting and sculpture.
ENGLISH

When You Can´t Find Your Way Home

by Paloma Sanchez Ibarzabal; Illustration: Joanna Concejo

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 In When You Can’t Find Your Way Home, the new album in OQO editora’s O collection, Paloma Sánchez sets her sights on the thematic essence of the traditional tales, but without renouncing a modern and transgressing approach. The story begins in a classical way in infant junior literature of always: with someone who gets lost in the wood for a night. But at once getting away from the conventional of the genre. As opposed to the most usual first and third persons, the author chooses a narrative in the second person. At the same time always maintaining the ambiguity with respect to the protagonist, of whom we do not know if it is a boy or a girl. Perhaps because in fact that refers to anther character, the reader. Paloma Sánchez escapes from realist scenes; from there, the journey back home always takes place in unusual oneiric places. On the journey the protagonist in not alone. Pushed along by the voices of the stars, that of the echo at the End of the World, that of the stones covered in rushes… But one voice leads on to another, and another and leading to infinity. The path turns into a labyrinth or spiral more and more fantastic, from which it is impossible to escape. And who better than Joanna Concejo, whose anterior work in OQO editora, Smoke, which was worthy of a White Raven Mention recognizing it as one of the most beautiful albums in the world, to illustrate the territories of fantasy. The landscapes in When you can’t find your way home, appear to belong to the world of dreams. The same as in a dream, the images float by one after another, but we don’t know what is waiting for us when we come to turn the page. To achieve this effect of unreality which lends itself so well to the story, coloured pencils as well as collage were used. It is about illustrations charged with poetry that accompany the rhythmic prose of the story. The result being beautiful and strange at the same time and we don’t quite know how to interpret them. The protagonist also experiments a similar strangeness, disorientated, looking for the way home. While traversing these surrealist landscapes, voices are heard shouting Go on! Suddenly, a voice whispers Wake up, it’s daytime now. The voice that always brings you back home.
ENGLISH

Simon Liar

by Roberto Aliaga; Illustration: Simona Mulazzani

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Simon Liar is on the line between the reality and the imaginary of the youngest, able to give life to the characters that live in their imagination, even up to the point of making us doubt what is true and what is a lie. Among the processes that govern creativity in infancy, fantasy is in a dominant place. The perception of reality and the interaction with the world through fantasy is always present in the diverse forms of child communication. Simon Liar, the main character in this story, perceives and expresses reality as a fantastic game for a specific aim: speaking of wolves, foxes and cats that are in his imagination. But the fantasy has an ephemeral character and does not materialize in its perception ; for that, Simon, the same as the readers, will have to distinguish between reality and fantasy at the appropriate moment, what happens just at the end of the story. Once again, Roberto Aliaga surprises us with a story using a simple but carefully chosen language, accessible vocabulary, short and emotional sentences within the grasp of young readers who can identify with Simon, their fears, games and fantasy. The plastic art work by Simona Mulazzani represents a good example of artistic line which this Italian illustrator still upholds, framed in a proposal dominated by collage of diverse techniques (acrylic, pencil…) to bring a varied iconography arranged between simple schematic and mid-frame lines closer and a very personal and recognizable plastic narrative. Mulazzani’s images occupy an absolute dominant space regarding the literary text, which especially underlines the plastic reading of the elements that make up the imaginary world in which the main character lives, in the sense of visions that successively appear throughout the work so that the reader is also kept alert and the imagination cannot out do reality.
ENGLISH

Ernest Good Morning

by Jose Vaz Campanari; Illustration: João Vaz de Carvalho

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 That Sunday, Ernest was invited to tea at Enriqueta’s, his girlfriend; tea was at six, not one minute before and not one minute after. Ernest left the house on a sunny afternoon, while Enriqueta, her sister, mother, father and grandmother got the tea ready. A breeze blew up, a few drops fell, it rained and a wind… while his girlfriend’s family, rather puzzled, looked at the clock because Ernest hadn’t arrived… Accessible language and content for first readers, together with very expressive illustrations, directly involved with the narrative, conceived so as not to lose sight of what happens in the two environments where the story develops: the street and inside Enriqueta’s home. An amusing story in which the main character, following his grandfather’s saying - one must try to put a brave face on -, doesn’t lose heart, not even in the most critical moments; a behaviour that induces us to think that we must look towards the horizon and face up to difficulties with tenacity and confidence. The end, with a happy outcome, strengthens the optimism which this album exudes.
ENGLISH

Searching the North

by Paula Carbonell; Illustration: Cecilia Afonso Esteves

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 The glow-worm plays at being a shooting star, the slug asks for a wish… and then the journey begins to the land of the peach trees, following the polar star, accompanied by the distinct moon phases. A wish turns into a journey, the journey an encounter, an encounter takes you to search for the north, the north is the place to ask for wishes. The rout itself, more than the final destination, makes the main characters in this story richer, mature and discover new worlds both inwardly and outwardly. A story that helps us see through small eyes in the grass, among the dew drops. Cecilia Afonso offers us beautiful illustrations using collage, employing paper and threads with pencil and tempera. Through clean and simple figures, the Argentinean illustrator spreads out before us a particular symbolic language, sometimes abstract and with great poetic weight, leaving room for the reader to be surprised, search and find; knowing winks, clues, attracting our attention in a proposal that accompanies and goes beyond the text, inventing a story within the story, that will lead us to search, with the main characters, for the new moon.
ENGLISH

What a Downpour!

by Raquel Saiz; Illustration: Maja Celija

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Manolo got up, just like every other day, he washed his face, got dressed, went out and… One fell on his head! It’s that there are days when the laws of nature don’t work… and love falls from the sky! Lyricism, irony and normality place, with a sense of humour, a revisionist accent to the topic of the princess who meets a prince, in the traditional tale, falls in love for the rest of her life; and ends up speaking of values and human feelings and discovers the value of cohabitation between those who are different and yet at the same time, the same. The Croatian illustrator, Maja Celija, who presents herself to the Spanish public, brings us closer in a conclusive and impressionist style, with a marked sense of humour in her dazzling illustrations, of great expressive strength, that enrich the ironic and humoristic character of the text.
ENGLISH

Rosemary Dromedary

by Rachel Chaundler; Illustration: Bernardo Carvalho

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 "When dromedaries cry, their hump shrinks a little…" The little dromedary, seeing himself unable to put up with his brothers’ abusive behaviour, to react when faced with situations that course him distress, he cries none stop and, as a result he has an insignificant hump; but when things get complicated for others, in the most difficult times, Humphrey acts intelligently and shows who is the strongest. Crying is a typical developing reaction during infancy, as an answer to an experience or situation. During the first years of infancy, the emotional complexities can bring about a feeling of not having the words to describe them and crying frequently appears when faced with fear, anguish, frustration, confusion, need… It is important to recognize the feelings, the reasons they have been provoked, and act. The ability to react brings about confidence and well being, but sometimes the relation with others is necessary to face up to certain problems; in this case, Rosemary’s friendship with the hedgehog will be determinant to resolve the situation. Bernardo Carvalho, the Portuguese illustrator, offers us a visual narrative that will take us to the dessert with very clear scenes for early readers. Flat-coloured silk-screen printing, dynamic and lively lines are used to create very expressive and fun characters with a clean and direct technique.
Pequerruchos

by Mar Pavón; Illustration: João Vaz de Carvalho

13,00€

AVAILABLE

 Nesta divertida e original história sobre o absurdo de certas proibições, Mar Pavón dá vida a uma galeria de personagens surrealistas que nos cativam desde o primeiro momento, enquanto que o ilustrador português João Vaz de Carvalho sai airoso do repto de tornar visíveis uns curiosos protagonistas assumindo essa perspectiva fantasiosa que envolve uma proposta que, sobretudo, convida a sorrir. O artista português desdobra uma generosa paleta cromática de cores quentes, na qual brancos e vermelhos marcam a pauta de umas ilustrações de clara orientação narrativa, que complementam a proposta literária mantendo um delicado equilíbrio estrutural na carga informativa fornecida em cada uma das páginas duplas em que se desenrola a história. A tipografia é chave para pôr em destaque alguns momentos narrativos que sustentam a história, ao mesmo tempo que permite uma confortável leitura; o seu papel neste álbum é importante, sobretudo na parte final do livro, onde a peripécia se resolve com a contribuição do narrador, que propõe uma solução para o problema colocado e encerra uma obra cheia de humor do princípio ao fim.

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Procurando o Norte

by Paula Carbonell; Illustration: Cecilia Afonso Esteves

10,00€

AVAILABLE

 O pirilampo diverte-se a ser estrela cadente, a lesma pede um desejo… e então começa a viagem em direcção ao país dos pessegueiros, atrás da estrela polar e acompanhados pelas diversas fases da Lua. Um desejo transforma-se numa viagem, a viagem transforma-se num encontro que te leva a procurar o Norte, o lugar onde se pedem os desejos. O caminho, e não o destino final, é que fará com que os protagonistas desta história se enriqueçam, se tornem maduros e descubram novos mundos, dentro e fora de si mesmos. Uma história para vermos através de olhos mais pequenos, sobre a erva, entre as gotas de orvalho. Cecilia Afonso cria belíssimas ilustrações através da técnica de colagem, empregando papéis e fios que combina com lápis e têmpera. Através de figuras simples e limpas, a ilustradora argentina desenvolve uma linguagem particular simbólica, por vezes abstracta, e com uma enorme carga poética. O leitor tem de procurar e encontrará, porque as surpresas espreitam em todos os lugares. As numerosas piscadelas de olho, pistas e chamadas de atenção que existem na sua proposta, para além de acompanharem o texto, constituem uma história dentro da história, que nos convida a viajar, com os protagonistas, até à Lua nova.
ENGLISH

A Woodland Secret

by Javier Sobrino; Illustration: Elena Odriozola

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Since their meeting, Squirrel couldn’t get him off her mind. When she thought about him, it was all cloudy, she lost her voice, she had butterflies in her tummy… Her secret went out to the far reaches of the woods and, although many thought it was madness, when autumn came… Javier Sobrino presents a charming and curious love story insinuating that differences do not constitute difficulties in relationships. Using woodland animals as a resource to connect the youngest readers, the text uses a universal language, that of affection, to speak to little children about love and of how to cope with feelings. Elena Odriozola offers us once again a sample of her illustrative style, powerfully evocative, subtle and delicate, that perfectly connects with the poetic text. An album with no age limit to speak of love.
ENGLISH

The King's Behind

by Raquel Saiz; Illustration: Evelyn Daviddi

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 The king was about to have breakfast, just like any other day, in the royal dining room; and, when he sat on his throne… a pin got stuck in his bottom! Ow! Ow! Ow!, he complained, begging for help. But nobody dared touch the king´s behind. Demythologizing the customs and habits in the palace, Raquel Saiz builds an agile, simple and amusing text, very appropriate for the younger ones, and, with ingenuity and a great sense of humour, shows the most absurd side of those of "high social standing" that, for reasons of rank, seem unable to resolve something as simple as removing the pin… from the king’s bottom. The illustrations by Evelyn Daviddi offer us an amusing succession of characters, accumulating throughout the story, strengthening the comic character of the text in successive scenes and recreating with humorous irony the absurdity of the situation.
A Escada

by Beatriz Montero; Illustration: Guridi

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 O carteiro subiu, subiu, subiu pela escada. Tocou à campainha: Trrim! Trrim!. Não estava ninguém. Deixou a carta no chão… desceu, desceu, desceu pela escada.
Corre Corre, Cabacinha

by Eva Mejuto; Illustration: André Letria

14,27€

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Plano Nacional de Leitura Livro recomendado para o 1º ano de escolaridade, destinado a leitura autónoma. Não vi velha nem velhinha, nem velhinha nem velhão. Corre corre, cabacinha. Corre corre, cabação!, respondia a cabaça, enquanto ia rodando pelo caminho, perante o olhar estupefacto do lobo, do urso e do leão. Quem estará dentro dela, enganando as três feras? Corre corre, cabacinha é um conto popular português de grande tradição. Conta a história de uma velhinha que, a caminho da boda da sua neta, encontra um lobo, um urso e um leão que a querem comer. Consegue convencer os animais a esperarem-na no regresso, e depois da celebração, a neta e a velhinha engendram um plano muito original para enganar as três feras. Escritores da envergadura de Alice Vieira e compiladores de contos tradicionais lusos como Adolfo Coelho, S. Romero, A. Oliveira ou Leite Vasconcellos, têm recolhido variantes desta história em todo o Portugal e até no Brasil, cunhadas com títulos como A velha e os lobos, O macaco e a cabaça (na variante brasileira), A cabacinha ou A velha que ia na cabaça e encontrou um lobo. Em algumas destas versões os animais comem a avó, mas nesta versão optou-se por um final em que a velha e a neta, providas de engenho, humor e imaginação, conseguem superar os conflitos e dar às três feras o que elas merecem. Com um ritmo ágil e empregando a "lengalenga" - quase um trava-línguas - presente nas versões portuguesas que ainda hoje circulam, este conto oferece muitas possibilidades expressivas de narração e representação teatral. André Letria, o conhecido ilustrador várias vezes ganhador do Prémio Nacional de Ilustração em Portugal, cria personagens com muita força e personalidade, acentuando a sua expressividade e enriquecendo as imagens com um imaginário humorístico muito definido.

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ENGLISH

Empty-handed

by Ana Tortosa; Illustration: Cecilia Varela

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 And if I give him some sea water? No, he’s already got some of that, because the sea is in his eyes. Today is Mario’s birthday and Jane is invited to tea. She doesn’t know what to give him and on the way she thinks about a present for her friend. She thinks of many things, but it isn’t easy when something special is needed. In the O Collection of OQO book the main character of this album takes us by the hand to discover that the best gifts are not those we buy. Ana Tortosa has chosen a very revealing title, Empty-handed, for this story that presents values very far from the consumer society, in which we live, tries to impose on us. In the story, the author invites the youngest to look beyond the material and to explore other alternatives in leisure: nature, imagination, friendship… Starting with the main character’s original game of questions and answers, she has created a story that has many conundrums. Reading this album requires the readers to be awake and we have here the challenge the author proposes: to guess the identity of the mysterious Mario before getting to the end. Resolving the enigma isn’t so complicated, but attention must be paid to all the clues Jane gives throughout the tale. Cecilia Varela, in her second collaboration with OQO books, has filled with light and life every page of the book. Her constant references to the sea and marine motifs (the helm, beach, lighthouse, shell…) are a metaphor of the sea of questions Jane navigates through in search of the best gift for her friend. Two characters, a cat and an octopus, accompany her on her adventure. The illustrator has chosen these companions because they are animals traditionally linked to marine culture. It may come as a surprise nowadays, but up to not so long ago sailors travelled with cats on board to keep the rats at bay. For sailors they were lucky charms and many are the superstitions surrounding these animals. Sailing history is also full of stories about giant octopus. However, Cecilia Varela’s octopus doesn’t provoke fear. The most playful side of the creature is exploited in the images and full advantage is taken of their physical characteristics: tentacles, flexibility… While the gestures and certain abilities (now holding a cup, now an umbrella, etc.) help to personify this lively and playful octopus. But as we all know, stories have a beginning and an end. Jane, without realizing, gets to Mario’s house. Would you like to know what she gives him?
A Bruxa Arreganhadentes

by Maurizio A. C. Quarello e Tina Meroto

14,50€

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Três irmãos, desatendendo às advertências da mãe, embrenham-se no bosque escuro e misterioso, onde tudo pode acontecer. O mais pequeno, temeroso e consciente do perigo, procura avisar os dois mais velhos, mas tem de tomar uma decisão e acaba por acompanhá-los. Como não sabiam o caminho de volta, decidiram entrar na casa da bruxa, onde cheirava a comida... Os contos e lendas acerca de bruxas constituem um repertório vivo e abundante, praticamente universal. É frequente as crianças personificarem os seus medos em personagens malvadas com aparência humana. Para ganhar confiança e superar os medos, nada como escutar contos onde os protagonistas triunfam sobre esses seres aterradores, criados na imaginação. A personagem da bruxa devoradora de crianças que vive numa casinha no meio do bosque aparece na tradição oral comum a muitos povos (Turquia, Rússia, Europa...) e conta com antigos antecedentes literários. A Bruxa arreganhadentes tem um carácter híbrido, com elementos narrativos recolhidos de diversas culturas. Nesta ousada aventura, o mais pequeno é o único capaz de ver com clareza (reconhecer a casa da bruxa, desconfiar da aparente afabilidade da desconhecida...), sem se deixar levar pelos impulsos e pela satisfação dos desejos. Se no princípio do relato, os mais velhos troçavam do irmão por o considerarem medroso e pequeno, no desenlace transmite-se a ideia de que, ainda que alguém seja considerado insignificante, também será capaz de superar as dificuldades; finalmente será o mais pequeno que, com astúcia e inteligência, toma iniciativas e enfrenta a grave situação. A Bruxa arreganhadentes conta com excepcionais ilustrações feitas pelo italiano Maurizio A. C. Quarello. Quarello apresenta imagens fortes que recriam uma atmosfera em contrastes claro-escuros que proporcionam ao livro um ambiente carregado de suspense. Para complementar, o ilustrador oferece uma segunda leitura, com pormenores cheios de humor que convidam à observação uma e outra vez, para descobrir em cada leitura ideias novas e surpreendentes.

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Magia!

by Charo Pita; Illustration: Madalena Matoso

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 Esta história de Charo Pita e Madalena Matoso versa sobre a revalorização da amamentação materna que aparece contextualizada como parte intrínseca da vida das crianças, das suas famílias e da sociedade. O olhar inocente do pequeno protagonista recorda-nos a magia que existe em muitas manifestações da vida como a possibilidade de amamentar e das quais os adultos não são plenamente conscientes por serem tão habituais. E, olhando para as compras com curiosidade, pensou: Que trará ela para dar de comer ao bebé? A tia Elisa pousou os sacos, sentou-se no sofá e abraçou o bebé, que não parava de chorar. Depois desabotoou a blusa. Então, o bebé calou-se e começou a comer. — MAGIA! - disse o avô. As crianças vivem num eterno presente. É difícil para elas situar-se num futuro que vá mais para além do amanhã e o passado limita-se ao ontem. Por isso, é fácil compreender que, para dar de comer ao bebé, Óscar recorra aos produtos que fazem parte da sua alimentação atual (bolos, cenouras, ovos, sardinhas, presunto). Deste modo, o seu périplo torna-se divertido e, ao mesmo tempo, comovente porque Charo Pita nos apresenta um menino que se esforça por ajudar um ser que nem sequer compreende e, apesar disso, não desiste. O Óscar a que Madalena Matoso dá vida transmite na perfeição a ternura que desperta a sua responsabilidade e a solidariedade espontânea e encantadora. "Simpatizei muito com ele. Fica com o bebé e não descansa enquanto o bebé não está feliz de novo. É uma personagem de quem é fácil gostar!", admite. A ilustradora portuguesa já tinha dado vida a uma criança no seu último trabalho para a OQO editora Os mil brancos dos esquimós, terceiro Prémio para o Livro Melhor Editado 2009 pelo Ministério da Cultura de Espanha e também merecedor de duas menções nos Prémios Visual VIII Edição, nas categorias de livro infantil e ilustração. Tal como noutros trabalhos realizados para a OQO (Quem roubou a Lua?) Madalena Matoso optou pela colagem, uma técnica que repete porque: "É como um jogo. Fascina-me o modo como funcionam entre si as texturas e a ligação entre as cores. Acaba por se formar um todo composto por microelementos", argumenta. Neste álbum utilizou selos, etiquetas, códigos de barras, letras adesivas e até um saco grande de pão, "com uma bonita impressão azul", destaca a ilustradora. Para além disso, alguns dos papéis recortados para as colagens tinham sido impressos em serigrafia. As imagens são simples e coloridas, se bem que se destaca a presença de tons de vermelho, de verde e de cinzento. Neste terceiro projeto para a OQO, Matoso procurou que as suas composições fossem coerentes com a história. Esta decorre essencialmente em dois cenários: dentro de casa (princípio e final do livro) e nos diferentes lugares onde Óscar vai ao longo da história, tentando conseguir alimento para o bebé. Ao procurá-lo em cada um dos exteriores, apoiou-se em pormenores que situam claramente o leitor numa padaria, numa peixaria, numa horta e num talho. Nas cenas da casa, as ilustrações não se tornam repetitivas, apesar de jogar com a dificuldade de serem as mesmas personagens nos mesmos locais. Para resolver isso decidiu que, nas imagens finais, se devia "explorar mais as emoções", o que não é em vão, é quando se produz a magia! que pareceu a Óscar, claro, maravilhosa.
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