By Adriana Fernández
Leaves that smell of summer,
branches to climb
and underneath
in the shade,
a place to play.
Laura Devetach
Have you experienced that special freshness that you can only feel when in the shade of a tree? That feeling of relief that comes from the earth and refreshes our body? That is how trees embrace us. Did you know there is a perfect accompaniment to that combination of warmth and shade? It is a book.
This year, many children will spend their vacations at home, going to parks and open spaces, taking a rest from months and months of different classes, of sitting in front of screens not only for play, but for school and communicating with their loved ones.
I invited two booksellers to tell us their recommendations for children to read this summer. But they are not just any booksellers… no, no. Over the years, they have dedicated themselves to promoting children’s literature and organizing meetings between writers and their audiences of little readers.
We will hear the recommendations of Carola Martínez Arroyo, from the bookstore Donde viven los libros, and Karina Fraccarolli from Librería del Palacio. Carola is from Buenos Aires and Karina is from Córdoba, because it’s hot everywhere!
Carola Martínez Arroyo
Buenos Aires
El libro del verano [The Summer Book], written by Tove Jansson (Cía Naviera Ilimitada Editores).
This is a beautiful novel to read slowly and enjoy. It tells the story of a girl and her grandmother who spend the summer on an island in Finland.
Paisaje de un día, written by Federico García Lorca, illustrated by Isol (Calibroscopio).*
A beautiful encounter between Lorca’s words and Isol’s illustrations: it seems as if they were waiting for each other. This is a book that we edited in collaboration with the City of Buenos Aires’ Reading Plan and which will be sent to kindergartens.
En el arca a las ocho [Meet at the Ark at Eight], written by Ulrich Hub and illustrated by Jörg Mühle (Editorial Norma).
Three penguins reflect on truth, ethics and the existence (or not) of God, snow and Noah’s ark. Don’t think that this is a religious tale, because it has nothing religious at all, but it does push you to think about everything.
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*You can learn more about Lorca’s poems illustrated by Isol through the content the Moderno organized with the artist in 2020. Click here to see more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgzBOf0Gs94
Karina Fraccarolli
Córdoba
Un perro llamado Cual, written by Renato Peralta and illustrated by Mónica Weiss and Virginia Piñón (Editorial Comunicarte).
This is the story of a family that goes on vacation for three months to a town with a river. At the house they rent, they find a dog. His name is Cual (Which). The dog stays… Does the dog come with the house they rented? That summer, the children have wonderful adventures with Cual.
Poemas de alta mar, written by Canela and illustrated by Cecilia Alfonso Esteves (Editorial Comunicarte).
The sea is the main character of this book of poems. There is a puddle that wants to be a sea, a lake that wants to be sea, a river that wants to reach the sea… and a mermaid that… well, you have no idea what she wants!
Don Hipólito navegante, written by Alejandro García Schentzer and illustrated by Antonio Seguí (Editorial Comunicarte)
This is the story of a man from the city who wants to visit the sea but ends up in the desert… and there he plants a tree that grows cans of sardines.
A very short and exquisite text that interacts with Seguí’s wonderful impressionist images. Together, they create the most endearing absurdity.
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