To my father, who taught me to look at the stars. - Irene Aparici To Carmen, my daughter, the little star that lights up my entire universe. And to M. M., for everything you have taught me. - Enrique Quevedo -
The Dance of Time Text © Irene Aparici Illustrations © Enrique Quevedo This edition © 2014 Cuento de Luz SL Calle Claveles 10 | Urb Monteclaro | Pozuelo de Alarcón | 28223 | Madrid | Spain www.cuentodeluz.com Title in Spanish: La danza del tiempo English translation by Jon Brokenbrow ISBN: 978-84-16078-08-0 Printed by Shanghai Chenxi Printing Co., Ltd. xxxx 2014, print number xxx All rights reserved
IRENE APARICI
ENRIQUE QUEVEDO
THE DANCE OF TIME
In her younger days, Madam Sun had been a famous dancer. Now she is the director of the dance company
“PLANETS IN ORBIT.”
Its latest show,
“THE DANCE OF TIME,” is currently a huge success in the
GRAND THEATRE OF THE UNIVERSE.
Madam Sun,
standing in the center in an orange dress, lights up the whole stage, while eight dancers rotate around her in a graceful ellipse. It is a delicate, harmonious dance. As they move around Madam Sun, the dancers twirl, each at their own pace. “Now everyone, remember that you have to do two things at once: spin and orbit,� says Madam Sun at the rehearsals.
Mercury
was the god who protected travelers. Thanks to his winged sandals, he was the fastest in all the heavens, carrying messages from one god to another.
The closest one to the director is little Mercury. He wears a coat of shiny iron armor, and looks like a polished ball bearing. With his winged sandals, he travels around his ellipse at a dizzying speed. He orbits all the way around the stage in just 88 days!
Venus was the most beautiful of all the goddesses. She was the symbol of love, and this is why the planet Venus is the favorite of poets and romantics.
A little further away is wild, beautiful Venus, who always likes to be different from everyone else, spinning in the opposite direction. And she does it in slow motion, taking 224 days!
What a beautiful dress she’s wearing! Nearly pure white, it reflects the light from Madam Sun as if it were a glittering star.
Hidden pages
Do you enjoy stargazing? Do you know the names of the planets in our solar system? Do you know why the planets are named after gods? Which is the fastest planet? How long does a day last on Jupiter? Or a year on Mars? Our Universe is an amazing spectacle, in which the stars and planets dance together in rhythm. Maybe you’ll see things differently when you look up at the starry skies after reading this book. The Dance of Time is a book full of imagination and information, which will be useful for parents and teachers looking to accompany children on a different kind of journey through our solar system.