Nibbling Your Nails

By

Illustrated by

PA UL A M E R L ÁN

BREND A FI G UEROA

To my two loves, Álvaro and Pablo, so that you continue to be great readers.

—Paula Merlán To my grandma, Daisy.

—Brenda Figueroa This book is printed on Stone Paper that is Silver Cradle to Cradle Certified®.

Cradle to Cradle™ is one of the most demanding ecological certification systems, awarded to products that have been conceived and designed in an ecologically intelligent way.

Cuento de Luz™ became a Certified B Corporation in 2015. The prestigious certification is awarded to companies that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems and meet higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Nibbling Your Nails Text © 2021 by Paula Merlán Illustrations © 2021 by Brenda Figueroa © 2021 Cuento de Luz SL Calle Claveles, 10 | Pozuelo de Alarcón | 28223 | Madrid | Spain www.cuentodeluz.com Original title in Spanish: Morderse las uñas English translation by Jon Brokenbrow ISBN: 978-84-18302-36-7 1st printing Printed in PRC by Shanghai Cheng Printing Company, July 2021, print number xxx All rights reserved.

By

Illustrated by

PAULA M E R L ÁN

BREND A FI G UEROA

Before she goes to sleep, Sara reads her adventure book and bites her nails. But she doesn’t know that inside her, amazing things are happening.

A lost piece of fingernail slips along Sara’s tongue. “Intruder!” yell her teeth. “Get out of here! We only want to bite food—like apples, or tomatoes, or peppers!”

The fingernail falls down a tunnel.

“Hey! You’re scratching me!” says Sara’s throat.

“My dear nail, I’m afraid you’re not really welcome here,” says Sara’s stomach.

“I’m sorry,” replies the piece of nail.

“I don’t want to be here, but I didn’t have any say in the matter.”

The next day at school, Sara keeps nibbling her nails in math class.

She keeps nibbling them while she waters her cacti . . .

and when she looks at the stars . . .

and even when she dreams.

Before going to sleep, Sara reads her adventure book and bites her nails. Meanwhile, inside her body, amazing things happen. . . .

Nibbling Your Nails, a story full of imagination to enjoy as a family, will help little ones understand the need to develop good habits, in a fun way.