Cuento de Luz (Tale of Light) publishes stories that enlighten our lives to bring out our inner child. Stories that make time stand still for us to live the present. Stories that take the imagination on a journey and help care for our planet, to respect differences, break down barriers and promote peace. Stories that do not leave you indifferent; stories that lift you up. Cuento de Luz respects the environment and contributes to the protection of nature, incorporating sustainability principles through eco-friendly publishing.
Roly-Polies All rights reserved. Unless provided by law, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, publicly communicated or transformed in any way without the authorisation of the publisher.
Š 2010 Cuento de Luz SL Calle Claveles 10 Urb. Monteclaro Pozuelo de Alarcon 28223 Madrid, Spain www.cuentodeluz.com Text and illustrations Š Monica Carretero English translation by Jon Brokenbrow ISBN: 978-84-938240-1-3 DL: M-47451-2010
Printed by Graficas AGA in Madrid, Spain, November 2010, print number 65691
Mini-Animalist Series
Monica Carretero
A very, very long time ago, in a city very, very far away, in a very, very noisy building, lived a very, very big family of roly-polies: “The Poly family”. There were no less than 55 of them, and although back in the good old days there had been as many as 79 of them, I promise you that 55 isn’t a bad number at all.
“The Poly family” lived in the basement of a very tall building. Their house was very damp and had hardly any light, but that was just fine for a family of roly-polies. It was a very big house. It didn’t have many rooms, but they were big. Grandma roly-poly had always liked wide, open spaces, and so she’d never allowed any walls to be built.
Snout
Feelers
not used for breathing, as they have gills
Roly-polies aren’t the most attractive of creatures. They don’t have any pretty colours on their bodies, or long legs, or big eyes, or even long hair. Instead, they’re chubby, which is another way of saying short and fat. And they’re a very dull gray. Of course, grey isn’t an ugly colour, but it isn’t pretty either, it’s just a color that isn’t really a color…
Size: 1 inch
Eyes
16 legs
Shoes not worn by all of them
Although, when the sun shines on a roly-poly, their body shines a little… but only a little. They’ve got eight pairs of very, very stumpy legs, and they’re anything but fast. Their head is tiny, with two curved feelers, and their eyes are just two tiny dots. “Poor old roly-polies!” you must be saying to yourself, “what ugly little things!”
As they haven’t got any hair, girl roly-polies are mad about wigs
Sunbathing doesn’t give them a better color, although it warms up their little accordion-shaped bodies
Some roly- polies like to wear make-up on their bodies to make them more colorful and more attractive.
OK, they’re chubby, but we’re comparing them with nothing less than an elegant dragonfly
But I still haven’t told you the most wonderful, incredible and extraordinary thing about these little creatures:
THEY CAN CURL UP INTO A BALL! They can turn their body into a little ball and roll along, like a marble, like a bead, like an olive, like a yo-yo, or like the letter “O” when it falls out of a book.
Roll, roll, roll‌
The Roly-Polies are a family of gray chubby little animals that live under a theater. Each member has a special talent. Insignificant at first glance, they are able to create a world full of art, joy and humor. A fun story that teaches not to judge by appearances and to learn that each person has an inner world full of creativity.
US$ 14.95 CA$ 16.95 GBÂŁ 12.95