Migrants

BOOK REVIEW

MIGRANTS

Author: Issa Watanabe From the reader report by: Mami Shimada

Several animals walk distinctly across a backdrop as dark as coal, almost as if in a funeral procession. Once seen, this unforgettable image leaves a powerful impression. A strange creature is approaching this group. Though not scary, this figure with a skull atop a human body evokes images of ‘death.’ The moving pack of animals seems to portray refugees.

Recently, the refugee problem has cropped up often in Japan too in picture books and children’s books such as “Journey: Kokkyo wo Koete” (Kijitora Publishing) and “Nanmin ‘te Yobanaide” (GodoShuppan). However, picture books with no writing are a rarity. Children won’t find it difficult to truly understand what is happening in this wordless book. Several questions will probably pop up, with children wanting to know why these people are on a journey or where they are going, for example. It is then the task of adults to answer these questions in a way children can understand. Because it has no writing, this book resonates directly from people of all countries, both adults and children. Rather than being an exercise in passive reading, this book to prompts you to think and talk about issues. As such, it is just the kind of book we and our children need in Japan right now.

PUBLISHED IN NEW SPANISH BOOKS JP

ALBUR PRODUCCIONES EDITORIALES

Title MIGRANTS MIGRANTES

Author Issa Watanabe Genre Children and Young Adults Pages 38

ISBN 978-84-94990-15-1 Year of publication 2019 Number of editions 3 Language Spanish Spanish retail price 13.90 €

Author’s biography: Issa Watanabe was born in Lima in 1980 and is the daughter of an illustrator and poet. She studied literature at the Catholic University of her native city and then moved to Mallorca where she took a course in Fine Arts and Illustration. She has lead or taken part in numerous projects aimed at fostering social integration through art and, in 2012, she was awarded the La Caixa prize for Social Work. As an illustrator she has published several titles, including Más te vale, mastodonte (You’d better, mastodon) which won the 17th Orilla del Viento competition run by the Mexican Foundation for Commercial Culture. Since 2013 she has been invited to speak or give workshops as a guest of honour at numerous international festivals. https://www.instagram.com/issawatanabe/ Synopsis: This book without words uses a sequence of extraordinary, powerful images to tell the story of a band of animals that leave behind their night-shrouded, leafless, forest world. This is the story of a great and singular migration during which the animals face challenges and cross frontiers on an epic voyage full of uncertainty where death and hope live side by side. Issa Watanabe’s illustrations show the reality of their situation, without euphemisms, and move the reader with a story that has its roots in the everyday – the everyday routines of refugee camps and other images of migration that we are accustomed to seeing in the media – so encouraging reflection and promoting empathy and solidarity. Publisher: Albur producciones editoriales S.L. The publishing house was created in Barcelona in 2003. We specialize in publishing illustrated books for children, young adults, and adults. We have become one of the leading publishing houses of illustrated books in the country, thanks to the quality of the books we produce. Publishing rights available from: Albur producciones editoriales - CIF B62811534 Llull 51 6º 4º, Barcelona www.librosdelzorrorojo.com Contact: Ana Lucía de Bastos [rights@librosdelzorrorojo.com] [assist@librosdelzorrorojo.com] Phone: (+34) 933 076 850 Countries where the rights have been sold: Germany: Hanser; France: Éditions La Joie de lire; Solvenia: Sanje; Italy: Interlogos Edizioni; Netherlands: Querido; United Kingdom: Gecko press; Korea: Booklight Publishing; Brazil: Raposa Vermelha Prizes and reviews: Kirkus Reviews; the White Ravens catalogue; Llibreter prize; Selected for the dPictus catalogue in 2020; winner of the Best Visual Narrative category of the Venezuelan Banco del Libro prize; the BIBF Pineapple Circle Jury’s Grand prize.