Lucky pandora

BOOK REVIEW

LUCKY PANDORA

Author: Paco Esteve | Gemma Aguasca From the reader report by: François Michel Durazzo

The story is written in clear and simple Catalan, in terms that will move even the youngest children, meaning it can be read to infant school pupils. Young readers will also enjoy it thanks to the font, which has been specially chosen for them. The illustrations are clear enough to allow them to understand even if not all the words are immediately obvious. The main quality of this book lies in the fact that it does not explicitly name the difference that generates the prejudices, even if the “black” colour of the cat can suggest racism against people of colour. The colour of the cat can be assimilated to any difference that can be grounds for rejection: skin colour, origin, physical or linguistic difference, religion, etc. This allows the adult to take a position when reading it with a child or a class. This book could be useful in helping to resolve conflict between a group of children and a rejected individual, but it can also offer an illustrated response to a child asking their parents why there are differences between people and whether they should be afraid of these differences. It could also be useful for easing a situation where a rejected child became aggressive towards others. It is therefore a particularly useful educational tool for teaching about living together in harmony.

PUBLISHED IN NEW SPANISH BOOKS FR

DEL BULLENT EDICIONS

Title LUCKY PANDORA PANDORA DU SORT

Author Paco Esteve | Gemma Aguasca Genre Children and Youth Pages 36

ISBN 978-84-99042-36-7 Year of publication 2020 Number of editions 1 Language Catalán Spanish retail price 15.00 €

Author’s biography: Paco Esteve y Beneito was born in Agres, Valencia in 1979. He is a specialist in languages, a writer, and an accordion player. He has worked as a translator and as a teacher of the Catalan language, and he has performed as the accordionist of the Galician group Ataque Escampe. He became well-known because of his novel The One Who Doesn’t Party, published in 2013. In 2015 he published Bitter and Sweet, a collection of writings about language, toponomy and oral literature in the town of Agres. In 2016 he won the 21st Enric Valor Prize for Novels in Valenciano with his novel If It’s Snowed, and in 2020 he published the comic book Lucky Pandora, illustrated by Gemma Aguasca. Gemma Aguasca Soler was born in Barcelona in 1972. She is a graduate in Fine Arts, and her vocation is drawing. She illustrates books, posters, marketing materials, and any document type for which her services are requested. She also paints for galleries and stores. www.gemmagas.com

Synopsis: Pandora is a black street cat. People begin to blame her for everything that goes wrong, because they believe that black cats bring bad luck. One day, she has an accident and decides to send bad luck to everyone who crosses her path. Finally, one day she has the wonderful good luck to meet Gloria, who takes her in and makes Pandora her personal assistant. The book is a plea to end prejudice, the prejudices we all have, the prejudices we don’t even believe in, and the prejudices that are part of social traditions.

Publisher: Edicions del Bullent Edicions del Bullent is one of the oldest Valencian publishing houses. We began publishing in 1983 with the goal of providing people from Valencia with books in their own language. We have collections including narrative literature, children’s literature, young adult literature, and essays.

Publishing rights available from: Edicions del Bullent - CIF B46699724 Taronja 16, Picanya, Valencia www.bullent.net Contact: Núria Sendra Marco [info@bullent.net] [nuria@bullent.net] Phone: (+34) 961 590 883

Prizes and reviews: https://www.clijcat.cat/faristol/llibre-cercat/Pandora-du-sort&llibre=3926 https://paraulademixa.jimdo.com/2020/09/28/pandora-du-sort/ Press, Valencian International University