Seven keys to open dreams

BOOK REVIEW

SEVEN KEYS TO OPEN DREAMS

Author: Alfredo Gómez Cerdá | David Pintor From the reader report by: Gênese Andrade

Dream, fantasy, and magic in simple language associated with beautiful colorful images - this is a beautiful synthesis of a children’s book. But when this broadens the reflection to the role of the teacher and educator, by metamorphosing essential figures such as the author of Gramática da Fantasia, Gianni Rodari, and many writers into characters, the saying that a good children’s book pleases adults even more is forcefully imposed. That is what we have in Siete llaves para abrir los sueños, by Alfredo Gómez Cerdá, illustrated by David Pintor.

The first story, or key to dreams, “La ventana de Rodari”, is a sort of frame that enfolds and mirrors the contemplation of fantasy and its importance for childhood and for the entire life of human beings. In the second one, drawing gains autonomy, leaps from the pages of the book and changes places in the tales of Tomi Ungerer, a writer and graphic artist born in Strasbourg. The third story revolves around the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren and her character Pippi.

Considering that stories are about writers of different origins, the works cross national borders, talk with each other, and delight audiences all over the world. They make up another way of sketching biographies, by making the work of the biographees intertwine their lives with refinement and magic. Writings about writers, books as characters. They are also a tribute.

“La lata de conservas de Christine” and “La moto de Gloria Fuertes” have as characters children in situations of social vulnerability, who have not lost their tenderness, nor their capacity to love and to dream.

The real keys are words and imagination that lead to dreams, but can also help transform reality, both for the characters and for the readers of the book we are holding in our hands.

PUBLISHED IN NEW SPANISH BOOKS BR

KALANDRAKA EDITORA

Title SEVEN KEYS TO OPEN DREAMS SIETE LLAVES PARA ABRIR LOS SUEÑOS

Author Alfredo Gómez Cerdá | David Pintor Genre Children and Youth Pages 112

ISBN 978-84-13430-25-6 Year of publication 2020 Number of editions 1 Language Spanish Spanish retail price 15.00 €

Author’s biography: Alfredo Gómez Cerdá has published over 150 titles, written for the press and specialist magazines, won the Altea, Gran Angular, Ala Delta (2008) and Cervantes Chico (2008) awards and the National Prize for Children’s Literature (2009). He features on the CCEEI Honours list and The White Ravens, and he was the Spanish nominee for the Astrid Lindgren award (2018 and 2019) and the Hans Christian Andersen (2018). David Pintor has won the Andersen and Nami Island awards, the Society of News Design award, the Clermont-Ferrand International Award for travel books, the Año Città del Sol Illustrator Award and the second Sharjah Book Fair award. He was shortlisted for the CJ Picture Book Awards and included in The White Ravens list in 2009, 2011 and 2014. His work has been selected several times by the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava and the Bologna International Fair. www.almezzer.com

Synopsis: Gianni Rodari, Tomi Ungerer, Astrid Lindgren, Juan Farias, Christine Nöstlinger, Roald Dahl and Gloria Fuertes are the characters in seven tales, a magical number for many essential figures in the history of children’s literature. This narrative homage is created from the that the characters themselves have nurtured in their work: fantasy and creativity. After an anecdote to introduce each story comes the work of the documentation beforehand that encourages readers to delve into the biography and the work of each author. David Pintor’ illustrations transcend the physical image of the characters, these are figures who reveal their human depths and seem to be touched by the magic by which their books have brought dreams to thousands of people around the world.

Publisher: Kalandraka Kalandraka is a multilingual project that publishes original picture books, adaptations of traditional stories, and revives classics of children’s literature, books for pre-schoolers, easy-reading books, book-CDs, poetry and art to produce a lively and diverse catalogue.

Publishing rights available from: Kalandraka Editora - CIF B36302024 Pastor Díaz 1, 4.º B - 36001, Pontevedra, Pontevedra www.kalandraka.com Contact: Silvia Pérez Tato [foreignrights@kalandraka.com] Phone: (+34) 986 860 276