¿Puede pasarle a cualquiera? (Could it Happen to Anyone?)

by Mar Pavón, Sonja Wimmer (Illustrator)

Overview

Finalist at the 2011 International Latino Book Awards. Balzo, a very restless boy, goes shopping with his mom and accidentally breaks some figurines. There is no reason to be angry ... couldn’t it happen to anyone?

Balzo goes shopping with his mother and they stop by a store where boys and girls can’t touch anything. To stop himself from getting bored, he pretends to be a silkworm. But while he’s playing, he accidentally knocks some figurines off a shelf, and worst of all, he bumps his head. Neither his mother nor the storekeeper seem to notice the lump; instead, they tell off Balzo as if he’d smashed the figurines (and caused the lump) on purpose…. On purpose? He was just playing around with his imaginary friends! Unfortunately, no one is interested in knowing his part of the story… And mom is so angry she sounds line an ogre!

Once they get home, Balzo goes straight to bed when suddenly he hears this powerful sound: «CRASH!». Could it happen to anyone?

Finalista en los International Latino Book Awards 2012. Balzo, un niño muy juguetón, acompaña a su mamá a una tienda y rompe unas figuritas sin querer. No hay por qué enfadarse… ¿acaso no puede pasarle a cualquiera?

Balzo acompaña a su mamá a comprar y pasan por una tienda donde los niños y niñas no pueden tocar nada. Para no aburrirse, Balzo juega a ser un gusano de seda. Pero sin querer tira algunas figuritas de un estante y, encima, se golpea la cabeza y le sale un chichón. Ni su madre ni la dependienta parecen notar el bulto que le empieza a crecer, ¡todo lo contrario! Las dos regañan a Balzo porque no sabe estarse quieto… ¡como si hubiera roto las figurillas a propósito…! «¿Acaso me haría un chichón ¿a propósito?», pensó. ¡Estaba jugando con sus amigos imaginarios! Desafortunadamente, nadie parece interesado en conocer su parte de la historia… ¡Y mamá está tan enfadada que parece un ogro!

Cuando llegan a casa, Balzo se va directo a la cama, cuando de repente escucha un fuerte sonido: «¡CRASH!». ¿Acaso no puede pasarle a cualquiera?

Read the first pages of ¿Puede pasarle a cualquiera? here below:

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788493824075
Publisher:	Cuento de Luz
Publication date:	10/01/2011
Series:	Manuales
Edition description:	Translatio
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Language:	Spanish
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mar Pavón (Manresa, Spain, 1968) is a writer mainly dedicated to children's literature. Some of her extensive work is translated into English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch, Chinese and Korean, among other languages.

She has been honored with prestigious awards in the US, some of which were presented by the International Latino Book Awards. Her most significant work is Yeray Poeta, published following the birth of her son in 1996. Her most popular character is “Clucky the Hen”, created in collaboration with the illustrator Mónica Carretero, winner of several awards and recognitions.

Sonja Wimmer loves painting pictures and telling stories. After studying and working for some years as a graphic designer in her hometown of Munich and Brussels, she decided to pack her suitcase and move to Barcelona to study Illustration at the Llotja Arts and Crafts School. Since then, she lives between brushes and stories, working as an illustrator and freelance for publishers and other customers worldwide. She has received many awards for her work in the United states, most notably Gold Medal for Best Illustrator for The Word Collector.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The contrast of muted and bright colors allows youngsters to focus on what or who is really important in the story. . . . Children will identify with Balzo's plight, while adults can learn an important lesson about patience and tolerance." —School Library Journal (January 1, 2012)

Editorial Reviews

"This original story written by Mar Pavón is superbly illustrated by Sonja Wimmer with more intense colors differentiating when the images are imagined or real, brighter when Balzo fantasizes and more subdued when they are real." —Boolino.es

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—How boring it is to be stuck in a store and told "DON'T TOUCH!" when the adults surrounding you are touching and grabbing at everything in sight. What's a boy to do? Balzo uses his imagination to make the excursion more bearable, which gets him into trouble—big trouble. He imagines himself transformed into a caterpillar that slides along the floors of a store before becoming a butterfly that flies. His creativity allows readers to see the inner working of a child confronted with the rules of adults. The contrast of muted and bright colors allows youngsters to focus on what or who is really important in the story. The text and surrealistic illustrations work harmoniously to further create this contrast in both worlds. Children will identify with Balzo's plight, while adults can learn an important lesson about patience and tolerance.—Verónica Corral, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

School Library Journal