Chirif, Micaela (Text) / Fonseca, Armando;
Mijangos, Amanda; Palomino, Juan (Illustration)
Das Meer
A picture book from South America
Translated from Spanish by Jochen Weber
© 2022 Baobab Books
40 pages, hardcover, 20,5 x 27 cm
CHF 25.00 / € [D] 18,50 / € [A] 19,10
ISBN 978-3-907277-11-9
Ages 5 and up
Is the sea a space, a surface or a line? Where does the squid sleep when it's tired? And does it dream of a whale? And while we're at it: does the whale weigh as much as water? The fish are also at home in the sea. They are always traveling from one country to another, from one sea to another, without any luggage and without a ticket. But there is not only the fish in the sea, but also the fisherman who casts his net. The whale shares its world with the mermaid. And without the sky, the clouds and the stars, there would probably be no sea either. Or is it the other way around?
This picture book from South America shows the ocean as a habitat in all its depth – and at the same time extends to the stars in the firmament. Are things the way we see them? And would one also exist without the other? The illustrations, which are expressive in their delicacy, were created by three artists from Mexico in a joint process. Although all three have their own artistic signature, everything connects to an inseparable whole.
You can literally immerse yourself in this philosophical-poetic book and let yourself be carried along by the mind games as if on a wave. In the end, you will find that the game is far from over, but has only just begun with this book.
Original edition: «El mar» © 2020 Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexiko
The author
Micaela Chirif was born in Lima in 1973. She studied philosophy in Lima and children's and youth literature in Barcelona. Her literary work moves at the interface of children's literature, poetry and factual topics. She has already received several awards for her books. She received the Premio Hispanoamericano de Poesía para Niños for the Spanish original edition of Das Meer. Micaela Chirif lives in Lima.
Juan Palomino was born in Mexico City in 1984, where he still lives today. He studied philosophy and has been illustrating books for children and young people since 2008. In 2016 he won the prestigious prize for illustration at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Baobab Books also has the picture book Der Feuerdieb by Juan Palomino.
