The Letter Circus has pitched its tent. Come on in! Clear the ring for the grand entrance of our letter acrobats! We’re treated to a truly daring programme on a high wire as thin as a line of writing on paper.
Some performers are brimming with confidence, others are trembling with stage fright. The quintet of vowels is just as impressive as the daring M, which bravely hangs at the end of the tightrope, before preparing to leap, spinning in mid-air and landing on its feet as a W. The capital P dances proudly across the tightrope, head held high – after all, it is not a little q. And there, the duet of C and K!
Daring leaps and talented quick-change artists – from A to Z, they all have their moment in the spotlight. At the end, of course, there’s a huge round of applause. We close the book and put the pencil aside – until the next performance by the letter acrobats. Even if our hands get sweaty and some letters fall onto the rubber mat and have to get back up again – here, writing is celebrated.
Chilean author Paulina Jara and Peruvian illustrator Fátima Ordinola succeed in playfully portraying writing as an art form that opens up new perspectives. With colourful, tightrope-walking letters and dynamic text, they present the craft of writing as a big celebration. Open the book, get your pencil!

The author

Paulina Jara (*1981) is a Chilean teacher and author. She is involved in promoting reading in a variety of ways and has already published forty books for children and young people. She has won numerous awards for her works in Chile. Der Buchstabenzirkus is her first publication in German.

The illustrator

Fátima Ordinola (*1992) was born in Lima, Peru. She studied graphic design in Peru, illustration in Argentina and has a Masters in Children's Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art (UK). She was awarded the Mexican picture book prize A la Orilla del Viento for her illustrations. She currently lives in Cambridge.