Text by Irina Zartayskaya, illustrated by Natalia Demianenko
“I forgot.” How often do we hear this from children? But let’s be honest, we also often forget many things and wonder whether we’ve switched off the iron or locked the front door...
There's no mouse as absent-minded as Sonya-sometimes she even forgets her own name! But she's great at remembering recipes and is a fantastic cook. One day, Sonya's best friend, Leo the Theatrical Director, asks our forgetful heroine to replace an actress in a play who has unexpectedly fallen ill, which means she has to learn the lines for a prominent role in the shortest possible time. The task puts a lot of responsibility on Sonya's shoulders, and this makes her extremely nervous. She learns and repeats her lines all day long as she is absolutely petrified of letting Leo down. During the rehearsal, backstage Sonya meets Melissa, a mouse who works in the theatre cafe yet cannot cook at all. The thing is, Melissa has always wanted to be an actress, but for some reason, this hasn't come to fruition. However, working in theatre catering has brought her a little closer to the stage. Having listened to Melissa's story, Sonya decides to help make her dream come true because everyone should be able to do what their heart desires, shouldn't they? The mice agree to change places: Melissa makes a successful performing debut, and Sonya gets to show off her culinary skills and prepare taste bud tempting tasty treats because her true vocation is cooking. This story is about each and every one of us having unique talents which enable us to feel worthy of being in our own, and only our own, special place.
PRIZES 2019 Gummy Heart Prize as the Book of the Year for preschoolers by one of the leading Russian indie bookstores Podpisnie Izdaniya in Saint Petersburg 2022 Finalist of the 55th Illustrators Exhibition of the BCBF
KEY SELLING POINTS
A very touching, kind and funny story about forgetfulness.
A great idea which we often forget about: we should be ourselves, it’s the most natural way to be happy.
Debut book illustrations by Natalia Demianenko,selected by the international jury of the BCBF 2022 among 318 finalists from 3,873 submissions.
Being a production designer, Natalia masterfully shows the characters’ personalities and creates outstanding compositions for each spread.
Early Reader Book, Picturebook Age: 5+ Pages: 48 Size: 268*214 mm Published in 2021 by 40 Books
