Text by Anna Anisimova, illustrated by Yulia Sidneva
These short stories tell the tale of a little blind girl―not in a tragic way but rather with acceptance of life as it is and with great love for the world, which can be so diverse for all of us.
If a child can’t see, it’s still a child who learns about the world, feels happiness, and shares feelings with family and friends. The heroine likes having fun and communicating with people. We are never told directly that the girl is blind. She is so active and joyful, it’s hard to imagine that she doesn’t live a full life. We follow her thoughts, dreams, and events in her life and we get an opportunity to look at our own life from a different angle. This brightly illustrated book is divided into four big parts. Each part has its own theme and colors. We learn about the girl’s friendship with elephants: either it’s an elephant in the paleontological museum or an elephant-shaped cloud in the sky. We follow her adventures with her grandpa who has the third leg ― a walking stick called Bustler. Then, she learns to write and to read ― she uses her secret code like a real secret agent. And finally, she meets a new friend, though people are not always open to something someone they don’t understand.
The full English translation is available.
PRIZES 2017 IBBY Selection. Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities (The Invisible Elephant – the first story in this collection, which was previously published as a separate book)
RIGHTS SOLD English
KEY SELLING POINTS
Short stories about happiness both for children and parents.
Difficult topics touched upon in a very light and easy-going way.
Short chapters and large font can be a good start for beginning readers.
Tender illustrations bring together the real world and the invisible.
This book includes the Braille alphabet which could be used for a secret code game.
A short comic offers information on how to interact with a blind person.
PRESS REVIEWS "Written in a simple language full of wordplay and humour, it speaks to all ages, while inventive illustrations by Yulia Sidneva perfectly capture the fragile balance between the real world and the invisible." –Ekaterina Shatalova, Russophone Kid Lit.
Chapter book Age: 5+ Pages: 112 Size: 190*245 mm Published in 2020 by Samokat
Another title by the same author and illustrator is MY PET ICEBERG Another title by the same illustrator is QUARTET TALES
