Walking Through a World of Aromas

by Ariel Andrés Almada, Sonja Wimmer (Illustrator), Jon Brokenbrow (Translator)

Overview

Winner at the 2013 International Latino Book Awards. Close your eyes and breathe in. Discover Annie’s universe, a world of aromas and fragrances, where there is no room for the impossible.

When Annie was born, everything was dark. She could feel the warmth of her mother as she held her in her arms, the smell of her father’s newly washed shirt, and far away, she could hear the twittering of the birds as they slowly woke up to spring. But apart from that, everything else was darkness..

Annie spends her days cooking in an old house with her grandma. Although she can’t see, Annie has the gift of being able to feel our very deepest emotions and to bring them to life with her magical mixtures of cinnamon and saffron. But one day, she meets a person who awakens a boundless affection in her, someone who will introduce her senses to a completely unknown world.

If we set our minds to it, we can all turn what we perceive as weaknesses into strengths.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788415619482
Publisher:	Cuento de Luz
Publication date:	03/01/2013
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD1160L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ariel Andrés Almada is an Argentine award-winning writer of children’s stories. His books have travelled the world and have been translated into multiple languages, such as Chinese, English, German, Estonian and Italian. Almada has received numerous international awards for Best Children's Fiction Book. Cuento de Luz has published his following books: Walking in a World of Aromas, The Lighthouse of Souls, The Fear of Ivan and the whole award-winning book collection ‘Family Love’. He currently resides in León (Spain).

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.

Editorial Reviews

A grand story wrapped up in delicious packaging. The translation is still light on its feet and enjoyable to the ear. Better still are Wimmer’s effervescent illustrations, which dance about the text, bringing it fully to life.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A picture book that win our hearts by the beauty of its images and the tenderness of its history. A story of overcoming starring a girl who, due to her condition, develops the rest of her senses with greater intensity. Especially her smell will help her to move around the world in the dark. This book conveys a powerful message: we can all do special things, if we are able to enhance our gifts.” —Apegoyliteratura

“A moving story that from the beginning and in a poetic way explore how blindness becomes a strength, since the young protagonist develops in an extraordinary way other senses that she explores and shares with everyone. Sonja Wimmer's soft, expressive, tender, delicate, colorful illustrations, full of infinite nuances, dance in perfect balance with a text that conveys pure emotion. Simply exquisite, with a very sweet flavor.” —El árbol rojo, a Children’s Literature Magazine.

“Tenderness, kindness, simplicity and charm mixed together transformed into a deep story in a picture book format. A tale that we should all read and know. Where there’s a will there’s a way, and once again, there is no room for the impossible.” —Locura de lectura

From the Publisher

Like Water for Chocolate for the picture-book set. In this gentle tale, Annie is born blind but in time learns to navigate the world not through touch or memory, but smell. This talent serves her well in the kitchen, where her talent extends to creating meals that evoke fond memories and bring folks out of funks. When a melancholy young man named Julian comes to her for a cure for his lethargy, it becomes clear that the solution to his problem isn't the cooking but the cook herself. And when Annie finds their conversations solve Julian's problems, not her creations, she decides to make him something special. Though the tale is arguably an irresponsible and romanticized vision of blindness (a child might easily misunderstand why it is that Annie only opens her eyes at the very end), Almada's magical realism tips the story into the realm of fable. Wordier than your average picture book, the translation is still light on its feet and enjoyable to the ear. Better still are Wimmer's effervescent illustrations, which dance about the text, bringing it fully to life. Though the abrupt ending will raise more questions than answers, this is a grand story wrapped up in delicious packaging. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews