Letters in charcoal.
Written by Irene Vasco. Illustrated by Juan Palomino.
Translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. Lantana, 2023.
Original published in Spanish as Letras al carbón by
Editorial Juventud S.A., Spain in 2015. Sophisticated picture book.
In the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia, hardly anybody
knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives
from a young doctor each month — letters that she is sure contain promises of
love — one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives
of every child in the pueblo, forever. With the help of Senor Velandia, the
owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet
and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is
more miraculous still — that letters are literally all around her.
The assumption by the literate and privileged that *every
one* can read.
Also the power of reading. But, I have a deep sadness for
the two worlds that struggle to meet.
The literate / online world that is dominate – and I am very
much part of – and how difficult it makes navigating the world for those who
are not part of it.
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