Algo está pasando en la ciudad

by Paula Merlán, Concha Pasamar (Illustrator)

Hannah loves taking her dog, Pippin, for a walk and ambling around the city. Everything is so beautiful in spring! Insects buzz busily through the air, and the sun shines brightly. However, Hannah notices that something is not right; something is going on in the city. Why is her neighbor Carol so distracted and greets her without even looking into her eyes? And those children sitting on that park bench, why don't they talk to each other or play…? Pippin and Hannah, curious, continue walking through the city trying to solve the mystery. They all seem to have something on their hands that takes them away from reality! Determined to show others what they are missing ―a very blue sky, the flowers hanging from the trees...―, Hannah carries out a plan. Will she be able to wake them up? A Helena le encanta sacar a pasear a su perro Pipo y dar un largo paseo por la ciudad. ¡Todo está tan bonito en primavera! Los insectos voladores aletean airosos y el sol brilla radiante. Sin embargo, Helena nota que algo sucede… algo está pasando en la ciudad. ¿Por qué su vecina Carol está tan distraída y la saluda sin siquiera mirarla a los ojos? Y esos chicos sentados en ese banco, ¿por qué no se hablan ni juegan…? Pipo y Helena, curiosos, siguen caminando por la ciudad intentando averiguar el misterio. ¡Todos parecen estar bajo un mágico hechizo! Algo está pasando en la ciudad es una historia muy actual escrita por Paula Merlán que invita a saborear el momento presente, a prestar atención y a disfrutar de los pequeños detalles que nos ofrece la vida. Las ilustraciones de Concha Pasamar transmiten una profunda sensibilidad, inmensa delicadeza y belleza. Sentimos el perfume de las flores, la capacidad de observación y los pasos ligeros de la pequeña Helena.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 15, 2022

Reviews

[SamSamSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like moralistic books about technology, especially when they're geared towards children. But the story was okay.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has gorgeous illustrations. The girl and her dog are really cute, and I enjoyed the lush spring scenery. The mystery element and the message get preachy as the girl wonders why some people are drifting by without noticing their surroundings, but the illustrations support this aspect of the story in an interesting way, visualizing these people as blue shadows.

Of course, these people are all looking at their smartphones, and the girl wants them to become aware of the beauty of spring around them. The book is heavy-handed with this, and it's implausible to think that the girl finds any of this mysterious, since she lives in the city, would see this all the time, and would know that the people were looking at their phones. You have to see this as a morality fable and not a representation of real life.

The illustrations are the main appeal factor here. The story can be a worthwhile way for parents to talk with their kids about the importance of being present, and the illustrations certainly support the message about how you miss out on beauty when you're staring at a screen, but this is preachy enough that most people will only give this a repeat read for the pictures, not for the story.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy.

Fun to read and beautifully illustrated this book is a story of the connection of a girl and her dog with a little mystery mix

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too preachy.

[Jared White · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit too on the nose, but this does share a lesson about all of the lovely things we miss when we're constantly looking down at our phones.