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Don't Cross the Line!

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This slapstick postmodern tale is also a profound statement about dictatorship and peaceful revolution, from an award-winning author/illustrator team.

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2014

3 people are currently reading
161 people want to read

About the author

Isabel Minhós Martins

65 books70 followers
É formada em Design de Comunicação pela Faculdade de Belas Artes (1997).
Fundou, juntamente com 3 amigos, a editora Planeta Tangerina.
Ganhou uma Menção Honrosa no I Prémio Internacional Compostela de Álbuns Ilustrados (“Ovelhinha, Dá-me Lã”, Kalandraka, ilustrações de Yara Kono).
Em 2010, foi nomeada para os Prémios de Autor da SPA/RTP na categoria Literatura Infanto-Juvenil com “O Livro dos Quintais” (Planeta Tangerina, ilustrações de Bernardo Carvalho).
“O Mundo Num Segundo” (na edição espanhola da Intermon Oxfam) é distinguido pelo Banco del Libro como “Melhor Livro Infantil 2010”.
Tem livros publicados em Espanha, França, Inglaterra, Itália, Brasil, Noruega, Coreia.

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5 stars
147 (36%)
4 stars
145 (36%)
3 stars
71 (17%)
2 stars
32 (7%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
14 reviews4 followers
October 19, 2017
I read this book with a friend during an English Seminar this week. The book was one of a selection on our table, however the colourful, imaginative front cover drew us to it. When we opened the book, we were surprised to find that it was in fact a wordless picture book.

Without giving too much away, this book cleverly uses a specific feature of a book - the gutter down the centre of the pages - to tell a story involving the themes of control, order vs. disorder and perhaps even immigration.

We really enjoyed looking at each character in this book individually and tracking their journey and actions as the story progressed. There is a moment of trepidation for all the characters, as well as the reader, when one of the characters breaks the boundary and things then get out of hand.

The use of pictures in this book is really clever, with the number of characters building up on each page, all with such detail. In fact, there is so much to look at and notice that we ended up spending quite a long period of time reading this book - perhaps longer than expected for a story with no words.

Overall, this book is a very powerful wordless picture book with lots to look at and think about, and I would recommend it to anyone looking specially at wordless picture books or any of the themes suggested throughout.
Profile Image for Olivia Henderson.
20 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2017
Such a simple story line but very effective in engaging the reader. Love the illustrations and how there is no formal written text - only a couple of words in speech bubbles coming from various characters mouths. I like the simplicity of the ball moving across to the other page, instigating the riot that happens afterwards. Very clever book.
Profile Image for Mathew.
1,560 reviews215 followers
March 4, 2017
Yes, yes, I am probably going to love anything Daniel Hahn chooses to translate but this extremely clever postmodern Portuguese picturebook (yes, yes, the alliteration was intentional) is a seemingly simplistic (see) political commentary on peaceful protests (I’ll stop there).

Using a poor guard as a defender of all beyond the gutter (the recto is owned and controlled by the General), the story begins with a cumulative build up on inquisitive bystanders who wish to know why they’re trapped on the verso and cannot traverse to the other side. This is made all the more engaging and funnier by the fact that we know each one of these characters in their introduction on the endpages and that the poor guard looks increasingly uncomfortable and unsure once he is questioned as to the reason why the crowd cannot cross the border.

Without giving the end of the story away, I will state that it is a wonderful tale with great potential on whether and why there are borders in our world full stop. For me, it also teaches children that to question all authority in the pursuit of reason is a powerful lesson to learn.
30 reviews
Read
November 12, 2018
plays with the guttering (middle of the page) really well to demonstrate modern day power. the characters rebel to get the other side of the page and praise the guard when they let him across. The general is not happy when everyone gets across the page. Some of the pictures are felt tip and others are sketched this could imply that everyone is different and that these were added into the book, potentially by others. It could also address more political problems such as: immigration. However, the book always has familiar characters such as: red riding hood. The characters are placed on the front and back cover so the children can look out for the journey of each specific character.
Profile Image for Κόκκινη  Αλεπού.
119 reviews46 followers
February 15, 2023
Στο εξώφυλλο του βιβλίου ποζάρει ένας άγριος έφιππος στρατηγός με τα παράσημα του, που με το χέρι σηκωμένο και το στόμα ορθάνοιχτο μοιάζει να φωνάζει: «Αλτ!», κανείς να μην περάσει τη γραμμή! Ανοίγοντας το βιβλίο βλέπουμε ένα σωρό κόσμο – ετερόκλιτα άτομα διαφόρων ηλικιών (ανάμεσά τους και οι δημιουργοί του βιβλίου), αλλά και ζώα, έναν εξωγήινο, ένα φάντασμα, ένα «γκρουνφ»…Όλοι τους θέλουν να περάσουν τη γραμμή. Ποια γραμμή; Τη γραμμή του βιβλίου, αυτή στη μέση, που χωρίζει τις σελίδες του, τη ράχη, όπως την ονομάζουν οι τυπογράφοι. Όλοι, λοιπόν, στοιβάζονται στην αριστερή σελίδα, επειδή δεν τους επιτρέπεται να τη δρασκελίσουν για να βρεθούν στη δεξιά. Τη γραμμή φυλάει ένας ένοπλος στρατιώτης, αυτός που πήρε τη διαταγή: «από τώρα και στο εξής κανείς δεν επιτρέπεται να περάσει τη γραμμή».

ΠΕρισσότερα εδώ--> https://kokkinialepou.gr/min-peraseis...
Profile Image for Ramona Cantaragiu.
1,508 reviews29 followers
February 26, 2024
Highly worth at least one read especially if you are looking to see how others innovate with the use og the physical properties of the books to tell a powerful story. Here the gutter is used as a symbol for the imaginary but yet visible (for us) line drawn by a dictator simply because he wanted to and there is a clear contrast between the left page where characters end up crowding the entire space and the right page which is left completely blank. That is at least until a point when something manages to cross over. The story is not told in many words, it is mostly visual and it will be entirely rewarding if you would spend the time to see how each character develops.
Profile Image for Kati Karja.
42 reviews1 follower
Read
July 21, 2025
Kõige rohkem veetlesid selle raamatu puhul lummavad pildid, kunstnik oli saanud ennast täiega välja elada :) Raamat tähelepanelikele, kust leiab kindlasti veel peale korduvat lugemist pisikesi peitepilte, ja muidugi revolutsionääridele.
3,334 reviews37 followers
March 30, 2018
Pretty humorous little tale! wonderfully subversive, too! Little kids and big kids will enjoy this search and find various creatures in the story. The illustrations were a real hoot!
Profile Image for Inês.
105 reviews10 followers
April 22, 2024
O narração por parte do projeto “janela aberta” é maravilhosa. Amei
Profile Image for Iqra Fiaz.
124 reviews1 follower
October 2, 2019
A really good book with a possible message about breaking through barriers and away from things that are stopping us from doing the things that we want.
The use of many characters may make the illustrations look chaotic but I particularly like that each one is named on the inside of the front and back cover. This would engage children as they can each find the character that they relate to the most or that they are drawn to. They can then find out their name and create a back story for how they got to that point in the book.
A really enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Pam Schiavone.
12 reviews9 followers
March 22, 2021
Es un libro maravilloso.
Con un disparate impuesto por el personaje principal (que nadie se cruce de hoja) la propuesta invita incluye al libro en tanto objeto, dentro de la trama para hacerlo parte.
Profile Image for Tasha.
4,165 reviews135 followers
January 12, 2017
This very original picture book comes from an award-winning author and illustrator team from the publisher Planeta Tangerina and was first published in Portuguese. The book opens with an armed soldier standing towards the middle of the book surrounded by white space. A small dog enters and starts sniffing around and then a man comes on the page, but when he tries to head across to the right-hand page, the soldier stops him and tells him no one is allowed to go there by order of the general so he can join the story whenever he feels like and have plenty of room. More and more people arrive and the left-hand page gets crowded. Then some boys accidentally bounce their ball across the page and head over to retrieve it with others following along. The general then arrives and threatens to arrest the soldier who allowed them onto the other page. But the people stand up to him, rejoicing together in their new-found freedom to fill both pages.

This book is all about standing up to those in power and peacefully creating change. There is a wonderfully subversive tone to the entire book, winking and laughing at the threat of not being able to cross what is not usually a boundary in a book. Still, there is a real general and a real threat that is disarmed by numbers and action. It is a wonderful book to share when talking about the importance of demonstrating and standing for causes.

Carvalho’s illustrations are a delight. Filled with bright colors that add a wild and festive note to the story, they jump on the page. The end papers are filled with the characters of the book and their names. Looking into the crowd, one can follow each character through the story, from the astronaut who has trouble breathing to the escaping prisoners to the ghost and several animals. It’s a bright and vibrant group of people with large noses and lots of personality.

A great read perfect for our current political climate, this picture book is about peaceful demonstrations and the power of the people. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
3,215 reviews13 followers
November 25, 2016
Extra star because, sadly, this is where we're headed. Hopefully enough people will cross the line when it starts getting drawn.
Profile Image for Bokkjellden.
374 reviews31 followers
May 24, 2022
Her kommer ingen forbi!, skrevet av Isabel M. Martins, ble originalt gitt ut på portugisisk og oversatt til norsk i 2019. Dette er en billedbok med rettferdighet og frihet som tema. Boka har «enkle», men også gode tegninger. Det hele starter veldig nakent, men etter hvert blir sidene ganske så fulle og rike på karakterer. På de første sidene møter vi en soldat på venstresidene. Han vokter sidene til høyre, ettersom de tilhører general diktator Alcazar og ingen må krysse midtsiden i tilfelle generalen skal ta de i bruk.

Illustratør Bernard P. Carvalho tegner, som nevnt, enkelt men likevel slagkraft. Tegningene har samme strøk som de gode gamle tusjene jeg vokste opp med på 90-tallet. I kontrast til de viktige temaene er det hele veldig fargefullt. Carvalho har valgt å inkludere mange forskjellige karakterer, og mange er ganske malplassert. Blandt andre flyger det både en austronat og et spøkelse forbi. Vi får se dansende par på parketten, entreprenører og mange, mange flere.

Men ingen kommer forbi…. Eller?

Dette er en veldig fornøyelig billedbok. Effekten av fargene og bruken av tusjene kontraster alvorligheten i det hele. Klyngen av menneskene og de mange karakterene hjelper på, og gir det hele en god dose humor. Jeg liker tegningene, jeg liker temaene, jeg syns boka var veldig morsom og jeg liker hvordan boka er et springbrett til videre samtaler. Kanskje den beste billedboken jeg har lest? Prøv, du og! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Du kan lese mer og se noen sider fra boka på Andersens forlag sine nettsider.
Profile Image for Little Ugly.
8 reviews
February 24, 2021
In Don’t Cross the Line!, a surreal story is literally happening as we read it therefore it feels like watching a theatre play. Since there is hardly any narration, we are encouraged to freely (to some extent, because the plot is quite obvious) interpret the story as it progresses. Moreover, there is an innovative use of the specific book’s features – the gutter and the two pages being scenery for the events. I love being surprised by books and it is not something common to play around with the pages’ structure this way.
This book can be read and interpreted in many ways which is always an advantage - therefore, it is suitable for a broader age group. What is pioneering and quite unusual in picture books for younger readers, is that it is effortlessly introducing basic political concepts, such as tyranny, disobedience, protest and conflict. Don’t Cross the Line! is not giving answers, it is not assessing anything, we are invited to do it on our own as we follow the pages.
The book conveys the messages and ideas that can be relevant to the world of real politics but also to the dynamics and events taking place every day at nurseries, schools or in the playgrounds (work, shops and so on – depending on readers age). Don’t cross the line is a clever way to initiate discussions about conflict or politics with children. It doesn’t put any pressure to do so though - it is a lovely picture book for young readers after all.

See my other reviews on https://littleuglycat.com
Profile Image for Kate Everett.
19 reviews1 follower
October 9, 2017
This is certainly an unusual and memorable picture book. You can follow each of the many characters on their own journey through the story, including the author and illustrator (I have assumed from the names), as they try to cross the central line of the book. A great idea and a refreshing one I have not come across before. The main message I read in the book is that power of the people can win the day without violence. The author's character herself is drawn in black and grey pencil in stark contrast to the bright colours of the other characters and her message towards the end of the book rings true for life - "this book is for everybody!" - freedom of choice should be for everybody.
The illustrations are drawn in bright felt tip pen in a child-like way reminiscent of 'The Day the Crayons Quit' and although I don't find the pictures that easy on the eye, I can't help but get the urge to reach for the pens and have a go myself! Any book that encourages drawing as well as reading can't be bad!
Profile Image for Bookrapt (Est. 1983).
380 reviews16 followers
December 27, 2016
The title page of this book makes a statement right at away: This is how it’s going to be. I give the orders around here!

The guard always obeys the General’s orders without question and this time the guard has to stop anyone crossing the line, this space is for the General. There are eight almost blank pages at the beginning which leads to anticipation of what will happen in this story as the guard comes under pressure from the growing crowd of people.

A sophisticated picture book, with a subtle message about dictatorship, and how it is resolved peacefully, thought provoking.

The childlike felt pen illustrations are fun and colourful, the simple text is in cartoon like bubbles. Inside both covers are all the characters depicted in the story and their journeys can be followed throughout the book.

Winner of the Portuguese National Cartoon Prize 2015 – Best Children’s Book Illustration.

Reviewed by Judy Sail (Bookrapt)
Profile Image for Viviane Elbee.
Author 4 books59 followers
June 24, 2017
This book was fun to read with the kids, who were really into the comments that each of the characters were making. (They also loved the bizarre set of characters which included adults, children, a ghost, an astronaut, a guard, a horse, the general, criminals, a musician etc.. ).

However I don't know if it would be very easy to read to a large crowd of kids because it would be tough for the kids to follow all the details in the illustrations from far away.

I think this book will appeal to a very large range of ages. Preschoolers may find it funny - nobody can cross the line! ... until a little ball goes boing boing boing. Elementary students may also find it funny and the older children may start to draw parallels between this story and real life - provoking discussion over questioning authority.
Profile Image for Josecita Hernandez Pereira.
21 reviews
April 7, 2022
Lo que más me gustó del libro fue la idea. La idea de interactuar con el libro, de que los protagonistas se movieran dentro (literalmente) del libro o no.
Pero por alguna razón no logró quedar más allá de eso, de encontrar la idea original y buena.
Tampoco logró enganchar a mis hijas, pensé que ellas al ver tanta escritura en mayúscula querrían leerlo o sentirían mayor curiosidad, pero no.
No era para nosotras, claramente. Pero si, es un libro que hay que leer, porque las buenas ideas se celebran y se comparten.
Pídanlo en la biblioteca y juzguen ustedes si logra provocarles algo más, algo diferente.
Profile Image for Fromwordstoworlds.
316 reviews2 followers
March 15, 2017
It is crucial to tell children about their civic rights and to encourage them to become active citizens. A healthy democracy is built with high and active participation of the people. Unfortunately there are countless cases of oppression, tyranny, propaganda and fake news but often people’s questioning and resistance bring the change.

Don’t Cross The Line! is an imperative title that resumes the policy and attitude of a guard who always follows the general’s orders. Intransigent, the guard refuses to let the people step on the right page of the book.

"STOP! I’m very sorry, but no one’s allowed onto the right-hand page.

But why? Is there some terrible danger? Are we being invaded? Is it a demonstration?

Nothing like that. My general reserves the right to keep the page blank, so he can join the story whenever he feels like it.

But that’s crazy!"

Young and old persons, musicians, dancers, officers, even Red Riding Hood and a ghost are all confused by the absurd policy and wait for a change. Together and peaceful, they protest against the unfair rule, expecting to be offered the freedom to cross the line. The white pages on the right and the progressive growth of the crowd induce a subtle tension.

Then a child drops his ball on the other side. Oops! He goes to pick it up. But his action will actually set a pattern and more people will cross the line, enjoying the freedom.

See full review on blog:
https://fromwordstoworlds.wordpress.c...
Profile Image for Raquel Pilar.
824 reviews5 followers
September 9, 2022
"DAQUI NINGUÉM PASSA", grita o general para o guarda. Este, segue as ordens da melhor forma possível, evitando que todos os personagens passassem para a outra página do livro.
Todo tipo de gente e criatura reclama, questiona, mas o guarda está irredutível, até que uma coisinha acontece.
Esse livro é excelente pra discutir e mostrar as questões de tirania/ditadura e o poder do protesto e do povo! Eu AMEI! Super pertinente!
Profile Image for Chris Browning.
1,437 reviews17 followers
November 12, 2022
Now, this is is exactly what is wrong with War and Peas. This makes a point, and makes it well, but does it in a daft and funny way and with no sense of the author banging on unsubtly while doing it. It’s fun and full of life - the idea of naming the crowd in the frontispiece is a work of genius - and you want to read it again and again, and in doing so the actual point of the book becomes more and more apparent. And that’s how you do a message without hectoring your reader
Profile Image for Dorthe Svendsen.
1,310 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2023
Fikk supertips om en nettside som anbefalte flere bøker enn Deichman gav i en skolepakke, så her kommer litt påfyll med bøker om tema «krig og sånn»! https://barnebokinstituttet.no/aktuel...

Veldig gøy konsept av en bok. Tull og alvor samlet på samme sted. Tror den kan fungere veldig gost som samtalestarter for de små!
Profile Image for Christie Kaaland.
1,174 reviews10 followers
October 6, 2024
Excellent use of white space to show autocracy (a blank white page) vs. democracy (colorful characters) in this import from Portugal. On the left page characters range but are told to stay on their side and they cannot cross the line (i.e., the center/binding of the book). When a ball bounces over the line, it is the children who demonstrate "reaching across the aisles".
Profile Image for Victoria Sanchez.
Author 1 book32 followers
May 17, 2017
A bright and colorful primer about questioning authority and protest. If your child seems curious, "Don't Cross the Line", provides an excellent starting place to bigger conversations about current events.
Profile Image for Grace Gayer.
48 reviews1 follower
October 17, 2017
What a lovely twist on a 'normal' left to right story! Following the narrative was so fun; reading the speech from each of the characters! Some lovely ideas could come from this story...as alternative story writing!
Profile Image for Lydia.
48 reviews
October 21, 2019
So effective, so much to look at. Could spend hours just looking at the illustrations and the detail put into characters. Really like how the book could be written by children, as it is written / drawn using felt tip pens. Gives children that boost that they could write their own books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews

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