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A girl made of books

I am a child made of books. I come from a world full of stories...

The book was honoured with the 2017 Bologna Ragazzi Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the world of children’s publishing, and was shortlisted for the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award in the picture book category.
A girl made of books sails her raft across a sea of words until she reaches a boy’s house. She invites him to join her on an adventure in the world of stories, where anything can happen with the power of imagination. Oliver Jeffers’ characters set off on their journey together, moving and finding their way through Sam Winston’s distinctive typographic landscape, in a book that is a hymn to the power of storytelling. The text-based illustrations include forty classic works of children’s literature, the one-of-a-kind illustrations offer an unforgettable experience and encourage readers to explore, learn and be inspired to create their own stories based on the originals. ‘Jeffers and illustrator Winston collaborate on a book that is a hymn to the power of imagination, in which distinctive pen-and-ink sketches meet objects crafted from the texts of classic books... The power of the images leaps off the pages, because imagination belongs to everyone.” Publishers Weekly ‘The unique artistic collaboration between Jeffers and Winston, with its inventive combination of watercolour, pencil and digital collage, immediately captures the reader’s attention. Jeffers’ hand-drawn, asymmetrical text contrasts with Winston’s digital design lines, which incorporate passages from classic works of children’s literature... A brilliant quest for literary delight. Kirkus Reviews
  • Author Sam Winston, Oliver Jeffers
  • Translation Philippos Mandilaras
  • Pages: 40
  • ISBN: 978-960-572-126-8
  • Publication: 2017
  • Dimensions: 25 x 26
  • Categories: Childrens' Books, Oliver Jeffers

"...The wonder of reading through the new work by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston, in a book for children and beyond. It is a publication – a hymn to the power of imagination – but also a unique opportunity for rare moments of literary delight."

– Nikos Printezis, tospirto.net

"...Oliver Jeffers’ handwritten texts coexist with a digital collage of objects made from words; the result is a small work of art."

– Angeliki Boziki, Dimart Blog

"...Masterful, simple and unpretentious. Unique in its meaning, with few but precious words. Never has a book said so much with so few words. Never has love been ‘spoken’ so simply, so beautifully, guided by a paper raft woven from words."

– Eleni Betinaki, Saturday’s Fairy Tales

"...Reading ‘A Child of Books’ over and over again with my daughter, I think that we parents must be the wind that fills the sails of a boat ready to set sail on seas full of words, images and symbols."

– Suzanna Papafagou, Talk

"...The main story, as if handwritten, consists of no more than a hundred words. And yet, just a few words are enough to help a child understand that through reading they travel to places that neither a car nor a plane can take them."

– voltitses.blogspot.gr

"...The great Irish children’s book author Oliver Jeffers composes an elegy to storytelling, paying tribute to the classic literature that has nurtured and continues to nurture readers of older and younger generations."

– Eleni Korovila, Bookpress.gr

"...When my daughter first leafed through this book, she wondered why there was no colour anywhere and why there were so many words. Whilst looking for this particular book, I discovered that it had been honoured with the 2017 Bologna Ragazzi Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the world of children’s publishing.”

– Margarita Nikolaou, MothersBlog.gr

"...And I can say that I was truly impressed by the adaptation of the illustrations from English to Greek, as words and sentences from books and stories form part of the book’s illustrations. Tiny little details that make it a unique book... A little gem that deserves a place in every library. It has already found its place in ours..."

– Two Boys and Hope Blog

"...A lyrical book, a masterpiece of children’s literature, perhaps the best picture book we’ve seen this year"

– Zoe Koskinidou, Red Fox

"...We recommend this book not only for children, but also for anyone who loves children’s literature... For those who believe that when every unique reader encounters the book that is right for them, a miracle is born."

– Chrysa Kozanita, logotechnoupoli.gr

"...This book reminds us in its own way that the journey through the world of books, thankfully, has no end!"

– Phoebe Lekka, Mothersblog.gr

"...It is a book—a work of art—that should not be missing from the home of any book lover, present or future."

– Kostas Stoforos, Literature.gr

"...This book is a masterpiece, a book so simple yet so powerful that it captivates and moves you at the same time."

– kidslove.gr

"...The distinctive aesthetic of the illustrations, which play a vital part in the narrative, makes this book a visual poem. Forty titles of classic books are hidden in the illustrations, forming mountains, trees, clouds, caves, waves, and galaxies. The galaxies of reading."

– Eleni Svoronou, O Anagnostis

"...So let me leave you with a book about which I will comment neither on the illustrations nor the text; I will not focus on the meaning or the messages. All I will do with this book is to reflect on the feelings and thoughts it left me with and urge you to do just one thing: Read this book!"

– Georgia Souvatzis, Debop

"...I don’t know if I can put it into words properly, but from the moment I held this book in my hands, it has been one of those times when I feel enriched, because I have acquired something precious."

– Mama Mamadopoulou, KidsCloud.gr

"..A Child of Books didn’t need a multitude of words! These few, so aptly chosen words are enough for my child to grasp the meaning and value of books in our lives!"

– Mama's 'n' Papa's Blog

"...A book that moved me deeply because it describes the magic of the journey of the imagination with such simplicity yet such power... Reading it to my daughter, I felt as though I were travelling. I felt a sense of joy and excitement, stemming from my own childhood..."

– Maria Liontou, Mommy Jammi

"...Scattered phrases from 40 classic masterpieces of world children’s literature form mountains, seas, paths and tunnels which, with imagination as our ally… lead us to the most incredible and liberating places! Read this wonderful book with your children, discuss it and lose yourselves in the magical world of fairy tales and the unparalleled power of words!"

– Dora Andreadaki, parents24.gr

"...Few books move me in this way. Powerful, poetic, visual, touching, optimistic, full of life and dreams, I read it and reread it, and each time I smiled tenderly. With every reading, I discovered yet another element. For me, *A Child of Books* is Jeffers’ most important and multifaceted book. It is one of those little masterpieces that take their place high up in the reader’s heart, until they become classics in their own right!"

– Magda Zindrou, Every Day Parents

Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers is a visual artist and writer. He was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He now divides his time between his hometown and New York, where he lived for 16 years. He is known for his illustrated children’s books, his paintings for adults, and his sculptures, which appeal to both audiences. His books have frequently topped the New York Times bestseller list, have sold over fifteen million copies and have been translated into more than 50 languages. He has been honoured with numerous awards, including: the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award, the Bologna Ragazzi Award, the Irish Book Award, the United Kingdom Literary Association Book Award, Time magazine’s Book of the Year, a BAFTA for his adaptation of *The Penguin Was Lost, The Penguin Was Found* into a short film, and two Emmy Awards for his adaptation of *Here We Are: Notes on Life on Planet Earth, for Apple TV. He has also been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the arts, by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

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A girl made of books

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