The balloon man is the master of air. He has a truck that opens like a suitcase, and stands on the road. In all seasons. Even when it rains. The ballon man knows how to tame mothers and fathers, he makes them quiet and peaceful next to their airy children. He knows that every balloon he tightens to a child’s wrist comes with a special light. He can tell by the way children walk away.

The others. A crowd of unknown faces. They do exactly what we do, but they do it in their own special way. They might come from distant places, be oddly dressed. Maybe they come from other planets and we do not even recognize their shape. They are those we love and those we hate. Those who stay close to us and those who live on the other side of the world. Those who look like us and those who are light-years away from us. The others are many, far too many. They are very different from each other, or strangely identical. And they are everywhere. The others are not us. They are the others!

Qui un bebè. E lì, a un passo da lui, tante, tantissime cose. La voglia di arrivare a prenderle si fa sempre più forte: bisogna concentrarsi e andare da qui a lì. Lì, dove c’è la palla, il pane, la musica, dove c’è il pavimento. Lì, dove c’è la libertà (manca ancora un po’). Da qui a lì la distanza è grande, grande quanto un bebè che diventa bambino. Il testo poetico di Isabel Minhós Martins e le illustrazioni di Yara Kono per un piccolo albo che insegna grandi cose a piccoli passi.

Piccole poesie per incontrare se stessi, per nuotare verso la profondità delle cose, per smettere di brontolare, per viaggiare in un millimetro o per rallentare, perché una poesia, allo stesso tempo, può essere piccola e grande come l’universo intero. Il tuo nido, il mondo di Carl Norac, illustrato da Anne Herbauts, autori per la prima volta nel nostro catalogo, tradotte da Silvia Vecchini, per andare, respirare, vivere e sentirsi meno soli.

Beatrice Alemagna is one of the most renowned authors and illustrators of our days. Her books, like Che cos'è un bambino?, which has sold more than 100.000 copies worldwide, have achieved great success. Alfabeto Alemagna is a collection of essays created for her exhibition "Le cose preziose. L’ostinata ricerca di Beatrice Alemagna", curated by Hamelin Association during Bologna Children's Book Fair, 2022 edition.

Anni Settanta, Repubblica federale tedesca: la piccola Anke è impegnata in una visita oculistica. Una forte miopia finora l’ha costretta a sentire solo i suoni delle cose lontane; grazie a un paio di grandi occhiali rossi può cominciare a vedere gli aeroplani di cui sentiva solo il rumore, può riconoscere i personaggi della TV di cui conosceva solo le voci, e finalmente raccontare il mondo proprio ‘com’è’. Conosciamo così la sua famiglia, i nonni, i conigli, sua sorella Eva e la sua amica, il dolore, la rabbia e la gioia, sentimenti complessi che nei bambini spesso coesistono. Uffa!

Looking at a painting or an object in a museum, you may have wondered “Who is the author?”, “Why did they choose this technique?”, “How come their work is exhibited in a museum?”, “Are there hidden meanings?”. Melania Longo, art historian, and Alessandro Sanna, illustrator, invite readers to enter some of the most important museums of the world, observe artworks, play with paintings and artists, and, most importantly, ask questions.

Each painting mirrors the era in which it was painted: faces, hairstyles, clothes, architecture and landscapes in the background change. But there’s something which does not change: gestures, such as a mother holding her child, two lovers kissing, poses on social occasions like a wedding. Through the masterpieces displayed at Pinacoteca di Brera, in Milan, Marta Sironi and Guido Scarabottolo invite children to observe gestures, to learn and recognize their meaning, and to try to reproduce them.

Paris in 1903 was a very modern city and the most popular among artists: that year Charlotte Perriand was born. A great sportswoman and music enthusiast, she was attracted by empty space because emptiness, she used to say, can contain anything. She worked with Le Corbusier and Jean Prouvé. Drawing on her love for mountains, she designed the famous ski resort “Les Arcs”. After her first book about the life of Lina Bo Bardi, Ángela León introduces us another restless protagonist of 20th Century culture.

Everything is ready for the newcomer. Nothing should be missing: a place to sleep, bathing equipment, and everything they need to feel cozy. Many things are to be planned: they shall try new sports, visit art exhibitions, belong to exclusive clubs, play the ball, cook... And then someone rings at the doorbell: who’s that? A story about caring, welcoming and becoming friends.