Spanish / Chile
La maleta mágica
(The magical suitcase)
Cruz, Valentina
(text/illus.)
Uribe, Verónica
(text)
Santiago de Chile: Ediciones Ekaré Sur, 2017. – 53 p.
ISBN 978-956-8868-61-1
Art | Painting | Cruz, Valentina | Female artist | Picture book | Non-fiction
Reading age: 9+
White Ravens issue: 2018
In this cleverly conceived book one discovers the artistic universe of Chilean painter Valentina Cruz (b. 1940). Ten of her pictures, completed using different techniques, are each presented on two double-page spreads. The first set shows a detail or a section of the picture, connected with a simple question like: “Where is this little skiff rowing?” or “Who needs an umbrella?”. The next pair of pages reveals the whole picture, as well as a short (possible) answer to the question posed on the pages before, which is playful, associative, half descriptive, half interpretative. In this way, “La maleta mágica” not only offers insight into the artist’s work, but also educates readers’ vision, inspiring them to both look carefully and broaden their imaginations. The last pages provide information about each image, when and how it was created and which memories and feelings Valentina Cruz links to it.