The White Ravens Database

Presented by   Internationale Jugendbibliothek / International Youth Library

Greek / Greece

An

(If)

Dēmētruka, Agathē (Dimitrouka, Agathi) (text)
Tàssies (illus.)
Athēna: Kaleidoskopio (Kaleidoscope Publishing), [2018]. – [36] p.
ISBN 978-960-471-139-0

Imagination  | Poetry  | Picture book

Reading age: 4+

White Ravens issue: 2019

OPAC

Nothing is unimaginable; everything becomes possible when a child uses the word “if”. It is an effective means for letting the imagination roam free and creating something new. This is exactly what happens in this poem that consists of three short verses. The magical word “if” gives the young protagonist the strength to express her dream. One little “if” brings her a black horse, and soon human love envelops the world, breathes happiness, and conjures up sun-drenched cities. “An” was written by Agathi Dimitrouka in 1982 as one of her poems for the unpublished musical composition “Diphonies” by Manos Hadjidakis. Music can also be detected in Tàssies’s large-format pictures. They are expressive, dynamic, and full of rhythm, allowing the viewer to immerse themselves and experience a child’s limitless imagination. With colours and lines that reflect the poem’s epic tone and add a surreal touch to the text, the illustrations celebrate the energy of the child protagonist. “An” received the picture book prize 2019 by the renowned literature magazine “o anagnostis”.