Spanish / Venezuela
Guachipira va de viaje
(Guachipira goes on a trip)
Arteaga Quintero, Arianna
(text)
Di Cristofaro, Stefano
(illus.)
Caracas [et al.]: Ediciones Ekaré, 2016. – [36] p.
ISBN 978-980-257-366-0
Venezuela | Plants | Hummingbird | Trip | Picture book
Reading age: 5+
White Ravens issue: 2017
Hummingbird Guachipira is so tiny one nearly misses her in the pictures, but she’s also very brave to fly all around Venezuela to collect the blossoms of rare plants. Her grandmother urgently needs them to brew a healing drink. Having never left her home, Guachipira is a little fearful, but also determined. The bird girl leaps into an adventure that is part rescue mission, part quest, and part coming-of-age journey. The book thus not only portrays the protagonist’s experiences, but also provides non-fiction information about the flora and fauna of Venezuela. Stefano Di Cristofaro illustrates Arianna Arteaga’s text in an atmospheric way. Some landscapes, vegetation, and animals are only represented in a shadowy manner. Some pictures look like they’ve been painted with a sponge and recall plant printings. Overall, the illustrations impress with their gamut of colours in many differen shades They convey something of the special nature and atmosphere of the various biospheres of that vast country.