Spanish / Uruguay
El animal en la piedra
(The animal on the stone)
Serrano Echeverría, Julio
(text)
Fonseca, Armando
(illus.)
Colonia del Sacramento: Amanuense, 2024. – [44] p.
ISBN 978-9974-883-55-0
Migration | Picture book | Poetry | History of humankind
Reading age: 12+
White Ravens issue: 2025
In his previous works, the Guatemalan author Julio Serrano Echeverría has explored themes such as identity, nature, and cultural heritage. In this long prose poem in ten parts, he links the past and present by building a bridge from the beginnings of humanity, when our ancestors roamed as hunter-gatherers and lived in caves, to the present day, showing that people have always moved about, becoming, in effect, migrants. The text tells no story; it is a poetic tapestry that uses allusions to conjure up thoughts and images in the minds of readers. Illustrator Armando Fonseca has translated the associative, at times enigmatic text into powerful images reminiscent of cave paintings. The lyrical prose and striking imagery recount human history as a journey that began long ago and continues today. »El animal en la piedra« is a fascinating book and a challenging read for both adolescent and adult readers. [JW]