Wednesday, December 16, 2020

"Benjy's Blanket" - a bookwrap

 

               Featuring





Photo by Mojor Zju from Unsplash



Unwrapping 






Benjy's Blanket


Authored by Miguel Gouveia

Illustrated by Raquel Catallina




Specs




* Ages:  4-8

* Grade Level:  PS-3

* Length:  48 pages

* Publisher:  Greenhill Books

* Pub. Date:  April 28, 2021

* Language:  English


Highlights 


  • A charmingly adapted story from the Jewish oral tradition
  • Explores the ever-changing landscape of childhood, the challenges and joys of growing up and the importance of intergenerational family relationships
  • A celebration of ingenuity, imagination and resourcefulness
  • Beautifully illustrated throughout


Unwrapping Some Illustrations for You


















The Book



This heartwarming story is about the special bond between a little boy named Benjy and his beloved grandfather.  His grandfather, who is a tailor by trade, makes his grandson a special blanket when he is born and the little guy falls in love with the handmade treasure.  The two are inseparable.  


The blanket becomes torn, worn and dirty but that makes Benjy love it and cling to it even more.  As he grows bigger the grandson returns to his grandfather over and over again to save his precious gift.  Using remnants, creativity and wisdom Grandfather transforms the blanket into a jacket, a vest, a scarf and then a button.  Unfortunately not long afterwards when Benjy was getting ready for school he realizes that the button is nowhere to be found.  Oh my!  What can dear Grandfather do now with....NOTHING? 


 Wise Grandfather has the perfect solution.  Can you guess what he does?  I adore the love that flows through the story and I love the surprise ending that I am sure kids ( and adults ) will appreciate.  The illustrations are spot on and make the story come alive.  They are full of emotion and the colour pallet accentuates the message told by the author.  I highly recommend this book.  




Storywraps Rating - 5 HUGS! 







Meet the Author


Miguel Gouveia was born in Santo Tirso, Portugal. He started telling stories as a teacher in 2001 and seven years later he created Bruaá Editora. In 2010, after finishing his Master’s Degree in Books and Children’s Literature as the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, he left teaching to devote himself to publishing, translation and music. Since then he has been storytelling in libraries, bookshops, schools and at festivals, with a repertoire made out of the oral tradition of different cultures.



About the Illustrator


Raquel Catalina was born in Madrid in 1973 where she studied Fine Arts. Her career as an illustrator started in 2010 after moving to Valencia where she studied a postgraduate degree in illustration at Spain’s ESAT (Escuela Superior de Arte y Tecnología). Since then, she has worked as a children’s illustrator for prestigious publishers. Her work has been exhibited in Spain, Portugal and Mexico. Her portfolio can be seen at www.raquelcatalina.com



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