Ayobami Y El Nombre de Los Animales (Ayobami and the Names of the Animals) - by Pilar López Ávila

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Winner of the 2018 International Latino Book Awards. With the only help of a paper and a spent pencil, Ayobami sets off on an exciting journey with a fundamental objective: to learn to read and write.

The war is over and little Ayobami can finally go to school. Everyone is extremely happy and joy is all over the town. The children are excited to go to school and have a great time, but Ayobami is so impatient that she cannot wait for the other kids and decides to go to class alone. So that she does not get lost, Ayobami's father builds a paper boat and pushed it out onto the river. "If you follow it downstream, you will arrive at the schoolhouse," he told her. However, the ship wrecked and Ayobami had to find another way to school, so she decided to go through the jungle following the winding path that runs through the undergrowth. With the only help of a paper and a spent pencil, the girl begins an exciting journey with a fundamental objective: to learn to read and write. Will the wild animals from the jungle allow her to reach her destination safely?

Mejor Libro Ilustrado Infantil por el New York Times y ganador de los International Latino Book Awards en 2018. Con la única ayuda de un papel y un lápiz gastado, Ayobami inicia una apasionante travesía con un objetivo fundamental: aprender a leer y escribir.

La guerra ha terminado y la pequeña Ayobami, al fin, puede ir a la escuela. Todo el mundo está contentísimo y la alegría se ha apoderado del pueblo. Los niños están emocionados por ir a la escuela y pasárselo en grande, pero Ayobami está tan impaciente que no puede esperar a los demás niños y decide ir sola a clase. Para que no se pierda, el padre de Ayobami construye un barquito de papel y lo lanza al río abajo. «Si sigues el barquito llegarás a la escuela», le dijo. Sin embargo, el barco naufragó y Ayobami tuvo que buscar otro camino y decidió cruzar la jungla por el tortuoso sendero que discurre entre la maleza. Con la única ayuda de un papel y un lápiz gastado, la niña inicia una apasionante travesía con un objetivo fundamental: aprender a leer y escribir. ¿Permitirán los animales salvajes que llegue sana y salva a su destino?

Review Quotes

"A story, warmly illustrated, about the importance of education, which denounces the difficulties that many children have, especially in continents like Africa, to get to school. The protagonist fights with the perseverance and overflowing enthusiasm of those who long to learn and keep curiosity alive." --Canal Lector

"With the feel of an Aesop's fable, this story is both empowering and reflective of the joy school can bring to children whose lives have been disrupted by war. Beautiful illustrations in graphite, watercolor, and colored pencil lend an ethereal, magical quality to this unnamed place, where dangerous creatures have endearing faces, and letters of the alphabet flutter around Ayobami like protective stardust." --Booklist

"(...) Younger children will likely relate to and enjoy Ayobami's perseverance to attend class. The framework of "naming" animals will also likely appeal to early elementary school-aged children, particularly as they themselves are learning about--and how to write the names of--various animals (...) A solid purchase for elementary school libraries." --School Library Journal

"A marvelous tale of one girl's passion for reading, writing, and learning." --Kirkus Reviews

"In this beautiful gem about a girl who wants to learn to read, letters burst forth from imagery done in cut-paper collage and a rainbow of color, each page telling its own story with a quiet, understated voice." --B.C. (New York Times)

About the Author

María del Pilar López Ávila (Cartagena, 1969) es una escritora de cuentos infantiles. Su pasión por la literatura infantil empezó cuando era muy pequeña: a los nueve años ya empezaba a escribir cuentos para niños. Es doctora en Veterinaria y en la actualidad trabaja como profesora de Biología y Geología en un instituto de Cáceres. Además, es directora del Teatro Paraíso. En diciembre de 2010 recibió el tercer premio "Joaquín Sama" a la Innovación Educativa en la categoría "Una escuela más cívica y solidaria", por el proyecto titulado "Aprovechamiento de materiales de desecho". En Cuento de Luz ha publicado Ayobami y el nombre de los animales (2017), que le valió el premio International Latino Book Awards en 2018, y La cometa de los sueños (2019).

Mar Azabal is a graduate in Geography, specialising in Administration and archive conservation. Her real dream was to create stories through drawing and illustration. She currently lives in Toledo, Spain, and spends her time teaching illustration courses for children, creating stories and enjoying raising her little child. In 2018 he illustrated the picture book Ayobami and the Names of the Animals (Cuento de luz, 2018), which won the Silver Medal at the 2018 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards and Gold Medal at the International Latino Book Awards.