Doña Hortensia (Madam Hortensia) - by Carmen Gil (Hardcover)

About the Book

Madam Hortensia followed her routine to a tee, until one day everything went wrong... what a disaster! A wonderful story, full of humor, about the importance of tackling new challenges. Do you dare to change?

Doña Hortensia seguía su rutina al pie de la letra hasta que un día todo se torció... ¡menudo desastre! Un cuento maravilloso, lleno de humor, sobre la importancia de abordar nuevos retos. ¿Te atreves a cambiar?

Book Synopsis

Madam Hortensia followed her routine to a tee, until one day everything went wrong... what a disaster! A wonderful story, full of humor, about the importance of tackling new challenges. Do you dare to change?

Madam Hortensia lives life in a straight line, never straying a step out of her daily routine. Was she finicky? Not quite, she just liked everything to be perfectly to her liking. Her alarm clock rang every day at 07:18 sharp. Not one minute before, or one minute after. Then her planned routine would begin in extreme detail, and nothing could possibly go wrong. But one morning, her alarm does not go off on time and her life spins into a whirlwind. Suddenly, she finds herself doing entirely new things she has never tried before.

With wit and charm, this delightful tale shares what happens when we learn to embrace change and open our minds to possibility.

Doña Hortensia seguía su rutina al pie de la letra hasta que un día todo se torció... ¡menudo desastre! Un cuento maravilloso, lleno de humor, sobre la importancia de abordar nuevos retos. ¿Te atreves a cambiar?

Para Doña Hortensia cada día era igual y lo vivía sin salirse ni un milímetro de su rutina habitual. ¿Era perfeccionista? No exactamente; simplemente le gustaban que todo estuviera perfectamente a su gusto. Cada mañana se levantaba a las 07:18 en punto; ni un minuto antes, ni un minuto después. Entonces empezaba su rutina planificada en extremo detalle, y nada podía fallar. Hasta que, una mañana, la alarma del despertador no sonó a la misma hora y... ¡Todo lo que ocurrió después fue como un torbellino que le despeinó las ideas! De repente, se encontró disfrutando de situaciones nuevas que antes ni siquiera hubiese podido imaginar.

Una divertida historia que nos muestra, con ingenio y sentido del humor, lo que ocurre cuando nos atrevemos a abandonar nuestra zona de confort y abrimos la mente a nuevas posibilidades.

Review Quotes

"Small tributes to great painters (Piet Mondrian) and touches of humor to certify that "squared" universe of exquisite tastes, portrayed with acrylic paint and digital retouching, in an album that raises the need to open horizons in order to grow as individuals." --Canal Lector

"A thoughtful, insightful character study that gently urges young readers to choose joy." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Carmen Gil Martínez (Cádiz, 1962) is a Spanish writer and Literature teacher who writes and illustrates stories, theater and poetry for children. She began publishing books in 2003, date from which more than 90 of her works have been published, many of them translated into various languages, apart from all those of the Spanish territory. She specializes in children's literature, work that she shares with teaching and cultural animation for children. She has carried out theater projects, puppets, storytelling, dance workshops, etc. She teaches poetry courses in primary schools. She gives talks to encourage reading for families and teachers. She collaborates with various institutions (Instituto Cervantes, Centro Andaluz de las Letras, Autonomous Governments, Universities ...) giving some conferences and holding meetings with readers. In 2011, the Junta de Andalucía awarded him the Gold Medal of Merit in Education for his work to encourage reading.

The award-winning illustrator Miguel Cerro is a Graphic Design professional. He has worked professionally in illustration and graphic design since 2008. He has realized many design, publicity and illustration projects, specializing in posters and illustrated books. As author or illustrator he has published more than a dozen works, some of which have received awards and mentions in various contests. His recent work, Mister Yes (Cuento de luz, 2017), was awarded Gold Medal in the 2018 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards.