El Mapa de Los Buenos Momentos (the Map of Good Memories) - by Fran Nuño (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Winner of the 2017 New York City Big Book Award. Some say that we always return to the places where we embraced life, where we were happy. Zoe, a girl who must flee her city with her family because of the war, remembers them before she leaves.

Zoe had lived in the city since she was born. She knew every building, every park, every corner of the city. But the war broke out and she, like many others, had to say goodbye to her home and leave without knowing when she might return. Zoe has so many good memories of her city... Her grandparents' house, a shelter full of dreams and games, her old school, where she met her friends and loved learning new things. Not to mention the downtown park, where She'd spent many Sunday mornings there, playing on the swings, listening to people playing music, and riding her bike.

Almost about to leave, Zoe spread the map of the city on a table and and started to mark all the places where she was really happy, with the certainty that they will always accompany her.

Ganador del premio New York City Big Book Award en 2017. Dicen que siempre volvemos a los lugares donde amamos la vida, donde fuimos felices. Zoe, una niña que debe huir de su ciudad con su familia por causa de la guerra, los rememora antes de partir.

Zoe lleva toda la vida viviendo en la misma ciudad. Se conocía cada edificio, cada parque, cada rincón. Pero la guerra estalló y, como muchos otros, tuvo que decirle adiós a su ciudad y marcharse sin saber cuándo podría volver. Zoe tiene tantos buenos recuerdos de su ciudad... La casa de los abuelos, su pequeño refugio lleno de sueños y juegos, su antigua escuela, ahí donde conoció a sus amigos y aprendió que le encantaba aprender cosas nuevas. Por no hablar del parque del centro, que tanto la vio divertirse entre columpios, artistas ambulantes y paseos en bicicleta.

A punto de partir, Zoe extendió el mapa de la ciudad en una mesa y dibujó su «mapa de los buenos momentos», señalando todos los lugares donde fue realmente feliz, con la certeza de que siempre la acompañarán.

Review Quotes

"A beautiful story illustrated with techniques reminiscent of watercolor drawing captures the feelings of a girl fleeing the war, leaving an indelible map of good times." --Canal Lector

"This book is an invitation to creating our own list of pleasant moments and reflect on what really matters in life." --Apegoyliteratura

"A moving and timeless story that is sure to spark discussions at home and in the classroom; for first purchase." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Fran Nuño was born in Bilbao in 1973 but lives in Seville, Spain. He is a writer, cultural promoter, and bookseller-editor. Author of some forty published books, almost all of them children's literature, among which there are novels, stories, poetry, theater pieces, manuals and picture books. He has received several awards and mentions, both for his literary work and for his work in favor of reading. He won the Gold Medal for Best Illustrated Album in Spanish at the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2013 for Fairground Lights (Cuento de Luz) was awarded Best illustrated album for all ages at the New York City Big Book Award 2017 for The Map of Good Memories (Cuento de Luz). His work has been translated into Galician, Valencian, Catalan, English, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, and Korean.

Of Polish origin, award-winning illustrator Zuzanna Celej has a BA Honours in Fine Arts from the University of Barcelona and majored in Illustration at the Llotja Art School in Barcelona. He has specialized in illustration, fine art photography, and printmaking. She is currently mainly dedicated to the publishing world with more than 50 titles inside and outside the country. Her work has been exhibited in Spain, France, England, Italy, Poland, and the United States. She has been recognized with national and international awards, including the New York City Big Book Award for Best Illustrated Album, The Map of Good Memories (Cuento de luz, 2016). She combines illustration projects with teaching Plastic Arts in several cultural venues and in his own studio, as well as running workshops in Art Schools Masters.