It took them a year to create it and when it finally saw the light, the pandemic came and everyone had to lock themselves at home. But the series Anna Kadabra (Destino Infantil) had already crept into the favorites of many young readers (aged 6 to 9) who took advantage of their time in confinement to live the adventures of this little urban witch, cheeky, cynical and without complexes, devised by the tandem Pedro Mañas (Madrid, 1981) and David Sierra (Madrid, 1987). Author and illustrator, respectively, celebrate today that their witch has become a phenomenon in children’s literature, having achieved one million books sold in Spain alone, and an international impact that already reaches 17 countries, including Italy, France and Korea. of the South which concentrate the largest number of international fans.
“It’s like a small miracle to think that there are children all over the world who when they go to bed dream of Anna Kadabra,” says Pedro Mañas, an author who has just received the Cervantes Chico award. He is the creator of the stories of this girl who started the series by introducing herself as Anna Green, an apparently normal character until her parents decide to move to the town of Moonville, where they are going to set up a pastry shop. Behind that decision there is an entire operation devised, among others, by a cat named Cosme to lure Anna to the town where the little girl will discover that she is a witch, and where she will begin her apprenticeship period.
The series is based on the premise “what if the witches were the good guys in the story?”, and is full of subtle battles against clichés, starting with colors like pink, which the authors say are “kidnapped by kitsch” and which now predominates in a series in which its main protagonist barely cares about his image. Nor are the other characters offended nor is it a series where genders are criticized. “It doesn’t work for us,” says David Sierra, who confesses to having been a bullied child. And if some “imbecile” escaped at the beginning of the series, they are now replaced by the
Influenced by anime and manga, David Sierra has given Anna Kadabra an oriental touch that is the attractive calling card of this successful series that has just published its 12th title: Witches in Diapers. In this installment, Anna’s little brother joins the witches’ party, demonstrating that (spoiler alert), although a baby, he also already possesses tremendous powers.
It is a choral work, although the little witch is the narrator, with a close voice, particularly cheeky, sympathetically mischievous, and always questioning the world of adults. “I think this voice is one of the keys to the success of the series, because it connects with children around the world. Pets, and the love between children and them, is another of the strong points,” says the Madrid writer.
From the beginning, the entire series is a small tribute to the witches of yesteryear, “those wise women” to whom Planeta’s children’s editor, Anna Casals, was very clear about what had to be dedicated. And that was the seed that germinated during the pandemic.
