The Moll de la Fusta in Barcelona hosts from today until the next day 18 the quintessential book fair in Catalan: La Setmana. An event that this year has more than 250 presentations and 259 exhibitors, among other great figures. One of the sectors that is gaining relevance year after year is children’s and youth, with workshops, storytelling and various presentations, so that the Setmana is presented as one of the best showcases to browse the novelties that we can enjoy this rentrée. Tiktokers and wattpadders such as Majorcan Joana Marcús, author of the Foc / Fuego trilogy, have also gathered at Setmana with her readers.
One of the most unique settings that La Setmana has this year is the deck of the Astral, the Open Arms organisation’s ship, which will be the venue for the presentation of the Contes adrift collection (La Galera). The illustrator Chantal Vizcaino is in charge of bringing to life the stories of an elephant and a whale that start from scratch in search of a new life in La cançó de la Josepha, by Lolita Bosch, and Sira i les seves germanes, by Miriam Hatibi. Two magnificent and harsh metaphors of lives that have been rescued from the sea with the Astral (first readers).
La Galera is also presenting La meva primer feminista guide, by Ana Polo (with illustrations by Eva Palomar), an excellent introductory book for young people from 9-10 years of age who unfortunately hear such common phrases as “that’s not for girls”.
Joan de Déu Prats and the illustrator Marta Montañà rescue the beloved cuddly toy that we all had as children in Cor de cotó fluix (Excellence Editorial) to embark him on the endearing adventure of caring for a newborn bird that has fallen out of the nest. A teddy bear does not seem to be the best option to feed him and keep him safe from the house cat, right? Well, nothing is further from reality (first readers). For the same age group and in the same publishing house, Almudena Martín and the illustrator Nina Bach will present La millor joguina del món, a story that makes it more than clear that animals are not toys.
The writer Sandra Alonso, is accompanied by the illustrator Cristina Losantos to talk to the little ones (and in capital letters) about the naturalness with which farts should be treated. She does it through Flora, a girl who in Ha estat un pet? (Edicions del Pirata) unleashes her entire repertoire.
The monsters of Meritxell Martí and Xavier Salomó return to the ring, well, rather to the Stinky Asparagus restaurant, this time to each open their gift at a terrifying party in which the child, the only one the monsters fear, does not you’re invited. Un regal de por (Flamboyant) follows the story of this ghastly group that became known with Un sopar de por (5-6 years).
A luxury duo also shake hands in I si se’m meja una balena (Flamboyant) to deal in a fun and imaginative way with the negativism and doubts that many children face when undertaking activities. The author Susanna Isern and the illustrator Rocio Bonilla put together a story that always begins with Martí’s “i si…” for which his mother (blessed patience) always has an answer (4-5 years).
And finally Ideafix, Obelix’s dog and Asterix’s great friend, now has its own series. One of its creators, Albert Uderzo, has left the project in the hands of a cast of professionals made up of the screenwriters Jérôme Erbin and Yves Coulon, and the illustrators Jean Bastide and Philippe Fenech, and the result is Ideafix i els reducibles (Salvat)) . A story for all audiences that takes place two years before Ideafix met Asterix and Obelix and that follows the adventures of this intrepid dog and his friends.
The Anaya group, but under its Catalan label Barcanova, is also presenting this Setmana a new installment of El follet Oriol (3-4 years), by Òscar Sardà, which on this occasion has to do with an erupting volcano, and the new youth novel by Maria Carmen Roca, which fictionalizes the disturbing discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, in a journey through time through which the author also reveals who this fascinating character was (Tutankamon, el descobriment de la tomb. A from 12-13 years)
The incombustibles Jaume Copons and Liliana Fortuny will be the protagonists of the week at the stand of the publishing house Combel, which presents two new titles from two of its most beloved series: L’Agus i els monstres and Bitmax
A very interesting proposal in the animalistic section is the one offered by Paulina Jara and the illustrator Mercè Galí in Nèixer (Cossetània). Talking about motherhood is a very current trend in literature and both authors conspire to talk to us about the motherhood of 25 species of animals, including chickens, kangaroos, elephants, scorpions or octopuses. In the end, of course, human beings.
Two other popular names from the LIJ, Fran Pintadera and Joan Turu, have come together in El meu papa més! (El cep i la nansa) to talk to the little ones about not bragging about having the strongest father (who says father can say anything else), because in the end the exaggerations fall by their own weight. And in this case with a surprising ending. The same publishing house will also offer its youngest readers the endearing story by Glòria Fort, Anem to sleep.
The journalist and writer Elisenda Roca also presents novelties during the Setmana. Along with Salvador Carreras, both authors delve into the complicated world of emotions to try to unravel how to manage them on a day-to-day basis. El conte de les emocions (Edebé), illustrated by Maria Vidal, plays with humor and rhyme to get closer to the little ones (from 5-6 years old).
And attention young followers of influencers, tiktokers and wattpadders… La Setmana has set an unavoidable appointment with the Mallorcan Joana Marcús, who will present the entire Foc trilogy in Catalan (Fanbooks) next Tuesday, in addition to meetings with the influencer Albert Roig, which presents Humor amb bigoti (Fanbooks), a compendium of things that according to Roig every good Catalan should know to go through life. David its me, a Catalan tiktoker, pours all his wisdom into this Sense filters i en mode avio (Fanbooks). But Planeta’s youth label also presents a dystopia signed by Georgina Dalmau Sanleandro, Gossos salvatges, about a gang of young people who must survive in a world in crisis with supply problems and an ever-increasing rise in crime.
