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João by a Thread

Author Roger Mello
Illustrated by Roger Mello
Translated by Daniel Hahn
Ebook
Steerforth Press | Elsewhere Editions
On sale Oct 25, 2022 | 37 Pages | 9781953861351
Grades K-3
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An intricate and exquisite tale of how bedtime fears can be transformed into wondrous dreams and magical adventures, by Hans Christian Andersen award–winning Roger Mello

As João tucks under a lovingly woven quilt, he asks himself: So it’s just me now? He curls up, getting cozy in bed, and soon the world of his dreams unspools on the page. The blanket in his bed unravels into deep rivers, lakes, valleys, reservoirs, mountain ranges, fishing nets full of tadpoles and gaping holes, until what’s left is just one long thread. When he feels alone and scared in the dark, João “sews words like patchwork” into a new blanket to cover himself up. He weaves the threads of his quilt until they form one long sentence, and soon, the nighttime is peppered with his own silvery, slippery words. Roger Mello draws like a shapeshifter – to look at his illustrations is always to see something you missed before (a stingray, a crescent moon nestled into the palm of João’s hand). His breathtaking line drawings, beaming in white thread against deep red, combined with poetic and bewildered language, make João by a Thread a book to take into bed at the edge of sleep, just before you start to dream.
About the author / illustrator: Roger Mello has illustrated over 100 titles – 22 of which he also wrote – and his unique style and adroit sense of color continues to push the boundaries of children’s book illustration. Rather than relying on written narrative to tell the story, Mello invites his young readers to fill the gaps with imagination. Mello has won numerous awards for writing and illustrating, including three of IBBY’s Luis Jardim Awards, the Best Children’s Book 2002 International Award, and the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award. In 2018, You Can’t Be Too Careful! was named a Batchelder Honor Book by the American Library Association. Charcoal Boys was published by Elsewhere Editions in 2019 and was named a USBBY 2020 Outstanding International Book.

About the translator: Daniel Hahn is the author of a number of works of nonfiction, including The Tower Menagerie. He is one of the editors of The Ultimate Book Guide, a series of reading guides for children and teenagers. His translation of The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2007 and his translation of Agualusa’s A General Theory of Oblivion was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2016 and in 2019, we published his translation of Agualusa’s The Society of Reluctant Dreamers. He has translated the work of Philippe Claudel, María Dueñas, José Saramago, Eduardo Halfon, and others. He has collaborated with Roger Mello on two powerfully poetic picture books: You Can’t Be Too Careful! and Charcoal Boys.
Roger Mello View titles by Roger Mello
"A jewel box of a book . . . Mello embraces a bright, lacquer red to tell the story of a boy alone in bed at night . . . Directly and honestly, Mello faces the fear that grips so many of us, even well into adulthood . . . João startles awake and discovers that he is exposed, laid bare: In his terror, his blanket has unraveled. With touching resourcefulness, he reweaves his blanket out of scattered words, making up a lullaby as he goes. Such is the solace of language."
--Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, New York Times

"We love the uniqueness, culture and free thinking this book offers. The detail in the pictures is so intriguing and we do recommend to really take the time to look at the illustrations and ask your child what they see in the tapestry. It will become an adventure just to hear what is seen."
--Melanie Braga, Momma Braga

"Taking a patterned blanket as focal point, Mello narrates a child’s nighttime experience in this entrancing, question-filled book, which gestures toward the way connection (to family, to nature) can be felt, even when one is 'alone with myself.'"
--Publishers Weekly

"In bed, João, an abstract figure who appears entirely black or white on various pages, tugs at his homemade blanket, submerged in his thoughts. Evocative in its execution, this Brazilian import invites readers to ponder the scenarios it casts (and those it doesn’t). A moody, ingenious masterstroke."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A trippy and imaginative bedtime story that would certainly prompt discussion and reward re-readings . . . The beautiful drawings and the complexity of the text (are) intriguing . . . I would recommend this to families who have enjoyed books by Peter Sís."
--Susan Harari, Youth Services Book Review

"Playing with proportions both in its illustrations and in its language, this picture book uses intricate line drawings in a stark red, black, and white palette to illustrate its dreamy tale of a boy drifting off to sleep . . . Musing, wondrous, and weird, it’s a story that stands to charm young ones, yes, but to enchant adults, too."
--Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Reviews

"We can vividly see white line drawings ripple with intricate patterns, shapes, animals, & figures, all of them blooming around João & his blanket. There is a sense of charm & wonder. I love how each design inspires little ones to dream big & create their own masterpieces."
--Stylish Modern Mother

About

An intricate and exquisite tale of how bedtime fears can be transformed into wondrous dreams and magical adventures, by Hans Christian Andersen award–winning Roger Mello

As João tucks under a lovingly woven quilt, he asks himself: So it’s just me now? He curls up, getting cozy in bed, and soon the world of his dreams unspools on the page. The blanket in his bed unravels into deep rivers, lakes, valleys, reservoirs, mountain ranges, fishing nets full of tadpoles and gaping holes, until what’s left is just one long thread. When he feels alone and scared in the dark, João “sews words like patchwork” into a new blanket to cover himself up. He weaves the threads of his quilt until they form one long sentence, and soon, the nighttime is peppered with his own silvery, slippery words. Roger Mello draws like a shapeshifter – to look at his illustrations is always to see something you missed before (a stingray, a crescent moon nestled into the palm of João’s hand). His breathtaking line drawings, beaming in white thread against deep red, combined with poetic and bewildered language, make João by a Thread a book to take into bed at the edge of sleep, just before you start to dream.

Author

About the author / illustrator: Roger Mello has illustrated over 100 titles – 22 of which he also wrote – and his unique style and adroit sense of color continues to push the boundaries of children’s book illustration. Rather than relying on written narrative to tell the story, Mello invites his young readers to fill the gaps with imagination. Mello has won numerous awards for writing and illustrating, including three of IBBY’s Luis Jardim Awards, the Best Children’s Book 2002 International Award, and the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award. In 2018, You Can’t Be Too Careful! was named a Batchelder Honor Book by the American Library Association. Charcoal Boys was published by Elsewhere Editions in 2019 and was named a USBBY 2020 Outstanding International Book.

About the translator: Daniel Hahn is the author of a number of works of nonfiction, including The Tower Menagerie. He is one of the editors of The Ultimate Book Guide, a series of reading guides for children and teenagers. His translation of The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2007 and his translation of Agualusa’s A General Theory of Oblivion was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2016 and in 2019, we published his translation of Agualusa’s The Society of Reluctant Dreamers. He has translated the work of Philippe Claudel, María Dueñas, José Saramago, Eduardo Halfon, and others. He has collaborated with Roger Mello on two powerfully poetic picture books: You Can’t Be Too Careful! and Charcoal Boys.
Roger Mello View titles by Roger Mello

Praise

"A jewel box of a book . . . Mello embraces a bright, lacquer red to tell the story of a boy alone in bed at night . . . Directly and honestly, Mello faces the fear that grips so many of us, even well into adulthood . . . João startles awake and discovers that he is exposed, laid bare: In his terror, his blanket has unraveled. With touching resourcefulness, he reweaves his blanket out of scattered words, making up a lullaby as he goes. Such is the solace of language."
--Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, New York Times

"We love the uniqueness, culture and free thinking this book offers. The detail in the pictures is so intriguing and we do recommend to really take the time to look at the illustrations and ask your child what they see in the tapestry. It will become an adventure just to hear what is seen."
--Melanie Braga, Momma Braga

"Taking a patterned blanket as focal point, Mello narrates a child’s nighttime experience in this entrancing, question-filled book, which gestures toward the way connection (to family, to nature) can be felt, even when one is 'alone with myself.'"
--Publishers Weekly

"In bed, João, an abstract figure who appears entirely black or white on various pages, tugs at his homemade blanket, submerged in his thoughts. Evocative in its execution, this Brazilian import invites readers to ponder the scenarios it casts (and those it doesn’t). A moody, ingenious masterstroke."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A trippy and imaginative bedtime story that would certainly prompt discussion and reward re-readings . . . The beautiful drawings and the complexity of the text (are) intriguing . . . I would recommend this to families who have enjoyed books by Peter Sís."
--Susan Harari, Youth Services Book Review

"Playing with proportions both in its illustrations and in its language, this picture book uses intricate line drawings in a stark red, black, and white palette to illustrate its dreamy tale of a boy drifting off to sleep . . . Musing, wondrous, and weird, it’s a story that stands to charm young ones, yes, but to enchant adults, too."
--Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Reviews

"We can vividly see white line drawings ripple with intricate patterns, shapes, animals, & figures, all of them blooming around João & his blanket. There is a sense of charm & wonder. I love how each design inspires little ones to dream big & create their own masterpieces."
--Stylish Modern Mother

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