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'Reinventors' - Edmée Pardo & Enrique Torralba

Edicions Bellaterra normalizes the pandemic with 'Reinventoras'

Reinventoras (written by Edmée Pardo and illustrated by Enrique Torralba) is a very

opportune whose function is not limited to entertaining the reader. He does that,

but it also contains very transcendental messages for the age group that lives

new normal with more uncertainty: boys and girls. Reinventors remember the side

sweetest of the pandemic, and prepares the smallest for their new normal .

 

And he does it with a concise narrative. A narrative supported by little text. There are

one sentence for every two pages, and they are surrounded by majestic illustrations. Each

phrase composes the story of two girls who live the pandemic with  immense optimism

and beware.

Despite dealing with such a hot and real topic, Reinventoras moves to a stage

fictional. It does so from the moment its author uses the metaphor of time

frozen. Rather than entangle readers with scientific explanations, Pardo

simplifies the action by placing it in a block of flats whose space-time is

frozen (thus emulating confinement). Something that its inhabitants take advantage of to do tasks that they had parked.

 

While our two protagonists observe that situation, they take advantage of their protective masks of the covid-19 to make it appear that they are space travelers. They transform an obstacle into play, also remembering that they do not quite understand what is happening. And here they break, indirectly, the fourth wall.  

 

Because they empathize with the reader, and encourage them to do the same as they do. So if you don't understand why you should wear a mask, take it as a piece of a space uniform. And, in fact, the title of the play emanates from this passage as the protagonists reinvent a dramatic situation and make it fun.

 

From this scene, the book provides lessons such as that "if we want to unfreeze the hands [of the clock], we need to change the way we think and do things." And next, the moment in which a teacher supplies hydroalcoholic gel to one of his students is illustrated before he enters the classroom. Remember that the pandemic is not just a matter for doctors or politicians. Nor is it solely the responsibility of adults. Boys and girls also have a lot to do.

 

Therefore, Reinventoras has a triple function. Entertains, instructs and normalizes the situation. The first is achieved with an original and metaphorical story accompanied by those majestic illustrations. Then, instruct by remembering the measures to be taken when going out into the street.

 

And how do you normalize the situation? With that aforementioned empathization, with the mention of the loss of employment by the mother of the protagonists, with a soft vocabulary, with a small dose of romanticism and, especially, with a later moral from the author -together with her medical advisor. , Rina Gitler-. In it, they recall, among other things, that “pandemics are part of the cycle of history and, nevertheless, they do not stop taking us by surprise. The task is to respond, to adapt to the constant changes that the world offers ”.  

 

Reinventoras is, therefore, a pleasant, sweet and timely book. It is an ideal story for those boys and girls between 6 and 8 years old who need a little emotional boost in such an uncertain historical stage. Reading it supposes a feeling similar to the one you have when you receive a hug. And who doesn't need a hug?

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