LONGLISTED for the 2023 UKLA Book Award Info 3-14+ What happens to a country when one person makes all the rules? What would it feel like to live in such a place? And why is it important for us to know about? This book, first written in Spain soon after the end of the Franco dictatorship, set out to explain dictatorship to the next generation. The authors believed, as the Spanish publishers of this book put it, that “Children are interested in everything adults are interested in. You must explain things to them, even if it requires effort.” Forty years later, reillustrated with stunning images by Mikel Casal (who himself grew up under Franco’s regime), its message remains as timely as ever. A brilliant introduction to the need for democracy, for readers of all ages, translated by Lawrence Schimel “What a joy to see this deeply cool masterpiece of illustration, design and political education translated into English. There should be a copy in every home. Books like this last forever… unlike dictatorships.” Max Porter, author of ‘Grief Is the Thing with Feathers’ “A picture book about politics is a rare thing and this is sure to spark some interesting conversations with children’.” David Walliams Read more about Mikel Casal's creative process on the Picturebookmakers blog. You can find the Spanish-language edition here. Support for the translation of this work was provided by Acción Cultural Española, AC/E.
