Renato Moriconi

This is a adorable wordless book that does an amazing job capturing the power of imagination in a series of pictures. The artwork is wonderful and the images are reminiscent of oil paintings. The ending is a marvelous surprise and does fail to bring a smile to the reader's face. The only issue I might raise is the length given the the format. I question if the number of pages (given the lack of words) are needed to maintain that impact. The feeling one walks away with either way is warm and show more comforting. show less

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/22420760-february-2023-brazil?comment=25762...

A hoot! Well, if you read it like I did, as a parody of [b:The Very Hungry Caterpillar|4948|The Very Hungry Caterpillar|Eric Carle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603739265l/4948._SX50_.jpg|3144982]. Or, it's funny if you're a child who likes stories like [b:The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly|6398221|The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly|Charles show more Reasoner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328817336l/6398221._SY75_.jpg|6586909]. Or, you can read the author's note about the inspiration for the story, and how our perception of the world can vary depending on what we understand and what we pay attention to. I'm giving this five stars because it's OwnVoices Brazilian and short and I think everyone should take two minutes and read it! show less

I adored this book. The physical proportions of the book are unique: tall and thin. I am a mid-twenties woman but found the wordless book completely charming with a lovely surprise within its story. My fiancé and I had the same reaction-slightly puzzled, then smiling. I do not believe I have seen a book quite like this where the entirety of the story can be told with only images. An adult could probably "narrate" the story to a child. Sweet and worth passing around.

The Little Barbarian
Author/Illustrator: Renato Moriconi

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kids will be so tickled by this book (as was I)! It really captures the immersive and endlessly creative nature of children’s play.

Can you imagine how good it feels to gallop on your horse or fly through the air having brave adventures with your gallant steed? Well, that is the feel of this book. The “little barbarian” mounts his horse and races off. The enemies they show more face are culled from mythology and just pure kid thought. There are dragons, cyclops, a pit of vipers, a sea monster, a god-like character shooting lightening, etc. Sometimes he and his horse are on the ground and sometimes he flies overhead. Hs shield and sword move from side-to-side. Never does the reader need to feel fear because the main protagonist is never afraid. His expression remains calm throughout. The two of them can cope with any situation.

I don’t want to reveal the surprise ending but there are clues - the front cover illustration, the long and skinny format, the way the horse is drawn. The conclusion will charm parents and thrill children when they realize the barbarian is just like they are.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this story. It evoked so many wonderful memories of adventures on and off “horses”. I know this book will help your and your kids create new adventures as well. show less