Faces

“The Major looks even worse.
The General is a whirlwind in full force.”

Who speaks to us in Faces? It’s the voice of a young character. This voice describes and comments, with increasing intensity, on the gaze of various authority figures who look rather angry: a sergeant, a captain, a major, a general, a minister, a president, a king. Each powerful face is compared to a visual element with some trace of hostility. This aggressiveness is exploited by the illustration. It could be a strong wind or a storm or a volcano or another aggressive element. Each face is more intimidating than the last, until a turning point is reached. Then the young voice gains courage and affirms its decision: to confront all these authoritarian faces. Something, therefore, in this short story and in the very structure of the text, seems to be constructed and then deconstructed (or the other way round?). With a peculiar rhythm, the text is in some ways reminiscent of a song or a nursery rhyme. Faces is therefore an entertaining picture book that conveys a positive message about how to achieve personal autonomy.

dPICTUS The Unpublished Picture Showcase

4th CJ Picture Book Awards, South Korea (finalist)

Caminhos de Leitura 2022 (honorable mention)

SPA Best Children’s Book 2023 (nominated)

Authors: João Pedro Mésseder and Ana Biscaia

Type: Picture book

Format: Hardcover

Dimensions: 31,5 cm x 23,5 cm

Pages: 36 pages

All rights available