Aquarium

By Cynthia Alonso

A girl ventures to the water's edge, dreaming of a new friend. And, just like that, a beguiling red fish leaps into her life. But is friendship a sea these two can navigate together? From debut Argentinian author-illustrator Cynthia Alonso comes a wordless picture book about the timeless beauty of nature, the transcendent power of connection, and the importance of letting go.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Apr 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9781452168784

Cynthia Alonso

Cynthia Alonso is an illustrator and graphic designer. She lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is her first book.

Reviews for Aquarium

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When a little red fish jumps out of the pond she is observing, the young girl in this lovely wordless picture-book takes this piscine visitor and builds a complex, imaginative aquarium that will allow them both to swim together. Unfortunately, the fish seems to have other ideas, and isn't content with his new surroundings. Eventually the girl returns the fish to his natural habitat, joining him instead of making him join her...Although artist Cynthia Alonso is Argentine, it would appear that Aquarium was first published in Portugal, as Aquário. It isn't clear to me whether there is also an Argentine edition of this, but it's nevertheless good to see South American artists and children's book creators getting more exposure in the wider world, since I often find their work isn't given the attention it deserves. Leaving that aside, this was just a lovely book, featuring gorgeous artwork that carries the story quite well. I loved Alonso's use of color here, and appreciated the idea, implicit in the story, that it is important to respect nature, and leave wild animals in the wild. Recommended to fans of wordless picture-books, and to anyone looking for children's stories about our relationship to nature and/or using our imaginations.