The Admiral Has Nicked the Sky
From award-winning author and illustrator Marianna Balducci comes a sharp, ironic tale that playfully exposes the absurdity of power and reminds us that what belongs to everyone can’t be taken by just one – especially not the sky.
Driven by blind ambition, a stern admiral sets out to steal the unstealable: the sky. Bit by bit, he does the impossible – folding away the clouds, stitching up the lightning, and switching off the sunsets like a machine. Soon, the sky is gone, and in its place… silence. No one dares to speak. Until a boy notices a crack in the blank white void. He tugs at it. Others join. The tear widens, light seeps through – and the sky returns in full, wild colour. Because the sky has never belonged to one. It belongs to everyone. Even the admiral gets a piece, tucked on the brim of his cap.
A poetic, ironic, and deeply meaningful tale about ownership, silence, and the quiet power of speaking out.
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