Thingy
An ode to children’s inner life and the healing power of imaginary friends.
“Thingies” take part to the inner life of so many children. Each one is different, cause they express their creators’ personality, com- forting them in times of need. Anna’s Thingy spurs her to take refuge in creativity, kindly reminding her that she can use her body and hands to feel good, that beauty lies in simplicity, and that everyone should be proud of its “quirks.” Papini’s illustrations are intense, evocative and poetic, a sparkling mirror of her own imaginary world.
By the same author or illustrator
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Nobody Knows
A thoughtful and profound look at the beauty and wisdom of nature. An invitation to reflect on our prejudices and change our point of view. Everyone knows about the lizard’s cold blood, but few know that it loves to sleep among roses. Everyone knows about the octopus’s tentacles, but few know about its remarkable brain. Everyone thinks they know —…
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To Hug Nobody
A tender and poetic story of an unexpected friendship, where a boy learns to see beyond silence and difference. Recognising, understanding, and communicating with others is no simple matter: at times their inner world can seem dark and impenetrable, like the surface of a lake. Damiano is facing a loss far greater than he is. Maddalena is autistic. Damiano loves school,…
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…And the Others
An ideal sequel to Thingy, this book tells the story of a sensitive young girl and her imaginary friend, who accompanies her on a journey of growth and self-discovery. Anna has grown up, but she likes to go back in her mind to the episodes that marked her life accompanied by Thingy, her imaginary friend as a child. Anna tells…
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Where I’m Born Everyday
A tender and poetic picture book by renowned author-illustrator Arianna Papini, celebrating the infinite ways love, family, and care shape a child’s world. Through lyrical prose and heartfelt illustrations, the book takes readers on a journey of daily rebirth—where every hug, every gaze, and every hand that comforts becomes a place of belonging. From the soft embrace of a grandmother…
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Before you cut down a tree
A passionate and poetic defense of every single tree, an invitation not to forget that trees are the refuge for our hide-and-seek games, the home of birds, the voice of the wind, the sheeps’ umbrella… They are our sweetest memories, and above all they are our breath and our future.
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Happiness Is a Simple Word
As human beings we have all been living an unprecedented collective experience, that changed us deeply. There are different possible paths to deal with this pain and the marks it will leave. A great artist and art therapist proposes us the path of happiness. A happiness to be found in hugs, in creativity, in nature, in our ability to still…
