Publisher's Synopsis
The Girl Who Couldn't Smile and its companion book, The Boy Who Couldn't Smile, recount an allegorical tale in a faraway village of the Aigoites where a child faces isolation, feels alone, and cannot smile. Text, in both English and Latin, surrounds the cartoon characters and recounts a story that explores issues of acceptance and belonging in a world that is different and often not inclusive.
Vocabulary, color, illustrations, and translations are all used to interweave cultural and linguistic features into a storyline that makes Latin feel like a living and spoken language. The imaginary illustrations are drawn to reflect a generic culture that could have existed in ancient times. Each of the story's characters takes on the page's random background color. Villagers are dressed in a generic fashion easily found in Medieval days. These characters are neither privileged nor beautiful or handsome, but they are likeable and cuddly. The bilingual aspect of these books is a rewarding learning component that introduces a student of language to an enjoyable exploration of Latin while enjoying a child's adventure in search of identity and acceptance. These books can be used to refresh memories of academic courses in Latin undertaken during high school days or college years. Students of any age who are currently engaged in the study of the classics will enjoy a simple Latin fairy tale. Teachers of basic Latin courses can encourage students with these books that are short, easy, and fun to read.
