Walking Through a World of Aromas

by Ariel Andrés Almada, Sonja Wimmer (Illustrator), Jon Brokenbrow (Translator)

Annie spends her days cooking with her grandmother and, although she can’t see, she has the gift of being able to feel other people’s deepest emotions. She brings those emotions to life with her magical cooking, which helps the townspeople overcome their physical and emotional ailments. But one day, she meets someone who awakens a boundless affection in her and who will introduce her senses to a completely unknown world. This is a beautifully illustrated story about a young girl who successfully shapes her very own place in the world and finds love and acceptance along the way.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Disability, Friendship, Romance

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

ARIEL ANDRÉS ALMADA es consultor y emprendedor social. Estudió Ciencias Empresariales en la Universidad de Palermo y realizó el PEMA (Posgrado de Especialización en Marketing Avanzado) en el ISEAN. Ha trabajado durante más de una década en consultoría de negocios asesorando a empresas en situaciones críticas, tanto en el ámbito de la banca como en el de los seguros, la tecnología o el consumo masivo. Ha brindado conferencias por todo el mundo, y publicado artículos en las principales revistas de negocios. Es autor de Marketing de crisis (2009), A través de la tormenta (2010) y La gran ventaja (2011), conformando así la llamada «trilogía de la crisis».

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born blind, Annie learns to navigate the world around her through her sense of smell, guided by aromas in everything. As she grows up, her favorite activity - cooking with her grandmother - turns into a vocation, and she uses her culinary arts to help those around her, crafting superb and highly individual dishes that suite the emotional needs to each person. Then one day Julian comes to her, hoping to find help with his lethargy, but despite everything she does, he keeps returning for more help. Have Annie's culinary arts failed her, or is there something else that Julian is seeking...?

Originally published in Spain as La niña que caminaba entre aromas, this lovely picture-book pairs an engaging and magical story from Argentine expatriate author Ariel Andrés Almada, and gorgeous artwork from German illustrator Sonja Wimmer. I appreciated the positive way in which the story depicted a blind character interacting with her world, becoming the figure who helps others, rather than one who needs help herself. The beautiful artwork is well suited to the story, capturing and amplifying the fairy-tale feeling of the narrative. This is the second book I have read from Almada, following upon her The Lighthouse of Souls , which I also found beautiful, and the first from Wimmer. I will hope to read more from both of them! I would recommend Walking Through a World of Aromas to anyone looking for children's stories featuring blind characters, cooking and/or food as a theme, or interested in children's books from Spain.

[Andria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empathy, blind character
Colors are like the aroma of

[Danielle]

Interesting book about having the gift of smell and baking when blind.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Book and beautiful illustrations. Seems a little old for 5-7 though?

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations accompany this folktale like story about a blind girl.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking Through a World of Aromas, winner of the 2013 International Latino Book Awards, was such a sweet book (pun intended)! It tells the story of a character named Annie who was born blind; however, this doesn't stop her from exploring and later, developing a talent for baking. After navigating her surroundings using touch, Annie soon learns how to use her sense of smell to move around. And the more she pays attention to scent - such as the polished wax on furniture and newly-cut roses - the greater her ability to recognize and use different flavors in the sweets she bakes with her grandmother. Annie soon becomes an inventive and passionate baker, her creations so flavorful that she is able to evoke the feelings of past memories in her family and neighbors.

The book is an uplifting tale that focuses on the positives of being "different" from others around you. Its illustrations are also beautifully drawn, the details and colors both whimsical and eye-catching. As a read-aloud, it would be a wonderful text for grades K-2. And as an independent reading text or instructional text, its lexile level is appropriate for grades 3-4. Teachers could definitely use this book to facilitate discussions about resilience and the importance of recognizing and respecting people's differences.

I was able to read this book for free using Epic. It is also available as a physical book at nearby public libraries.

[Lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! This story began by introducing that Annie was deaf and how she taught herself to get around without constantly bumping into things, by using aromas. She was able to cook as well. She was such a good cook that she became well known around her town. People would ask her if she could bake something for someone they care for who is going through a tough time. However, she has trouble helping someone that she really cares for. She tried multiple different recipes, but none seemed to work. Then, she realizes that it was not about the recipes, but about the love they had for each other. This book was amazing and so cute!

[Veerlibros Jeaque Vargas R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una historia muy emotiva, de esas que al leerla te eriza los vellos de la piel y te estremece el corazón. La complementan unas hermosas ilustraciones, llenas de olor, movimiento y olores, que le dan una fuerza extraordinaria al texto.
📚
Un libro con el que reafirmamos el mensaje que el zorro da al Principito, que lo esencial no se ve con los ojos sino con el corazón.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An older book about life without sight and the experience of meeting people and tasting foods and remembering the smells but not being able to see things. The child becomes a good cook with smell and taste heightened without sight to guide her. Published in another country but written in English and insightful for children to hear and talk about.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to 2nd graders as assigned in sub plans. The ending was a bit rushed, I'd have liked to see Ana's self care emphasized, but overall it was a sweet book with beautiful illustrations to teach empathy. There was a lot to discuss with the class and I was surprised how accessible it was to their age group.

[Brandielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is beautiful. The story was...ok.

[L.A. James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art illustrates this story of a girl who sees the world through aromas.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Gorgeous illustrations by S. Wimmer, as usual. The story is poetic and beautiful, but maybe won't be very interesting for children.

[Austyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Translated Children's Books Month! Book 5/50 (Spanish)

While I enjoyed the premise as well as the beautiful language (major props to the translator), the final third or so was slightly strange (the characters are seemingly children, and yet speaking of marriage) and the book ends in an abrupt manner that left me feeling unsettled, despite the book being much longer than the average (American?) children's book.

The illustrations are unique and vaguely Burton-esque, which I haven't seen in children's books in quite some time.

[Sheila Ortega · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I didn't give it five stars because I haven't seen children respond to it with much enthusiasm. I read it to 2nd graders. Maybe older children would like it more. There aren't many children's stories that feature a blind character, and I like the way the problem doesn't have anything to do with being blind. The story is lovely and kind of weird, dipping into magical realism when Ana's food evokes memories that make people cry. The illustrations are beautifully weird, too. I'd like to see if older children like it. It might be fun to follow it with an activity involving identifying scents and describing what they remind you of.

[Palmer]

Spanish book translation. Blind child born into darkness. Good choice for inclusion curriculum and coping with handicaps. Also good choice for Romance! Annie learns to navigate by smells. Annie has a gift for combining flavors. By the time she is seventeen she can combine flavors that transport her family members back to their favorite memories. She goes on to help others with her cooking. The only one she can't help is Julian.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story about embracing our talents and not defining ourselves by what we cannot do. A lot of the pages are quite text heavy and most younger readers won't have the patience for this book, but it would be a good read aloud in intermediate grades, especially when discussing people who are differently abled. Students could even test out their own sense of smell around the room and write about their most cherished memory.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unthinkably wonderful. I was taken in first by the illustrations which have a style that always seems to call to me. Then the story, while some say it is too long I would say that the length is perfect. You need only to take your time and allow yourself to drift off into this charming little tale.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and a lovely story about navigating the world through smell, not sight.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

beautiful illustrations but the story is too long. It needs cut down quite a bit.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story!

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Aromas" has a captivating main character and is full of beautiful illustrations. Worth a look even if you are not a fan of children's literature/picture books.

[Steph]

I think this book is a beautiful love story. It includes lots of stellar examples of imagery as well as a handful of new vocabulary words (at least for the 7 year old I read it to).