Kendini Aslan Sanan Şola

Shola #1

by Bernardo Atxaga, İlknur Ayaşlı (Translator)

Bay Grego’nun Afrika gezisinden yeni dönen arkadaşı aslanlar hakkında ilginç şeyler anlatır. Giderken, “Ormanlar Kralı Aslan” adlı kitabını koltuğun üstünde unutur. Bay Grego’nun küçük köpeği Şola anlatılanlardan çok etkilenerek, kitabı okumaya başlar. Ormanların bu güçlü kuvvetli, soylu hayvanına özenir ve kendisini, sahibinin hep söylediği gibi bir “kedi kılıklı” değil, gerçek bir aslan olduğuna inandırır. Artık onun rengi de aslanlarınki gibi sarı olacak, sahibinin evi yerine özgürce ormanda yaşayacaktır. Ama nasıl?..

Genres: Childrens

70 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Bernardo Atxaga (Joseba Irazu Garmendia, Asteasu, Guipúzcoa, 1951) belongs to the young group of Basque writers that began publishing in his mother language, Euskara, in the Seventies. Graduated in Economics for the Bilbao University, he later studied Philosophy at the University of Barcelona.

His first short story, Ziutateaz was published in 1976 and his first book of poetry Etiopia in 1978. Both works received the National Critics Prize for the best works in the Basque language.

He cultivates most genres: poetry, radio, cinema scriptwriting, theatre, children's books, articles, short stories... His national –and soon after international– recognition arrived with Obabakoak (1988) which, among other prizes, was awarded the National Literature Prize 1989 and that has been translated into more than twenty languages.

Many of his poems have also been translated into other languages and published by prestigious magazines such as Jahbuch der Lyrik, 1993, Die horen, 1995, Lichtungen, 1997 (Germany), Lyrikklubbss bibliotek, 1993 (Sweden), Vuelta, 1990 (Mexico), Linea d'ombra, 1992 (Italy) and others.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally written and published in Euskera, or Basque, in 1995 as Xolok badu lehoien berri, and then translated by author Bernardo Atxaga into Spanish that same year, as Shola y los leones, Shola and the Lions was first translated into English in 2013, and included in The Adventures of Shola , published by the London-based Pushkin Children's Books. It was published separately, in this individual volume, in 2015. A delightfully quirky and charming tale, it follows the eponymous Shola, a little white mutt with a penchant for lying, as she convinces herself that she is a lion. Many hilarious conversations with her human companion, Señor Grogó, ensue, until finally Shola sets out for the "jungle" (AKA the park) to "hunt" (AKA dumpster dive) for food like a proper lion. Will Shola stick to her guns, and maintain her identity as a lion? Or will the rumbling in her tummy, and the memory of the tasty mince she left behind at Señor Grogó's convince her she is truly a mutt...?

Bernardo Atxaga's story here is an absolute delight, and illustrator Mikel Valverde's accompanying artwork only adds to the hilarity! There were moments when I had to chuckle aloud, as when Shola reads the book on lions, "eager to remember what she had been like before she had been deceived into thinking that she was a mere dog, a mutt." The droll sense of humor here, leavened by a feeling of sympathy for Shola and her shenanigans, makes for entertaining reading, while the artwork adeptly captures its canine (excuse me, leonine) character's saucy charm. I was eager to pick up Shola and the Lions, partly because I had never encountered a Basque children's book before, but I finished it with a true appreciation for the author and artist's work, irrespective of their origin, and a strong desire to seek out more. I think I will have to hunt down The Adventures of Shola , and read more about this dog and her long-suffering human! Recommended to anyone who appreciates amusing children's fiction, populated with quirky characters.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moui... pas convaincue par le personnage de Shola...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Spanish teacher recommended this book, it's cute, lots of pictures, and helps you see how tenses are actually used in sentences. All around a cute kids book, I'd say.

[Tanem Aktepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Başkası olma kendin ol, böyle çok daha güzelsin.

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mikel valverden ilustraziyuagatik bakarrik 5 izar

[Armelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lecture 20 minutes. Difficile de savoir si les enfants ont apprécié ou non