Los chimichimitos

LOS CHIMICHIMITOS is a manifestation of children's cultural heritage that fuses legend, play and dance. Its origins are on the Isla de Margarita Venezuela and thanks to the school this piece of oral tradition (the book includes the original as there are several versions) spread throughout the country. According to legend, the chimichimitos are goblins that appear in groups during full moon nights and gather on the beach to sing and play. Its song is so sweet that it can attract fish to the seashore. Over time, the chimichimitos became a kind of theatrical troupe that toured the streets of the towns in popular festivals. Mariana Massarani's illustrations capture the colors and culture of the Caribbean and give such a local piece an absolutely universal tone. With a naive style and PVA paint, Massarani makes some colorful and very funny images and provides us with some perfect settings for the story that takes place: a troupe of children prepares their presentation on the shore of a crystalline sea and this is how image after image We see the coastal town, the clothing of the characters and part of their Caribbean culture. Impossible to read this book without wanting to go to the beach! The research for the development of this careful project was carried out by Maité Dautant, author of our book Don't get bored.