El Último Árbol (the Last Tree)

Winner at the 2019 Independent Press Awards. A beautiful story, printed on stone paper, about the importance, care, and preservation of trees, and the small steps we can all take to care for the planet.

One night, the trees in the forest decided it’s time to uproot and leave. They yanked out their roots and dragged themselves off across the fields. On his way to school, Goran soon realized what is happening... All the trees had disappeared and holes could be seen where they used to be. Bewildered, he rushed home to find if the tree in his garden had vanished as well. He loved that tree, it used to be his friend during springtime when he swung from his branches, and also in summer when its leaves protected him from the hot sun. Understanding the consequences this would have for animals, humans, and the environment, he set off to counteract the damage that had already been done.

Ganador del premio Independent Press Award en 2019. Una hermosa historia, impresa en papel de piedra, que nos recuerda la importancia de los árboles y de su conservación y nos anima a cuidar el planeta.

Una noche, los árboles del bosque decidieron que era hora de arrancar de raíz y marcharse. Arrancaron sus raíces y se arrastraron por los campos. De camino a la escuela, Goran pronto se dio cuenta de lo que estaba pasando... Todos los árboles habían desaparecido dejando grandes agujeros allí donde solían estar. Desconcertado, Goran corrió a casa para ver si el árbol de su jardín también se había marchado. Amaba ese árbol, solía ser su amigo durante la primavera cuando se colgaba de sus ramas, y también en verano cuando sus hojas lo protegían del calor del sol. Cuando comprendió realmente las consecuencias que este desastre conllevaría para los animales, los seres humanos y el medio ambiente, no dudó ni un segundo y se puso en marcha para contrarrestar el daño que ya se había hecho.

María Quintana Silva was born in Madrid (Spain) and after graduating in Audiovisual Communication she undertook a long journey across many countries. After a short period in Argentina, she moved to Italy, where she specialized in writing content for children and teenagers, subjecting her fate to the universe of fantasy. Her projects have been presented at several festivals and she has been selected twice as a finalist in short film script contests. During the last years she has worked in the field of translation and publishing. She speaks four languages and currently lives in Canada, where she enjoys creating and writing stories that help improve the world we live in.

The award-winning illustrator Silvia Álvarez was born in the tropical coastal city of La Ceiba, Honduras, by a Honduran father and a Spanish mother. At the age of seven she moved to Spain now living in Seville where she graduated in Fine Arts. She was awarded Gold Medal at the International Latino Book Awards for his artwork in Daisy (Cuento de luz, 2017).