Entertaining comic strip and telephones at Sábado del Libro
On 30 May at 11 a.m., Sábado del Libro on Calle de Madera in Old Havana will be dedicated to the world of telephony. There will be a presentation of the titles De teléfonos te hablamos by Lucía C. Sanz Araujo and Tonito. La Historieta by Alexis Gutiérrez Gelabert, both published by Ediciones Conexión.
The former was produced in collaboration with Casa Editora Abril in 2020 and focuses on the history of these useful devices. Readers will learn how, more than 170 years ago in the town of San Cristóbal de La Habana, an Italian immigrant, while engaged in other daily tasks, managed to convert the human voice into electricity and transmit it from one room to another, almost by pure chance. Readers will also find biographical sketches of the inventors of the telephone, detailing their origins, achievements and the difficulties they faced.
In the foreword, Ernesto Pérez Castillo states that, in order to tell this story, the Cuban Telecommunications Company S.A. (Etecsa) joined forces with the aforementioned publishing house and the book’s author, Lucía C. Sanz Araujo (who has since passed away). The company relied on her professional expertise to explore this fascinating world: this Cuban journalist specialized in covering and disseminating topics of historical, scientific and technological interest, and was also a tireless promoter of national philately. She received several awards for the quality and significance of her work for children and young people.
The beauty and usefulness of this volume are enhanced by the inclusion of the artistic work of photographer Luis Pérez Borrero. Together with images retrieved from archives and significant postage stamp reproductions reflecting the theme of communications in Cuba and other countries, these illustrations complement and enrich the text. These pages thus offer a creative invitation to knowledge and provide an excellent opportunity to explore the mysteries and wonders of communication.
Tonito. Lahistorieta is presented as a technical children’s supplement and aims to introduce children to the world of telecommunications. It uses engaging language full of color, curiosity and joy to invite children to discover knowledge in a fun and accessible way. This comic will accompany the youngest readers as they grow, awakening a love of books and reading.
Gelabert is a renowned Cuban painter, sculptor, designer, ceramist and comic book artist whose work intentionally recreates the world of children’s imagination, where traditional games and folk tales reside.
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
