Argentine Author Isol First from Her Country to Win Cervantes Chico Award

Argentine author and illustrator Isol has received the Ibero-American Recognition of the "Cervantes Chico" award, making her the first Argentine to achieve this honor in children's literature. The news came as a surprise to Isol, who learned of the nomination shortly before giving a speech at the Buenos Aires Children's Book Fair.

"I'm still processing it. I didn't know I had been nominated for this award," Isol told LA NACION. She expressed hope that the recognition will help promote her work and that of her Latin American colleagues in Spain. "It seems very valuable and important to me that they have opened the award to Latin American authors, as we share a language and culture," she added.

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I'm still processing it. I didn't know I had been nominated for this award.

Isol was nominated by the local office of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI). She was selected from a shortlist of three finalists by the jury. The Ibero-American category, established in 2019, has previously honored authors from Nicaragua, Ecuador, Panama, Chile, and Paraguay.

The "Cervantes Chico" award, presented by the City Council of Alcalá de Henares, celebrates Isol's career and her distinctive ability to craft narrative worlds where text and images interact harmoniously. The jury specifically praised her talent for creating endearing, sharp, and witty stories through a balanced expression of drawing and writing. Her notable works, including "Petit, el monstruo," "Secreto de familia," and "El globo," have been translated into multiple languages. This award further solidifies her international acclaim, adding to previous honors like the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) in 2013.

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I hope it is a recognition that helps to disseminate my work in Spain and the work of local colleagues. Sometimes it is difficult for us to enter the Spanish market. That they open the award to Latin American authors seems very valuable and important to me, as we share a language, we share a culture. So I am very happy.