Mi Vecino Paco (My Neighbor Frankie)

Childhood and old age go hand in hand in this beautiful poetic text.

My neighbor Frankie is an old man who has lived many adventures. Mom says I shouldn't pay much attention to him because he's a grumpy grandfather who doesn't know what he's saying anymore. But what Mom doesn't know is that Paco is the smartest man I know.

Frankie has traveled across half the world on foot and by horse, in trains and cars, in boats and planes. A long time ago, he used to work in the circus, and also in the theater! I love when he sits down and tells me all his stories and adventures --he always amazes me! Paco has a lot of pets: a dog, a cat, two turtles... and a talking parrot! He can even recite poems and pronounce the most complicated tongue twisters ever without making a single mistake. It is true that sometimes Paco gets very angry with his animal friends, but he is a kind person with a giant heart. And most important of all: he is my friend.

La infancia y la vejez se dan la mano en este hermoso texto rimado.

Mi vecino Paco es un hombre mayor que ha vivido muchísimas aventuras. Mamá dice que no debo hacerle mucho caso, porque es un abuelo gruñón que ya no sabe qué dice. Pero lo que mamá no sabe es que Paco es el hombre más listo que conozco.

Paco ha viajado por muchísimos países en todos los medios de transporte habidos y por haber: en caballo, en tren, en avión, en bicicleta... y antes trabajaba en el circo, y también en el teatro! A mí me encanta que me cuente todas sus historias y aventuras porque siempre me deja con la boca abierta. Además, Paco tiene muchísimas mascotas: un perro, un gato, dos tortugas... y un loro que sabe hablar! Incluso sabe recitar poemas y puede pronunciar hasta trabalenguas más complicado sin equivocarse ni una sola vez.

Es verdad que a veces Paco se enfada mucho con sus amigos los animales, pero es una persona bondadosa y con un corazón gigante. Y lo más importante de todo: es mi amigo.

Impreso en papel de piedra.

Award winning author Ignacio Sanz has a degree in Sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid and is the author of many books covering novels, stories, children's and youth literature, travel and ethnography. For years he combined his work as a potter with writing. Since 2005, he has been entirely dedicated to writing and to socio-cultural events. From 1983 to 2012 he was coordinator of La Tertulia de los Martes, a literary forum that, under the sponsorship of Caja Segovia, invited the most outstanding Spanish and Spanish-American novelists, playwrights, filmmakers and poets.

Award winning illustrator Eva Poyato combines teaching with art. She has a degree in Fine Arts from the University of San Carlos (Valencia) and a Master in Graphic Work at the CIEC Foundation of Betanzos. She was awarded a scholarship by the Estampa Fair in 2001 and made several artistic residences at the Kloster Bentlage Art Center (Germany) or Casa Falconieri (Sardinia). Her work has won awards in national and international competitions. As an illustrator she has published My Neighbor Frankie (Cuento de luz, 2020), A Man of Word (Beascoa, 2009), The Princess of the Cloud (Ediciones Laberinto, 2013), as well as the artist's book Susurros (Ediciones ARTEAHORA, 2010) with poems by Marisa López Soria.