Look Up - by Azul López (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From the beloved illustrator of Giant on the Shore, a dreamy retelling of a Mexican legend about the other world that exists right in front of us, if only we slow down and look.

Many, many years ago, a man was immensely curious about the sky, his curiosity as big as the sky itself. He would spend all day looking up, his eyes reflecting clouds or stars. But as time went on, his gaze was brought to earth, and he joined his neighbors in looking down, putting one foot in front of the other--until the passing days became a mysterious labyrinth that opened before him, leading him somewhere secret.

With the power of a myth and the finesse of a watercolor, Look Up opens up the worlds within worlds that only careful attention can reveal. Award-winning author and artist Azul López welcomes us into subtle and immersive acrylic paintings in a tale of wonder lost and found, and of the courage required to turn one's gaze in another direction.

Review Quotes

Praise for Look Up:

"Children will empathize with the protagonist, torn between following his personal longing and going with the group mentality. Sensitively translated from Spanish, López's text provides an elegant accompaniment to the author/illustrator's arresting art. A story that feeds the spirit."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"López's impressionistic paintings emphasize human smallness against nature's vastness in this ruminative story about...the birds scatter across pages like multicolored confetti in this soaring celebration of the virtues of looking up."--Publishers Weekly

"Acrylic paintings bring this Mexican myth to life, reminding readers bogged down with the here and now to look up to the sky."--Travis Jonker, School Library Journal

"Warm hues and soft, multiplying details mark the rich illustrations...jarring audiences from complacency to bring attention back to the natural world."--Foreword Reviews, Starred Review

"I love the way López plays with perspective in this book. . . Look Up encourages readers to do exactly that, but also to slow down, to pay attention to the world around them, and to approach new things with curiosity."--Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA)

Praise for Giant on the Shore:

"Giant on Shore perfectly captures the ennui specific to the enormous... These are dreams drawn from the subconscious, realized by [Azul López], suitable for study by children awake to the surreal and the sublime."--Dave Eggers, The New York Times

"Young readers will relate to the emotions felt by both the narrator and the giant as they ponder the potential pros and cons of jumping into a new experience. Intricate, painterly illustrations beautifully capture the potential journey taken by the giant. López plays adeptly with perspective, making the city and its residents appear even smaller while the physical and existential presence of the giant looms larger... A glorious look at the potential benefits and vulnerabilities of a new possibility." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

Azul López is a Mexican illustrator of books for children and young adults, including Giant on the Shore and Look Up, both published by Transit Children's Editions. She is the winner of the 2017 National Poster Contest, and her work has been selected for the IX Ibero-American Illustration Catalog. She is also the recipient of the International Illustration Bologna Children's Book Fair-Fundación SM award.