Un perro y un gato

Two animals meet, play, argue, separate, miss each other… and then come together again. In childhood, it's very common to experience conflicts with friends and frustrations arising from relationships. Just like with the dog and the cat, emotions are accompanied by physical reactions and expressions: changes in circulation, breathing, mood swings… The changes brought about by personality development, growth, socialization, and the pursuit of independence are factors that destabilize us and lead to anger and negative behaviors; hence the importance of finding ways to manage the situation, let go of bad moods, and foster joy, self-control, and well-being. This simple story about the relationship between a dog and a cat helps us project conflict situations and compare them, consciously or unconsciously, with our own emotional experiences. Just as in this story, joy and acceptance from others make us feel affection and transform bad moods into optimism. In the words of the author, Paula Carbonell, A DOG AND A CAT can be like a father and son, two siblings, a couple, grandparents, like you and me: like a dog and a cat. The illustrations were created using collage, a technique common in Chené Gómez's work. The cutouts were previously drawn with pencils and crayons to create different textures rich in color. The choice of color attempts to convey the characters' moods: the cat flies into a red rage when caught by the dog; the freshness of blue invites us to run and play with the two characters; the countryside becomes a rainbow when the two friends reconcile; their dream becomes warm in an environment of yellows, etc. Chené Gómez has conceived the cat in warm tones and the dog in cool colors to emphasize their belonging to different natures. This difference is accentuated on the book's cover, where the two protagonists are separated by an abyss, yet approach each other with curiosity. An original proposal to enjoy and be excited from the age of three.