The White Rose is guarded closely by the gardener, who once caught a cold walking barefoot trying to find his shoes, which had been hidden by a cat, which was a gift from his younger brother, who was married to Dalva, who had inherited the cat from her uncle, who died of a broken heart awaiting a love letter that never arrived... Eventually, we see how one tiny action can have marvelous consequences, and the story turns like a ferris wheel. With a playful lightness of touch, Mello explores serious questions about the importance of kindness and the dangers of greed. Mello's illustrations will inspire his young readers, providing them with familiar and approachable images while encouraging imagination to fill in the narrative gaps, as he captures the mysteries of childhood through rich, vibrant imagery.

• Winner of the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award, ROGER MELLO has illustrated over 100 titles--22 of which he also wrote--and his unique style and adroit sense of color continues to push the boundaries of children's book illustration. Mello has dedicated his life to exploring the history and culture of Brazil through children's illustrated stories. Rather than relying on written narrative to tell the story, he invites his young readers to fill the gaps with imagination. Mello has won numerous awards for writing and illustratating, including three Brazilian section of IBBY's Luís Jardim Awards, nine Concours Best Illustration Awards, and the Best Children's Book 2002 International Award for Meninos do mangue. • DANIEL HAHN (translator) is the author of a number of works of non-fiction, including the The Tower Menagerie. He is one of the editors of The Ultimate Book Guide, a series of reading guides for children and teenagers. His translation of The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2007. He has translated the work of JPhilippe Claudel, María Dueñas, José Saramago, Eduardo Halfon, and others. He is currently national programme director of the British Centre for Literary Translation. From the Hardcover edition.