On one of his visits to Italy, artistic director and publisher Terry Costa came across the book “Il Tesoro della Collina” by Sandra Dema, with illustrations by Elvezia Cavagna. He was dazzled by the images and text and decided to translate it into Portuguese and publish it with Néveda Ent., based on the island of Pico, Azores.

This new adventure in the Néveda Ent. collection of large illustrated books encourages us to discover what the land offers. The light and poetic text accompanies the little readers as they discover nature with the help of the “lord with the big hands.” The protagonists’ curiosity leads them to ask questions and wait for comprehensive answers, letting themselves be carried away by his words until they become agents of change that gradually emerge before their eyes.

“My aim with this book is to encourage children to sow,” admits Terry Costa. “We have to sow to reap. This story has that power, whether it’s sowing in the soil or in the mind.” The book’s central themes include healing, respect, awareness of action, beauty, wonder, and change. Page after page, the story contributes to raising awareness of environmental sustainability and the importance of education in contact with nature.

Sandra Dema, a writer of children’s books from Turin, has numerous publications with several Italian publishers and one French one. She promotes reading in schools and libraries and plans and organizes educational activities on civil coexistence, the environment, and rights. Elvezia Cavagna, from Bergamo, is a freelance illustrator. She leads artistic training for adults and creative workshops for children in libraries and elementary schools. She has published a book on creative recycling, “La fattoria delle mollette” and the illustrated book “Come neve al sole.”

The books in the Néveda Ent collection are available in bookshops in the Azores and through nevedapico.com online.

We thank the Luso-American Education Foundation for their support.