Right now I am ilustrating Laurem Ipsum, the new child book of Carlos Bueno. He want to teach that computer science is a childplay; that is wonderful. But the real reason why I am participating in this book is the writting: so delightful!
Instead of explain you what is this book about, let me quote a the first chapter for you:
Lauren Ipsum had been lost in the woods all morning. The trees were dense and blocked out the sun. Light and shadow chased each other under the leaves, and every direction looked the same. She didn’t know where she was, or where she was going.
But that was OK. For now, she wasn’t just a girl who didn’t want to go to summer school. She hadn’t gotten mad at her mother and run away into the woods. She was a ninja, moving like a ghost through the ancient forest. No one could hear her stealthy footsteps. No one would see her coming, until it was too—
“Chiguire!” said a voice in the shadows.
A strange animal walked up to Laurie from the gloom. It was like a mouse-dog, or a dog-mouse: that is to say, a creature the size of a dog but looking like a mouse. Was it an ancient spirit? A dire beast?
“Argot!” it said, and began nuzzling at Laurie’s hand in a very un-beast-like fashion.
“Aw, you’re so friendly!” she said in a rather un-ninja-like way. “You’re a funny-looking thing, aren’t you?”
“Riffle!”
“What’s your name, huh? What should I call you?”
“Argot!”
“Ok, I’ll call you Argot. Are you hungry? What do... things like you eat?” She offered it some peanuts.
“Snarfl!” it snarfled, eating out of her hand.
“Hey little guy,” she said, tickling its chin, “you don’t know the way back to Hamilton, do you?”
“Lalr!” it lalred, licking her fingers.
“I didn’t think so. Well, it was nice meeting you.” She got up and continued walking.
Laurie was trying to remember things she’d heard about being lost. Wasn’t there was something about moss only growing on the North side of trees? She didn’t see any moss, so that was out. The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. But it was early afternoon, and the sun was almost overhead.
The creature waddled along behind her, making nonsense noises.
“No, don’t follow me, Argot. Shoo!”
“Bitblit? ”
“I like you, but I’m not allowed to have a dog... or a mouse, or whatever you are. Go along now, go home!”
But no matter what she said, the ugly little thing wouldn’t give up. It seemed willing to follow Laurie all the way to... well, wherever she was going.
She paused to rest, absently scratching Argot behind the ears. It nosed her bag for more treats. Maybe if I wait for the stars to come out, she thought to herself. But I don’t know which stars are which!
“Frobit!” another creature, like Argot but bigger, came out of some underbrush. It walked right up to Laurie and started licking her face.
“Hey, your breath stinks!”
“Wibble!” A third creature came up from behind and butted its head against her.
Do you want to read more? You can see more about this project here at carlos.bueno.org
