A Story of Sea, Sky and Fear

From the poet and writer Vivian Lamarque comes an extraordinary tale that introduces children to the themes of migration and displacement. A book that has rightfully earned its place among the finalists of the 2025 Premio Campiello Junior in the 7–10 age category. At the heart of the story is a little girl about whom nothing is known—neither her name nor her age, nor where she is from or why she lives alone in a tiny house perched atop the main mast of a ship. We follow her life as she slowly forms bonds with a friendly orange cat, a lovely white seagull, and a little boy who visits her at the port, whistling as he comes. But we also see her as she struggles with loneliness and fear of the sea and the dark nights. The author is always with us, taking us directly into the narrative, where she gives a name to each of the characters: Alberella, Gatito, Gabb, Fischio. And then, one stormy night, familiar sounds rise from the sea—vowels that are cries for help. A small hand breaks through the waves, and then a little arm. It is that of a little girl, the sole survivor of a boat laden with migrants, which has capsized, her entire family dragged down beneath the waves. Her name is Nila. Now with her new friend, Alberella rediscovers her own voice, her identity, and her memory. She reconstructs her own story as “a little girl who came from the sea”. The tale ends in an embrace of welcome and solidarity by Alberella and all her friends. The book concludes with a moving letter from the author to all children—a message of hope for a better world where no child will be lost to the sea, because today’s children will be tomorrow’s adults and they will make sure that no one is ever lost. A touching and poetic declaration of love and trust towards humanity, towards children, towards everyone.

Reading age: from 8 years

Storia con mare, cielo e paura
Vivian Lamarque, illustrations by Nicola Gardini
Salani Editore, 2024