19 Oct / A Very, Very Noisy Tractor by Mar Pavón, illustrated by Nívola Uyá, translated by Jon Brokenbrow
An unnamed lady with “an enormous beehive hairdo” – in glorious auburn, no less! – chugs down the road … on a tractor. The “colossal” noise the tractor makes allows her to ignore the pizza delivery boy who yells, “‘Ladies with crazy hairdos shouldn’t drive tractors!'” She chugs along, passing an old woman who thinks the lovely redhead’s eyeglasses are a hindrance to driving, a postman who objects to her blue raincoat, a builder who finds fault with her rubber boots. Sheesh! Everyone’s got an unasked-for opinion!
The one person she can hear is a little boy full of questions – because “the sound of a little boy or little girl yelling is just … deafening!” She patiently addresses his open curiosity, and explains she must be on her way because her husband has a delicious dinner waiting at home. When her young daughter declares during their festive meal that she, too, intends to be a tractor-driving farmer just like her adventurous mother, she offers the very best advice: “‘make sure that your tractor is very, very noisy – so noisy that you can’t hear the silly things people shout at you.'”
Author Mar Pavón’s comically entertaining story provides serious inspiration to dream big (and loudly!) and listen to your own inner compass rather than the absurd chatter too many others are too willing to blather. Artist Nívola Uyá’s outrageously energetic illustrations can hardly keep our boot-kickin’ hero on the page as she thunderously tractors on home to the great loves of her life: “… everyone knows, you don’t hear the sounds of love with your ears, but with your heart.” That’s a simple truth we can all believe in!
Readers: Children
Published: 2013 (United States)