section>The adventures of
Alex and Alvaro
By
Javier Salazar Calle
The Adventures of Alex and Alvaro
By: Javier Salazar Calle
Illustrations: Marta Fernández García
Cover design: Marta Fernández García, 2021
Original title: Las aventuras de Álex y Álvaro
Translator: Gastón Jofre Torres
Copyright texts: Javier Salazar Calle, 2021
Copyright Illustrations: Marta Fernandez Garcia, 2021
1st Edition
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These stories are for those children who still value the pleasure of a good story. Above all, my two sons, Alex and Alvaro, and their cousins, Natalia, Pilar, Guillermo, Gonzalo and David, who we hope will especially enjoy these stories.
I would like to thank those whose comments have helped improve this book: Elena Caro, Helena and Pilar Salazar, Jose Manuel Saiz de Omeñaca, Rocío Crespo and Carolina Bravo.
INDEX
The origin of these stories
When our son Alex was in kindergarten, one day he was assigned an activity in which we had to help him build a homemade toy. We immediately thought about making a spaceship. Using an empty plastic milk bottle as a frame, two rolls of toilet paper for the engines and cellophane, we finally created that unique and magical toy.
To make it even nicer, we covered the bottle lid and the engines with aluminum foil. We painted flames on the underside of the engines and glued a couple of astronauts on the outside. Also, we made a door that opened and closed and a round window so that the toy figures could peek out.
At that moment I thought it was a good starting point for a story. I wrote down notes on some ideas and stored them away until, when our son started reading, I saw that it was a great opportunity to write something that I could use in his learning process. Something which would be useful and funny at the same time.
And here are those stories. Written by me and drawn by Marta, a friend.
Enjoy them with your children!
Building the spaceship
Once upon a time there was a country house whose owners rarely went there because they were very busy in the city. This allowed the inhabitants of the house (mice, bats, insects, spiders…) to live in absolute freedom for most of the year, doing what they wanted. Alex and Alvaro were two mice brothers who lived in the kitchen pantry. The other mice could see them through the hole in the wall, which was the door to their home. Almost all mice are very fearful, but Alex and Alvaro were brave and adventurous. They were very curious about everything and were always together, making plans and having fun.
Their father, Javier, spent every day worrying about them a lot; not knowing where they were and thinking if they'd gotten into trouble. Sometimes they'd jump on the cushions in the living room of the humans' house, other times they'd swim in the bathroom sink, and they were even seen climbing a mountain of books once. Their mother, Elena, said nothing; but you could see in her eyes how proud she was to have such adventurous children. She'd been an adventurous mouse herself when she was young.
When Alex and Alvaro had already gone through the whole house several times and knew it by heart, they began to imagine new ways to travel much further away. They looked at magazines and books until Alvaro came up with a great idea:
- Why don't we build a spaceship? - He asked.
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