Join the award-winning Brazilian illustrator Roger Mello for a bilingual reading of Elsewhere Editions’ recent release You Can’t Be Too Careful!. Born in 1965, Roger Mello grew up in the midst of Brazil’s military dictatorship. An illustrator, writer, and playwright, his first book available in English is Be Careful What You Wish For. In addition to his vibrant art, many of his children’s books are characterized by striking social criticism, in particular of child labor practices. In 2014, he made history by becoming the first illustrator from Latin America to win the Hans Christian Andersen award, an award colloquially referred to as the Nobel prize for children’s literature.

Translated from the Portuguese by children’s literature guru Daniel Hahn, You Can’t Be Too Careful! explores an idea that author and illustrator Mello had as a child: that one small action can have marvelous consequences. Through wordplay, dreamlike images, and a playful lightness of touch, You Can’t Be Too Careful! expresses serious questions about the importance of kindness and the dangers of greed.