Charlotte

My name is Charlotte. I am six years old, almost seven. I’ve done the math and, so far, I’ve lived 2427 days. I didn’t do it by myself. Six times seven sometimes gets stuck, so I asked Colin for help. In return I had to give him a little piece of chocolate from my snack. I have to write a lot because soon I will be called Clown and then Wizard and, when I am 3285 days old, I want to be called Frigo. When that time comes, nobody will recognise me any more, because I will have changed…

Charlotte, almost seven years old, is beginning to write her memoirs. She loves to fantasise, change her name, hug her brother, release crickets or invent words. Her father used to work designing aeroplane engines, but now he collects scrap metal. Her home looks like a campsite to her, with mattresses, piles of clothes and toys everywhere. When her mother falls ill, Charlotte adopts the name Clown and later she will be called Magician. And although magicians can’t always change things, they can at least make wishes.

Like photographs from a family album, Clara Encinas’ illustrations bring the main characters to life, revealing significant details of their daily lives.