Hi, Marina here. I am an illustrator from Spain who loves collecting picturebooks. In this blog, I share some of my favourite authors from my very personal perspective.

Felicita Sala

It seems quite magical to me when a deep connection is made with someone without having ever exchanged a word. This connection can occur through music, same literary taste, films or series…in my case, it happened when I discovered Felicita Sala’s work.

Felicita is an Italian author and illustrator living in Rome. She studied Philosophy in the University of Perth, Australia, and when she moved back to Italy after graduation, she slowly started her career as a picture books’ illustrator.

When I first saw her works, I must admit I became I little bit obssessed. But let me explain, it is something that happens to me quite often when I find a big source of inspiration. I need to read and see and look into everything that person has created so I can make the whole picture in my mind. I have found gold and I want to extract the last bit of it from the mine.

I own many books from her, but in this very first post I would like to talk about a book written by Dianne White and illustrated by Felicita Sala. It is called “Green on Green”.

In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful picture books I have come across for several reasons. In the first place, the author has created a rhyming story based on colours and elements from nature, using very few and simple words. I love short stories with deep meaning.

By itself, the text is evocative and lyrical. However, this book is a great example of how illustrations have completed the narrative and have created a parallel yet connected story thanks to the drawings. Felicita intertwines the changing seasons with the upcoming arrival of a new member in the family who appears in the book.

My favourite part of the book are the witty transitions between seasons. Also, the colour palette is very rich but stays cohesive, which I find very hard to achieve. Finally, there is a spread which I secretly believe is based on a scene from “Call me by your name”. A film that I love by the way.

For me, this is how a good illustrated album should be and that is why I spend long hours staring at the pictures and delving into every aspect of it. If you share my passion for picture books, you might understand the feeling.

In my next post, I will talk about my second favourite illustrator.

You can find more information about Felicita Sala’s life and work here.