We are honoured to have a special guest at Ninho Library section: Chilean writer María José Ferrada. Her poetic and contemplative work has transformed the landscape of children’s literature in Latin America and beyond. Ferrada’s writing invites readers, young and adult, to pause, observe, and reflect on life’s quiet mysteries through the lens of childhood.
We were so lucky to spend an afternoon with her, during her trip to Helsinki and Kiruna (Sweden), where she encountered with Sámi children, due to one or her last projects: the prologue of a Sámi-Spanish book of Gabriela Mistral’s poems, that celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Nobel Prize.
Ferrada has currently 4 books at Helmet’s libraries, thanks to the participation of DIRAC-Chile in the Ninho “Program for Enriching the Collection of Spanish & Portuguese Children’s Literature in Finland’s Public Libraries“. In its 2025 edition, you’ll find 5 more books by Ferrada.
We invite you to discover these books in the Helmet libraries, and Ferrada’s poetry, emotional depth, and philosophical curiosity. You can also read more about her background at the end of this article.
Discovering María José Ferrada’s literature for children:
Even though she stepped into children’s books to write something to her younger brother, after 20 years of work, she confeses that children’s literature has helped her better understand life, and reconnect with her own tender.
Her stories often explore existential questions like Who am I?, Why am I here?, What is pain?, What is beauty?, but always through a gentle, child-centered lens. Ferrada believes that childhood is a time of profound questioning, and that literature should honor that space.
“Children ask the big questions and literature should accompany them in that search.”
Nature plays a central role in her work, not only as a setting but as a source of emotional connection and reflection. Raised in southern Chile, surrounded by lakes and volcanoes, Ferrada speaks of her deep attachment to the landscape and the importance of offering children access to natural beauty, even if only through words. “Looking at the sky,” she says, “and knowing that another child somewhere else is looking at the same sky, can make you feel less alone.”
Ferrada also emphasizes the importance of freedom in artistic creation, especially when writing for children. She resists the idea that children’s literature should avoid difficult topics. Instead, she sees books as companions, friends that help children understand the world and themselves.
“It’s not fair to leave children alone with sadness,” she says. “Literature can be a way to say: you’re not alone.”
María José Ferrada’s books in Helmet Libraries:
“Pequeña bitácora de la vuelta al mundo”: A mysterious world through the eyes of a little mouse:
“Pequeña bitácora de la vuelta al mundo” (Instituto Iberoamericano de Primera Infancia, 2020), written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Rodrigo Marín.
This child-friendly story inspired by Magellan’s expedition invites young readers to explore the world through the eyes of a curious little mouse. Based on a sailor’s travel log, the book follows a journey full of unknown lands, animals, and objects, just like in 1519.
With stunning illustrations by Chilean artist Rodrigo Marín, it’s a poetic and playful way to spark curiosity and imagination. The book explores a situation that children live every day, just like the sailors of that trip: How can you name things you see for the very first time?
📚 This book is recommended for children aged +4 years old.💡 Best enjoyed with an adult who can provide historical context and wonder.
Take your Helmet card and borrow it here.
“Un jardín”: A magic garden that grows with every turn of the page
“Un jardín” (A buen paso, 2016), written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Spanish artist Isidro Ferrer (Kolibrí Festivaali’s 2017 Guest Artist), received a Special Mention in the Fiction category at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2017. Also, this book was given to Ninho’s Book Program, and included in Helmet’s catalogue, thanks to A buen Paso.
Each night, Mr. Wakagi dreams of a garden and becomes one of its creatures. Inspired by Japanese scrolls, this accordion-style book unfolds into a single, stunning illustration. “Un jardín” invites children to explore nature, imagination, and transformation through poetic language and visual storytelling.
📚 This book is recommended for children aged +5 years old. 💡 A buen paso, Kolibrí Festivaali 2025 Guest Publishing House, offers funny activities connected to this book (in Spanish).
Take your Helmet card and borrow it here.
Find more books to read with your children in Ninho Library“El árbol de las cosas”, a book to wonder the mysteries of life:
“El árbol de las cosas” (A buen paso, 2022) written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Spanish visual artist Miguel Pang Ly.
In this story, flora and fauna take center stage once again. María discovers a curious tree in her garden, the Tree of Things. From its magical branches bloom fish, stars, clouds… and from that moment on, María cannot stop asking questions.
A book that invites children and adults to wonder together and explore the mysteries of life. Ferrada reminds us that when we read with our little ones, “a bond of affection is created, one that literature becomes part of. Those memories will always be tied to a beloved voice.”
Take your Helmet card and borrow it here.
📚 This book is recommended for children aged +4 years old. 💡 Thanks to a collaboration between the Embassy of Chile and the A&A Book Trust Foundation, this book was translated into Hindi and brought to children living in communities without bookstores or libraries.
“Mexique: el nombre del barco”:
“Mexique: el nombre del barco” (Libros Del Zorro Rojo, 2017) written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Spanish Ana Penyas, first female winner of the Spanish National Comic Award.
After publishing “Niños” (a book about the child victims of Chile’s dictatorship), Ferrada was invited by the Mexican publishing house to write this book, that invites families to reflect on migration, memory, and the strength of hope.
“Mexique” tells the true story of 456 Spanish children sent to Mexico in 1937 to escape the Spanish Civil War. Through poetic fragments, María José Ferrada gives voice to their uncertainty, longing, and resilience during exile.
In our conversation, Ferrada described this book as a way to honor children of any conflict. A reminder that history is not only dates and battles, but also the small lives caught in between. “I thought that, with some distance, today’s migrant children might see it with less pain. Maybe they will understand that these are complex situations, and they need time to heal. And perhaps the children of welcoming schools will also see that pain and know they need to be patient, so that children can adapt.
“We must keep in mind that suitcase children carry, sometimes for their entire lives.”
Take your Helmet card and borrow this book here.
📚 This book is recommended for children aged +6 years old.💡 Best enjoyed with an adult who can provide historical context not just the Spanish Civil War, but any war.
More María José Ferrada books coming soon to Helmet:
In addition to the books already available in Helmet, you’ll soon find more titles by María José Ferrada. In its 2025 edition, the Program for Enriching the Collection of Spanish & Portuguese Children’s Literature in Finland’s Public Libraries, organized annually by Kulttuurikeskus Ninho, will include 5 more books, thanks to CANIEM – Cámara Nacional de la Industria Editorial Mexicana, the following titles:
- “¡PIU!” (Ed. Liebre), written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Magdalena Pérez.
- “La soledad de los peces” (Alboroto Ediciones), written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Mariana Alcántara.
- “Futuro” (Alboroto Ediciones), written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Mariana Alcántara.
- “Natura” (Alboroto Ediciones), written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Mariana Alcántara.
- “Animales secretos” (Alboroto Ediciones), written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by Mariana Alcántara.
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María José Ferrada’s background:
Born in Chile in 1977, Ferrada is a writer, journalist and holds a Master’s degree in Asia-Pacific Studies from the University of Barcelona. She has published nearly 60 books for children, young adults, and adults.
Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages, including Hindi, Japanese, Basque, Catalan, Icelandic, Danish or Mayan.
She has received numerous international awards, such as the Ibero-American SM Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, the Cervantes Chico Prize, and the New Horizons Award at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.