Original Title:
Before I forget
Publisher:
SPECIAL PROJECTSCollection:
Author:
Illustrator:
Age:
Category:
Format:
HardcoverISBN: n/a
48 (+end-pages) pages
8.5 x 11 inches (21,59 x 27,94 cm) - n/a€
From the same creators of the acclaimed picture books My Dad, My Rock (a Kirkus Best Book of 2022) and What Makes Us Human (a White Ravens 2023 selection already translated into over twenty languages) comes a a touching story about cherishing our memories, the present moment, and our loved ones before it is too late.
On Saturdays, Claire’s dad likes to take her to a special place. There are no toys or games there, so sometimes Claire prefers to stay home. Today, before it is time to leave, Claire finds a letter that could change everything…
With lyrical text and beautiful illustrations full of metaphors, Before I Forget deals with the heartbreaking experience for children of witnessing a grandparent who suffers from dementia lose, little by little, their memories and their ability to function normally.
unpublished project
original language: English
Grant from the Brazilian government available for international publishers. Contact us for more details.
Rights sold: simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese (Brazil) and Italian languages
Awards, special mentions & selections:
⭐ Selected for the dPICTUS Unpublished Picture Book Showcase 5 (2024).
⭐ Selected for the dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books (2026 edition).
Reviews:
“A beautifully sensitive, touching, and necessary book.”
— Joanna Concejo (illustrator)
“A touching celebration of family bonds and the resilience of the human spirit. A visual feast that resonates with readers of all ages.”
— illustrator Nahid Kazemi, nominated for the 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and winner of the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for illustration for ‘The Sour Cherry Tree’
A wonderful book dealing with such an important topic. Beautifully written and illustrated.”
– author–illustrator Terry Fan (from The Fan Brothers), winner of the 2020 Governor General’s Award for You Literature – Illustrated Books, for ‘Barnabus’
“This book is a special place to spend some time. A delicate, sincere and engaging story. Anna Forlati’s illustrations will leave a mark in your memory. You will love it.”
— Luca Tortolini (author), winner of the 2021 Premio Andersen for Best Illustrated Book and of the 2016 Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Award
“Masterfully crafted and deeply moving.”
— Zeno Sworder, author–illustrator of ‘My Strange Shrinking Parents’ (winner of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Best Picture Book of 2023)
Author & Illustrator
Victor D. O. Santos is an internationally acclaimed Brazilian American picture book author whose books – which include the White Ravens titles What Makes Us Human and People Are Weird – have been translated into over 50 languages. He has collaborated with such renowned illustrators as ALMA-winner ISOL (Insomnia), Iwona Chmielewska (Finito), Catarina Sobral (People Are Weird), Dena Seiferling (Things I Learned from my Dog), Mara Cerri (coming in Spring 2027), and Amanda Mijangos (coming in Fall 2027).
Visit his website at www.authorvictorsantos.com
Anna Forlati is an Italian illustrator and professor of illustration in the prestigious illustration program Ars in Fabula, in Italy. She has illustrated over 30 children’s picture books and has participated in several international exhibitions, including “The Illustrators Exhibition” at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (2014) and Illustrarte (2018). She is the illustrator of two other picture books written by Victor D.O. Santos: Before I Forget (a dPICTUS Outstanding Picture Book of 2026) and What Makes Us Human (a 2023 White Ravens book).