Paulo Coelho writes 2 illustrated tales for kids

Popular author Paulo Coelho has come up with two illustrated tales for children which speak of empathy, faith, trust and hope in the time of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Brazilian novelist, best known for his book "The Alchemist", has written these stories - "A,B,C,D…" and "The Meaning of Peace" - particularly for parents to read out to their children. The books will be available online on his website.

"A,B,C,D…" talks about a priest who addresses some workers from one of Rio de Janeiro's poorest districts who gathered at the church to celebrate Easter service.

Both the books have been translated and reviewed from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa and the covers designed by Mireia Barreras. "The Meaning of Peace" is about a king who ruled over a kingdom where everyone is happy but his neighbouring kingdoms are in a constant state of war. He then organises a painting competition and announces a prize of 10 gold coins for the best picture about peace. Finally, he selected a work in which a bird is seen bringing some food for its baby amid strong winds threatening to blow away its nest.

"For me, that is the true meaning of peace. When your heart is full of joy, when you are capable of having a family and fighting for it, it doesn’t matter what is going on around you, because with peace you have overcome all difficulties," the king told his subjects.

The painting then travelled to many other kingdoms. Coelho was born in 1947 in the city of Rio De Janerio. He has been the United Nations Messenger of Peace, since 2007 and it has allowed him to promote the intercultural dialogue and to focus on the needs of the children.

His books "The Spy", "Adultery", "Inspirations" and the most-recent "Hippie" have been published by Penguin.

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