Con Tatto

 

Con tatto translates to “with touch”. From a very early age, it is our hands that allows us to explore the world through touch. Growing up, we use our hands to learn important skills, and  through our life the connection human touch offers is vital for our well-being.

In this silent book, illustrator Alessia Colombo brings us to a child’s world of touch. We are introduced to a small child (who might be interpreted as both a girl and a boy) and invited to tag along during their day and the activities they do: Waking up, walking to kindergarten, drawing, eating, playing and learning.

​

Colombo has chosen a muted blue-toned color scheme for the surrondings, making the brightly colored characters and the objects they use, really stand out against the background. This very cleverly directs the reader’s attention to their hands, because they are in the center of each action. We see hands rubbing eyes, washing, waving, shushing, cuddling…

​

The children, that are of all colors, all have very expressive hand gestures, facial expressions and body language. It is easy to spot their joy of playing peek-a-boo, the struggle of learning to undress and the urgent wish for better hand-eye coordination when blowing soap bubbles. Most of these actions are done in the company of other children, so that the main focus is on human connection all through the book.

​

There are adults in this story. But while their hands are active, all adults are pictured without eyes, making them look expressionless and unimportant, taking the role of extras in the lives of the children. As extras, they are supportive and present (no hands holding phones!), but this a children's world. This might sound a little eerie, but it works well: This is a book about children for children, focusing on children’s actions, feelings and connections. In the kindergarten, adults are actually not seen at all, with the exception where we see the legs of an adult leaving a room.

​

As we all know, hands have the capacity to make actions that are both cruel and unkind. Such actions have no place in Con tatto. Everyone is happy and loving and free. Colombo makes this interesting by making the happy actions interesting ones. Many child readers will find joy in recognizing everyday actions and in observing other children learning the same skills they are practicing. As adults, the expressive illustrations might remind us of the sensory experiences and emotions of our own childhood: The feel of the soil on our hands when digging in the dirt, the warm feeling of friendship when sharing a meal, and the curiosity and inspiration found by other children’s drawings and actions. No wonder our child protagonist has so much to tell their father as they hold hands walking home!

​

Con tatto is a beautiful reminder of the importance of human touch. It can also be interpreted as advocacy for letting children experiment and interact with both each other and the world without too much adult interference.

​

Alessia Colombo is an Italian illustrator, artist and designer. She has published 11 books for children.​​