Discórdia

"Almost everything depends on how you use your words". This is the text printed on the back cover of Discórdia, which means "disagreement". To portray the power of our words in a wordless book is a fascinating idea. Maybe it is be the best way to acknowledge the power that lies in how we choose to talk to each other?

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At the start of Discórdia the reader is introduced to a couple immersed in a conversation. Judging by their body language and the size of the speech "bubbles", they seem to be disagreeing about something. Bypassers join the conversation, and Brunini´s precise rendition of the angry faces and frustrated body languge makes it obvious that there is a big fight brewing. The clever use of color demonstrates the gravity of the situation: Some speak in red, and some in blue - when the words mix, the colors should turn purple. Instead the two colors stay separated in a growing, ominous cloud, a perfect picture of the polarization of today´s polarized political climate.

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In social media, angry statements often take a life of their own, growing into something that was never intended, but can no longer be controlled. Brunini portrays this masterfully by letting the giant speech bubble turn into a monster that devours everyone present. They are left in darkness with no colors to be seen anywhere. One wise character has the key: He demonstates that words can be used not only to create monsters, but also to create joy and beauty. 

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Discórdia is an impressive debut by Brunini. She masters the wordless format to perfection, using visual clues and illustrations that are complex enough to keep adult readers interested,and at the same time clear enough so that the book also works really well with children.