Graciela Lingeri Presents "The Red Hat" Tuesday at Agapea La Orotava

Agapea bookstore at El Trompo Shopping Center in La Orotava will host a book presentation this Tuesday at 6:00 PM. The event will feature El sombrero rojo (The Red Hat), a book by Argentine author Graciela Lingeri, who lives in Tenerife. The author will be there to share the story behind her book, which is especially for children, families, and educators. The DIARIO DE AVISOS Foundation supports the event.

El sombrero rojo came about during a unique time: the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began worldwide in 2020. "This story started as a way to entertain my grandson, Tomás," explains Graciela Lingeri. Tomás himself suggested some key parts of the story, like a dragon and a red hat "that could change things he didn't like."

The book encourages readers to think about emotions, conflicts, and how important it is for adults and children to talk to each other.

This playful storytelling between grandmother and grandson gradually shaped the story, making the red hat its main symbol. Tenerife illustrator Jesús Rodríguez, known as Suja, created the book's careful design and editing.

As Graciela Lingeri points out, the red hat "became a symbol for trying to change things we don't like, a tool to encourage ourselves and achieve a better life."

With a background in teaching and social psychology, the Tenerife-based author includes open-ended questions after each story to get readers involved. She explains, "I suppose my profession led to the questions that follow each story, as a way to help readers participate and think about their own choices and feelings."

The book features a group of children who pass the hat around whenever there's a problem in class or at home. It deals with common childhood situations like friends falling out, lying, accepting differences, and empathy. The author emphasizes that the book can be read alone, or used in classrooms or with families "to spark conversations about feelings" and encourage dialogue between adults and children.

"The red hat is an excuse to listen to children and a challenge for adults to be brave enough to make changes," says Lingeri. She invites readers of all ages to Agapea this Tuesday to discover a story where imagination opens the door to deep thought.