Line 135

by Germano Zullo, Albertine (Illustrator)

Journeys can be life-changing, whether they are literal—traveling from one place to another—or personal, like the quest for self-discovery. This meditative picture book explores both, following a young child on a train ride from the city to the country. As the landscape transforms from a bustling city to a richly imaginative world in this distinctively formatted book, the child's sense of wonder and independence flourishes, as does a deep engagement with life and the possibilities that lie ahead—making Line 135 a quietly eloquent gift for anyone embarking on their life's journey.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Travel, Fiction, Transport, Trains, Art

44 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2013

About the author

Germano Zullo (1968) acquired Swiss nationality in 1985. He studied economics and management, undertook some trips to Europe, worked as an accountant, before turning to writing. He is married to the illustrator Albertine with whom he has collaborated for several albums. He also writes erotic stories, poems and novels. Today he devotes himself entirely to writing.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking Line 135 on a train trip to see her grandmother, who lives in the country, a young girl reflects on her desire to see and know the entire world, and on her mother and grandmother's disbelief that this is possible, and advice that she wait until she is older, when she will understand better. Although she certainly wants to understand better, and yearns to be older, the girl believes that it is possible to see and know the entire world, and longs for the day when she is able to tell her elders that she has succeeded...

Originally published in Switzerland as Ligne 135, this deceptively simple picture-book offers a thought-provoking exploration of aspects of the human condition, providing differing insights, depending upon what stage of life the reader is experiencing while reading. It offers young children, who see all of time before them, with a seemingly ever-ready supply of opportunities to explore available ahead, an affirmation that it is possible to see and know everything. It offers somewhat older readers, who already feel time slipping away from them too quickly, and who are aware that opportunities are not endless, a poignant reminder of when everything seemed possible to them, because time was not so precious yet. By juxtaposing the two perspectives, the narrative offers the possible wisdom that its is only by believing, when young, that everything can be explored, that anything at all is explored in the end. Only by believing everything is possible, is anything accomplished. Thus, the literal truth (or untruth) of the idea that there is time to do everything is irrelevant - it is necessary to believe that things are possible, in order to make them possible. Or something like that...

The beauty of a book like Line 135 is that it can be read so many different ways, and author Germano Zullo is to be congratulated for penning a text that is so simple - just a sentence per two-page spread - and yet communicates such a wealth of ideas. The accompanying artwork by Albertine, who also illustrated Zullo's Sky High , is likewise minimal but expressive, with a colorful train zipping through black and white vistas. Is the girl's belief in possibility what gives color to her train, or does the lack of color in the rest of the scene represent the as-yet unexplored nature of the world through which she is passing? Anything is possible! Highly recommended to anyone looking for more philosophical picture-books, or for picture-books that are 'simply' about a girl's musings, on her way to visit her grandmother.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is what I call a "grown up picture book". Adults will understand it, and it would be a decent grad gift. But it's too esoteric for kids, and overall, it felt very meh.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for perspective and reflection

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like simple line drawings. I like complex line drawings. I like stylized coloring.

ERGO, I like this book.

[Neha Thakkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really get it, and I think it would go over most kid’s heads. I kept singing the “when I’m older” song from Frozen 2… 🤣

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delights me in several respects.

First of all, I love trains, so any book involving a train ride already has something going for it in my universe.

Secondly, I connect with the child-narrator's view of the world. On the ride from her city home to her grandmother's house she expresses the desire to travel everywhere and understand the entire world. She informs us that her mother and grandmother have said that this is impossible, "that it's difficult enough to know yourself." This makes her think, "I don't always understand my mother and my grandmother." Resisting their negativity she falls into imaginative speculation about places she might explore. Her train gets smaller and travels through increasingly fantastic landscapes until it emerges in the countryside where her grandmother lives.

The effect is that of a daydream--or perhaps a dream she has from her train seat. The train is a vibrant neon green with orange doors, but everything else in the illustrations is rendered in delicate black ink drawings and though Albertine's accomplished doublespreads are thick with detail, texture and whimsy, they have a childlike essence that accords wonderfully with the text.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids and parents will enjoy Line 135's simple illustrations and text. Parents will like the deeper message of journeying through life and challenging limitations or expectations. While kids, will probably just think the train and strange drawings are cool.

[Andika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saya pertama kali nemu buku ini di bazaar buku Big Bad Wolf 2017. Di antara buku cerita bergambar yang lain yang ada di sana, mungkin Line 135 kelihatan salah tempat karena penampilannya cenderung kalem. Covernya didominasi warna putih, latarnya digambar dengan garis hitam, hanya gambar keretanya saja yang menonjol dengan warna-warna lainnya.

Buku ini bercerita tentang perjalanan seorang anak perempuan yang hendak mengunjungi nenek di desa, dengan kereta, dari tempat tinggalnya bersama ibu di kota. Ketika kereta melaju, si anak itu berpikir tentang hidup dan nasihat hidup yang sering disampaikan ibu dan neneknya. Anak itu ingin bisa melihat dan memahami semua yang ada di hidupnya. Namun keinginan itu kerap berbenturan dengan pendapat ibu dan neneknya. Mereka bilang, keinginan si anak mustahil bisa kesampaian karena untuk melihat dan memahami diri sendiri saja juga pekerjaan yang mustahil. Si anak juga ingin bisa bepergian ke semua tempat, tapi menurut ibu dan neneknya ketika seseorang dewasa dia akan menyadari bahwa hidup melaju lebih cepat dari kecepatannya bergerak. Namun anak itu percaya bahwa ketika dia dewasa, dia akan membawa hidup bergerak bersamanya.

Di sebuah blog, saya pernah membaca penuturan pembuat buku ini, Albertine dan Germano Zullo, tentang proses kreatif kreatif mereka. Kata Germano, ketika mereka bekerja, dia dan istrinya selalu berusaha untuk berdialog. ("Ya tentu saja!" pikir saya. "Mana ada orang yang kerja sama tanpa dialog?") Tapi menurut Germano, nggak banyak orang yang sungguh-sungguh berdialog. Buat dia berdialog itu susah, karena untuk bisa melakukannya masing-masing orang mesti siap untuk mengakui keterbatasan sudut pandangnya.

Menurut saya, cerita Line 135 menangkap dialog antar generasi yang berlangsung di benak seorang anak perempuan. Sebagai pembaca, saya mengerti pandangan ibu dan neneknya, tapi saya juga ingin anak perempuan itu menentukan sendiri pengalaman yang akan membentuk pandangannya. Saya lantas teringat hubungan saya dan ibu saya, yang seringkali susah berdialog dan jarang bisa sepandangan. Membaca buku ini seolah memberi harapan bahwa ada tempat-tempat di mana perbedaan pandangan kami bisa saling melengkapi.

Saya sadar ada banyak hal yang belum saya pahami. Misalnya: saya belum tahu kenapa buku ini berjudul Line 135. Mungkinkah nanti hal tersebut akan saya pahami?

[StrictlySequential · Rating 2 out of 5]

2nd Printing ¦ 335×200 mm ¦ 'Chronicle Kids' ¦ $18.95 / £11.99

Visual: **
Nearly all non-architectural seems amateur drawn and her straight-lined-stuff flair does not extend to automobiles which look absolutely idiotic in congress with buildings.

Narrative: **
The sentence that runs at the bottom of every other page makes for a very fast read that simply reminded me of how annoying the ignorance-of-ignorance is that makes children think that they could possibly know better than their parents with total certainty that, like in this situation, is gained from simply feeling sure of it!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book...for me. For a child? Maybe not. But the story is very nice. It's about a child who is traveling by train from his home in the city to the home of his grandmother in the country. The child tells of his wish to travel everywhere.

Physically, the book is very long, like a piece of legal paper in the landscape position. All the drawings are in black and white, except for the train. These physical attributes enhance the story.

[Kirsten - Children's Library Lady]

A young girl embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Boarding a train to her Grandmother's in the countryside, she reflects on her dreams to explore and understand the world, despite her mother and grandmother's warnings. Along the way, she finds the courage to believe anything is possible. Discover the power of courage and trust in yourself to achieve your dreams.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Switzerland

"When I'm big, I will understand things better."

"When I'm big, life will pass by very quickly."

"When I'm big, I will make sure life moves with me."

[Verano por siempre · Rating 5 out of 5]

En la simpleza de las líneas hay una profundidad abismal.
Un libro que te sorprende de principio a fin. Triste en algunas parte, pero también lleno de esperanza.

[juana · Rating 5 out of 5]

me dio mucha ternura

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in Buenos Aires.

[Kaelee Bungard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool illustrations and layout of the book. Also a cute book about traveling and how if you put your mind to something it is possible!

[Mfoot]

Ligne 135

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The duo that created Little Bird have returned with another lovely and fanciful story. A little girl travels by train to her grandmother’s house. The train starts out in the towering city and we are told at the beginning that her grandmother lives in the country. The train travels from crowded cityscapes into more residential areas. The little girl talks about all of the traveling she wants to do when she gets older. As the pages turn, the landscape changes and eventually becomes very odd. Flowers grow as tall as the train, strange creatures stand near a pond, then the pond itself looks very much like a beast of some sort and readers will know that they are on a surprising trip too.

Imported from Switzerland, this book starts out as a quiet thoughtful book about being comfortable living in both the city and the country and a love of travel. Zullo’s text never changes from that musing tone, but it does speak to the right of a child to have opinions about how they want to live their lives.

The girl’s dreams and imagination come to life in the illustrations. The train is the sole zip of color on each page, while the surroundings are entirely in black and white fine-lined drawings. They are detailed and lovely and the change from reality to dream world is done slowly and with deft pacing.

This is a book that makes you want to start back at the beginning the minute you finish it so that you can see even more in the drawings. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite questioning whether the adult themes of this book (travel, finding yourself in the world) would work with reading to kids, I absolutely adored the story and illustrations of a little girl who travels from her house in the city to her grandmother's house in the country and all the things she sees out the window of her train car. At first they are typical "daily life" sorts of things, but as she begins dreaming and longing to see the world, suddenly the things she sees out her window are much more fantastical.

Albertine's simple line illustrations with the train's pop of color on each page spread is quite striking and lends itself to several read-throughs to take in all of the detail. I'm not usually someone who likes to re-read books, but as soon as I finished my first read-through I knew I'd have to read it again and again to really take in the story and illustrations.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the USBBY's 2014 Outstanding International Books. The Swiss author and illustrator give us a book that is unique in it's horizontal and slightly shorter layout. Fanciful black ink drawings, with the train (line 135) being the only thing in color, stretch across two page openings throughout the book. The text is neatly tucked into the book at the bottom of each page. The train is lime and avocado green with orange doors. Drawings of urban, industrial, suburban, and whimsical backgrounds as the little girl speeds from the city to the country to visit her grandmother. Along the way, she muses that she will always travel and go everywhere!

I would use this book to talk about transportation, travel, families, and for a discussion and mentor text of different book layouts, and the fact that our drawings in fictional writing can be quite exaggerated or whimsical to add effect.

[Joanna Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is about a girl traveling from her own living city to her grandmother's place in countryside. It seems a long trip. From the perspectives of the little girl she has big curiosity about the entire world. She wants to travel everywhere in the world when she is big. She don't understand that why her mother and grandmother don't agree with that. The little girl has positive attitude and adventurous spirit to look around the world. Everything is possible. It seems that nothing can stop the girl's desire and curiosity about the world. It is very inspiriting to me.
The cover of book capture my eyes when I saw this book first time. It is clear and simple.The neon green train with orange door stands out in each illustrations of black ink drawings on white background.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtful girl leaves her mother in the city to ride a train to visit her grandmother in the country. As she travels throughout scenery that is familiar and yet magical in different respects, she imagines all the places she will go and the things she will do. One of the best parts of the book is her refusal to be limited by others or what others consider the boundaries of possibilities to be. A long, straight black line flows through the stark white pages with the train on which she is riding providing the only spot of color. This is an excellent reminder not to let others' fears or limits keep you from dreaming of the possibilities that await you.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A journey by train leads to journeys of the mind. On a trip between her home and her grandmother's home a little girl imagines all of the places she plans to travel to someday. Her story is peppered with her mother and grandmother's doubts, but the little girl doesn't let that deter her dreaming.

Line drawings appear in black and white with the train the girl travels in being the only object in color throughout the entire book. The landscapes become more and more fantastical as the journey endures.

This is a great read for creative minds. PreK-2.

[Julie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl journeys via train from her mother’s home in the city to her grandmother’s home in the country. She passes through enchanted lands, underscoring that she may know more about the wonders of the world than the two adult women in her life. Or at least she may be more optimistic than they are.

The black line art is quirky and unusual in a welcoming way, as it’s juxtaposed with the neon colors of the train passing through.

Lovely. Modern and yet timeless, too.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a simple story, two places for a young girl: her own home in the city, and Line 135 that takes her to visit her grandmother. The “line” story shows the scenes along the way in beautifully-detailed pen and ink, and offers a few comments about life as the young girl hears it from her parents and grandmother, and the different look at it from her point of view. It was very fun to look and consider those POVs.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the better picture books I have read in a long time. The unusual format of this book totally evokes the train and the traveling that it is about. The images done in simple black lines with just the train in color invite closer inspection. It's clear this a European book - it was published in Switzerland first. HIghly recommend! It also covers lofty notions with a light touch.

[Natalie]

This book is decently abstract, especially in the artwork. Simplistic but detailed at the same time, visually appearing, but seems like some of the messages would go over kid's heads. The dialogue isn't particularly interesting to kids - it's not goofy or anything like that, not that all children's books have to be. It seems like a motivational speech.

[Kathy Ellen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book read like a poem to me.
A poem about believing you can be what you want to be.
I love the backdrop of riding in the train.
The illustrations are fabulous,
and it's really fun that this book is very long and not too tall.
The colors I loved especially.

[CharityJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love picture books like this: simple yet detailed illustrations, good use of color, works as a readaloud, and has a poignant message. In this book the message is to remind us that it "is possible". The feeling of wanderlust in the book appeals to me too. One I'd want to have in my collection.

[Katrina Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meditative book with long lines (showing train tracks) and black and white drawings juxtaposed against the neon colored train. Love the adventurous spirit of the child who wants to go see the world despite the naysayers in his/her life. I want in my collection.