The Duel

“Oliveira’s Klee-esque illustrations are stunning. Monochromatic early scenes metamorphose in successive palette shifts: saturated primary colors accented by neutrals for the cityscapes, then greens and ochers as the narrator treks through a village and a pasture. . . Subtly beautiful, with a message of peace.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“In this curious and memorable translated picture book (imported from Portugal), peace is explored through the narration of one duelist who, rather than turning to shoot, just keeps walking. The first image, small and black and white, is striking: two men, back to back, are so close together that they appear to be one figure, before they take their first step apart. As the unnamed narrator walks rightward, he then begins an internal monologue to the other duelist, Mr. Rostov. His contemplation quickly turns from the insults that sparked the challenge and on to philosophical musings about empathy, forgiveness, and the courage required to upend expectations and just choose peace in a world that rarely does. The use of color is spectacular as the man continues walking away, with stark grays replaced by vivid, saturated watercolor- like textures. The joy builds in the increasingly detailed images as page turns reveal a bright city, a tranquil countryside, and finally a mountain, where the man sits alone, surrounded by jewel-tone flowers, sending an invitation out into the world (via a letter carried away by a bird) for the other duelist to set down his gun, turn around, and choose a dramatically different future There is significant subtlety in the illustrations and text, with vibes sometimes replacing clarity, but that is a comfortable space. Readers are unlikely to be stopped by any single (sometimes opaque) phrase, as the perpetual march to the right encourages steady progress through the book until the end, when the man stops at the edge of a panel, intentionally faces left, and waits patiently as he hopes to see Rostov. This book will resonate long after the final page—a glowing spark of peace in an increasingly dark world.”

– The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)