Eloisa Cartonera
Rambling in the forest,
she met her
instantaneous
death from
The Cardboard Book Project is a collection of twelve short stories by Jemma Foster.
Each story is handmade into an individual book by Eloisa Cartonera from recycled cardboard bought from the cartoneros - cardboard pickers who make a living collecting it from the city’s streets. Each book is painted by hand and entirely unique.
A group of young artists and designers, also close friends of the author, have donated their incredible talents to illustrate the stories.
In addition, for every book sold in the Uk, a book will be donated to Abuelas Cuentacuentos - Storytelling Grandmothers - aimed at inspiring a love of reading in Argentina’s poorest children. Elderly volunteers visit schools, orphanages and hospitals where the children would not otherwise have the opportunity for someone to read them a story.
The Cardboard Book Project is also working towards providing a library bus or ‘granny mobil’ that will enable the grannies to visit the outskirts of the city and the villas - slums - so that the children may hop on and off the bus to listen to a story.
Illustration by the wonderful Karen Raingold
the impact of a tortoise free-falling at a velocity
of 40mph after escaping
from the claws of an
eagle . . .
Born out of the economic crash of 2001 with a desire to build up a cooperative, the innovative group began to sell books and vegetables out of a small workshop in the La Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. They have been lovingly creating books and growing ever since.
