1. Biography of the author

Curriculum Vitae
www.benjaminlibro.com
[email protected]
fb: Centro Benjamín de Promoción del Libro la Lectura y las Letras
fb: María Sarah Mansilla
1. Biography of the author
2. Names of the books
3. Format
4. Summary of the book
5. Media Impact
6. Picture Books
1. Biography of the author
M. SARAH MANSILLA
M. Sarah Mansilla was born on August 4, 1950 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. She is married
to Eduardo Gutierrez Sosa and has four children and four grandchildren. She studied
at Santa Ana School and in Canada and the United States where she got a Registered
Nurse diploma. She has participated in several literary contests. In 1998 she wrote the
anthem of the Santa Cruz Cooperative School and in 2005 she won the first prize in a
literary contest sponsored by the Sociedad Cruceña de Escritores and El Nuevo Día
Journal.
She is Vice President of Camara Departamental del Libro de Santa Cruz, President of
the Sociedad Cruceña de Escritores, member of PENSC (Poets, Essayists and
Narrators), a branch of PEN BOLIVIA. She is a member of the Mesa Redonda
Panamericana, and a member of the Centro de Paralisis Cerebral, and belongs to the
Departamento del Ministerio de Cultura of Santa Cruz.
In May 2008, in the IX International Book Fair of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, she presented
Benjamin and the Seventh Golden Chest, the first book of the saga of Benjamin,
awarded as the bestselling book of the fair.
In 2009 she presented Benjamin and the Cane of Zenón.
In 2010 she presented Benjamin and the Song of the Forests.
In 2011 she presented Benjamin and the Seventh Golden Chest (for little children)
in a new format, a Picture Book, being recognized as the first picture book in Bolivia.
In 2012 she presented the fourth book of the series of Benjamin: Benjamin and the
Cave of the Desert and Benjamin and the Cane of Zenón (for little children).
In 2014 she presented Benjamín in Sacred Heart.
2. NAMES OF THE BOOKS
2008 Benjamin and the Seventh Golden Chest
278 pages
2009
Benjamin and the Cane of Zenon
379 pages
2010 Benjamin and the Song of the Forests
451 pages
2012 Benjamin and the Cave of the Desert
439 pages
2014 Benjamín in Sacred Heart
474 pages
3. FORMAT: 13 X 19 cm.
Some of the saga characters:
Dozens of fantastic characters are involved in these intense and unexpected
adventures:

Insects: Benjamin, the musician cricket who assumes the defense of nature
through music, which is considered for him and his friends as the universal
language.

Birds: a majestic peacock as the Director of the Conservatory, the owl Edú, the
prestigious and awesome music director of the workshops of the birds.

Animals: Perico, the sloth, an old janitor who knows many secrets of the
Conservatory and he guides Benjamin with his good advice.

The antagonists of Benjamin: Martin The Hairy Ape; Antonio, the Fox,
Mariscal, The Toad, Rosendo, The Four Eyes Monkey.

Plants: Ariadna, The Eggplant, that possesses special powers, she has only
one eye, she lives in a cave in the forest and transports the boys to the past
with her mind, the mysterious Black Diamond Tulip, a teacher who arrived from
Istanbul.

Extraordinary places: the tunnels of the Conservatory where are stored
hundreds of barrels made from fine wood to save the feathers. These feathers
are used in the construction of musical instruments of birds. The reader will find
the Chiquitania dry woods, and the magnificent rivers and lagoons.
Benjamin performs amazing feats demonstrating that the practice of values such as
friendship, responsibility and tenacity will keep you always connected to your friends,
"and if you look inside your heart you will always find reasons to be happy." (Benjamin
and the Seventh Golden Chest. Pg. 272, 2008).
The purpose of the author to create the saga of Benjamin is firstly to help children and
young people to have the pleasure of reading, secondly to enrich their experiences and
in this way their inner world. And finally to let readers know about nature, and deeply
understand its vast complexity. The author says: "Children and young people are like
nature, an open book shown without meanness"
5. PRESS OPPINIONS
COVER: El Deber, (Newspaper) June 5, 2008, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
A "Star Book": Sarah Mansilla and her book Benjamin and the Seventh Golden
Chest is the surprise of the International Book Fair. Within a week of the
exhibition, this book has been looked for by children on the stand installed by its
author; she has already sold 304 copies. (Marcelo Ramirez Suarez, journalist)
La Razon, (Newspaper) August 29, 2010, La Paz, Bolivia: The saga of a cricket
which becomes a human being that fights to save nature has become a best
seller in the country. (Javier Badani, journalist)
6. LIBRO ÁLBUM
Benjamin and the Seventh Golden Chest
(for little children)
El Deber, (Newspaper) 24 APRIL 2011, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Sarah Mansilla presents
Benjamin and his fantastic world. The author of one of the bestselling books of national
literature is launching a new edition of Benjamin Benjamin and the Seventh Golden
Chest (for littlechildren), a Picture Book with large illustrations of Lara Sabatier,
which reveals the world of Jenecherú a fantastic cricket. (Juan Pablo Rodriguez C.,
journalist)
El Deber, (Newspaper) MAY 6, 2011: You can´t miss the 'expo' of Benjamin. Sarita
Mansilla takes her character to the Exhibition Center “Manzana 1”. Cristian Massoud |
[email protected]
Benjamin and the Cane of Zenon
(For little children)
What is a picture book?
"The book values the roots and the identity from the place which each person is
born. It is a song of loyalty to the homeland, to the love of Chiquitana Baroque
music that can become universal and can bring people together. The
illustrations are very appropriate as they provide new elements that are not in
the text, so that reading is extended to images. It has magical elements as the
book that falls behind the picture frame which emits a light from its single page.
Intrigue is shown for what comes next. The Picture Book is like a stone dropped
in a pond, the picture book does not end when you close the last page. It
continues resonating in the reader's mind and leaves him motivated to continue
thinking or investigating more that what is proposed in the book. "(Manuel Peña
Muñoz. Was born in Valparaiso, Chile.’s he is a narrator, critic, researcher and
Doctor in Philology).