A Whale of a Dream

Lena loves to draw.
But when she compares her drawing of a whale to her aunt's realistic tattoo, she can't help but think that the drawing she was so proud of is babyish in comparison. She tears it to pieces in frustration.
That night in her dreams, Lena soars through the skies on a whale's back. The whale takes her to a museum, where they explore the works of great artists like Helen Frankenthaler, Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. Gradually, she begins to see that although these famous artists could paint or draw accurately if they wanted to, they chose to instead channel their inner child and carefree spirit. When Lena awakes, she understands that her drawing was a masterpiece of its own. Luckily, her aunt found a way to preserve it forever.

Maïlys Cart-Lamy is a French author and illustrator who thrives on creating visual worlds that encourage contemplation, spark imagination and foster meaningful connections. Her work often features sketched and colored universes with inclusive characters that people can connect with. A significant portion of her independent work is dedicated to illustrating for youth, and she is currently working on her first graphic novel. What drives her most is using her talents for projects with deep meaning, particularly in areas like mental health, ecology, feminism and social solidarity. And, as a personal dream, she yearns for the possibility of breathing beneath the sea, like a humpback whale.
Ann Marie Boulanger is a certified translator and owner of Traduction Proteus Inc. When she's not translating commercial texts, she's an accomplished translator of adult and children's literature. Her translation The Woman in Valencia, by Annie Perreault, was named a World Literature Today Notable Translation of 2021. She's also a part-time lecturer at McGill University and co-founder of LION Translation Academy, which offers business, tech and language training workshops for translators.