Nella Pancia Della Balena Silent Book

The idea for Nella Pancia Della Balena began with a dream. I dreamt that I entered a whale because it was sick, only to find its belly filled with trash. That image stayed with me for a long time and eventually became the foundation of the story.

The main principle behind the book was to communicate through images alone. Rather than explaining environmental issues with words, I wanted readers to experience the story through empathy and discovery. My hope was that by caring about the whale first, readers would naturally begin to care about the ocean as well.

My main focus was creating a story that could be understood without language. Every illustration needed to communicate emotion, movement, and narrative clearly enough that readers of different ages and cultures could follow the journey.

I also wanted to approach environmental awareness in a hopeful way. Instead of focusing on fear or guilt, I wanted the story to celebrate kindness, teamwork, and the idea that even small actions can make a meaningful difference.

I hope Nella Pancia Della Balena continues to reach readers from different parts of the world and encourages conversations about caring for the environment. Because it is a silent book, it has the ability to cross language barriers and be shared by families, educators, and children from many cultures.

The project has also inspired me to continue creating visual stories that explore important themes through imagination and empathy. I hope this is only the beginning of a much longer journey in children's literature. The book is available online, grab a copy and experience the story with me.

The story began with a dream. I dreamt that I entered a whale because it was sick and needed help. When I got inside, I found chaos. Its belly was full of trash. The image stayed with me for a long time and eventually became the story.Because the book has no words, I focused on the moments that would carry the emotional journey: finding the whale, discovering what was making it sick, cleaning its belly, and seeing it recover. I wanted the story to be easy to follow, but I also wanted readers to have space to make discoveries on their own.For me, one of the beautiful things about silent books is that they trust the reader. Not everything needs to be explained.

Although the book talks about environmental issues, I didn't start with the idea of making an educational book. It began with my love for whales and that dream image that stayed with me.I wanted children to understand the story through emotions rather than explanations. That's why I used familiar objects inside the whale, like bottles, tires, and even a piano. Children immediately recognize that something doesn't belong there. What surprised me most was how quickly they understood the story without words. Many talked about pollution, but just as many talked about kindness, helping others, and caring for animals. They often found meanings that went beyond what I originally intended.

One of the practical reasons I created the book on an iPad is that I have a full-time day job. I don't always have long hours to sit in a studio, so the iPad allowed me to work whenever I found a little bit of time, during commutes, while traveling, or in between daily responsibilities.I treated it very much like a sketchbook. The biggest advantage was flexibility. I could experiment with compositions, pacing, and character placement without starting over every time.Even though the book was created digitally, I wanted it to feel warm and hand-drawn. The technology helped me tell the story, but the emotional connection was always the priority.