The new road…
25.5 x 23 cm | hardback | 32 pages | Portuguese and English editions
Albuquerque, D. (2012). The new road from town. Alandroal: Edições Aloendro.
Albuquerque, D. (2012). A estrada que vem da cidade. Alandroal: Edições Aloendro.
work: writing, illustration & design
A boy living in a village on the outskirts of an African city wakes to the noise of heavy machinery arriving nearby. The machines are there to build a new road and install running water, but at first their presence feels like a threat: the work will disturb the open ground where he and his friends play football. Curious, and frustrated, he approaches the company engineer and is gradually introduced to the machines, the workers, and the process of building a road. What begins as disruption becomes a journey of discovery, leading him to understand the value of a large collective work — and ending with an unexpected reward that gives the children a new place to play.
Published in 2012, the book was produced for circulation in several African countries: South Africa, Angola, Cape Verde, Malawi, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Zimbabwe. It appeared in two separate editions, one in Portuguese and one in English, reflecting the different language contexts of its intended readership.
About the illustration
The African setting and the construction-site narrative led to a predominantly warm colour palette, used across the landscapes, machinery, and village scenes. The colours extend beyond the blue-and-orange pairing of the company’s brand, giving the book a broader visual atmosphere rather than a strictly corporate one. The characters were designed with accessible, relatable features, while the illustrations were produced digitally using pastel-style brushes.
