Publishing > Bruna discovers anger

Bruna discovers anger

Illustrator and co-author

This is the second book in the Bruna’s Suitcase collection, where emotions travel alongside Bruna, the Shiba Inu pup, on every journey.

After developing the main character, planning the collection with Ro Rothamel—an expert in emotional education—and co-writing the first story, we dove into the creation of the second book. In this new adventure, Bruna travels to Egypt and faces a new emotion: anger. We wanted to explore emotional contrast while keeping the rhyming structure and reader questions that had worked so well in the previous book.

As before, I selected a specific city as the setting—this time, Cairo—and built each scene with visual and narrative consistency. I researched the city in depth: What is the atmosphere like in its streets? What food is eaten? What do the markets sell? How do people dress? One detail I was especially drawn to was the effect of floating sand particles in the air, so I experimented until I achieved the right atmosphere.

Starting from the sketches, I worked on the composition of each page, adjusting the rhythm between image and text to ensure a smooth reading experience. I chose soft backgrounds and inked characters, then spent days painting in watercolor to achieve the right texture and emotional tone. Pilar—colleague, friend, and fairy godmother of my illustrations—handled the digital cleanup and white balancing to achieve a flawless final result.

Since this story explores Bruna’s experience of fury, mixed with jealousy and envy, it was essential for her body language to reflect these emotions. I focused on the details: her eyes needed to show anger and resentment, her shoulders tense, her paws clenched—and true to her Shiba Inu nature, her fur bristling.

To amplify the emotional conflict, we introduced a secondary character as a mirror to Bruna: Miu, a cat inspired by the Egyptian Mau. I carefully developed her design and personality so that her mere presence would stir admiration and frustration in Bruna—deepening the story’s exploration of envy.

I oversaw every stage of the process through to final print, ensuring the end result stayed true to the original vision.

Finally, in October 2024, we launched this book alongside Bruna discovers love in Madrid.

Where to buy?

Australia

Valeria Gottau
Send a message through the Contact section or via direct message on my Instagram.

Wilde Interiors
31 Challis St, Newport VIC 3015, Australia, +61499902717, info@wildeinteriors.com.au

Argentina

Yenny El Ateneo www.yenny-elateneo.com
All Books Pte J. E. Uriburu 774 10/B Ciudad de Buenos Aires Bs As all-books.mercadoshops.com.ar | Bruna +54 (11) 33587601 | medicina.allbooks@gmail.com
Rodando cuentos Beruti 1647 | Martinez, Pcia Bs As
Argentina Plaza Regional Fondo de cultura www.plazaregional.com.ar | consultas@plazaregional.net
Notanpuan www.plazaregional.com.ar | consultas@plazaregional.net
Menendez www.plazaregional.com.ar | consultas@plazaregional.net
Iupi www.plazaregional.com.ar | consultas@plazaregional.net
Los Galgos www.plazaregional.com.ar | consultas@plazaregional.net
Brezal www.plazaregional.com.ar | consultas@plazaregional.net
Ciudades Invisibles (La Rioja) www.plazaregional.com.ar

Chile

Internacional Libros Av. Condell 520, Providencia, Santiago de Chile | internacionallibros.cl | +562 2923 1400 | contacto@internacionallibros.cl

Spain

Barcelona Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Barcelona. | +34 622 61 61 07 | rmrothamel@gmail.com

Mexico

From anywhere

VitalSource | Ebook www.vitalsource.com/es