Families who loved Hombrecillo de papel, El (The Newspaper Man) by Fernando Alonso often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child starts noticing the heavy weight of the world through the news or adult conversations and needs help processing those 'big' feelings. It is a lyrical, metaphorical story about a paper man made of newspaper clippings who carries the sadness of the world's headlines. Through a process of cleansing and creative renewal, he finds that he can be rewritten with stories of beauty, hope, and imagination. This Spanish classic is perfect for children ages 6 to 9, offering a gentle way to talk about media literacy, emotional resilience, and the power we have to seek out and create goodness even when the news feels dark. It is a beautiful choice for parents wanting to move from a place of anxiety to one of creative agency.
