Ashimpa: The Mysterious Word

A 2025 FOREWORD INDES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST

From renowned Portuguese author and illustrator Catarina Sobral, Ashimpa is the story of a word that takes on a life of its own, leading young readers through the hilariously ashimpish life and grammar of a mysterious word.

One day, a researcher makes an important discovery. A mysterious word buried in an old dictionary: ASHIMPA.

Quickly the news spreads. Everyone wants to use the new word, but no one knows what it means or even what part of speech it belongs to. A 137-year-old is certain that it's a verb: people ashimped and would always ashimp. A linguist is convinced it's a noun. Soon there would be people who claimed to have seen live ashimpas--and in color. "They still exist abroad. They're green!"

From renowned Portuguese author and illustrator Catarina Sobral, Ashimpa is the story of language that takes on a life of its own, leading young readers through the hilariously ashimpish life and grammar of a mysterious word.