Celia en el mundo facts for kids
Cover of the first edition of Celia en el mundo, 1934
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| Author | Elena Fortún |
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| Illustrator | Molina Gallent |
| Country |  Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
| Series | Celia y su mundo |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Manuel Aguilar (1934) Alianza Editorial (2000) |
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Publication date
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1934; reprints in 1939, 1942. 1949, 1992, 1993, 2004 and 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 211 pp |
| ISBN | 84-206-6032-9 |
| Preceded by | Celia novelista (1934) |
| Followed by | Celia y sus amigos (1935) |
Celia en el mundo (which means "Celia in the World") is an exciting children's book. It is the fourth story in the popular "Celia" series by Spanish author Elena Fortún. This book came out in 1934. It continues the adventures of Celia, a curious and lively girl. The "Celia" novels are now seen as classic Spanish children's books.
In this story, Celia's uncle takes her away from the convent school. She had been living there in the previous book, Celia en el colegio. Celia goes to live with her uncle and his servants, Basílides and Maimón. She spends a lot of time with adults instead of kids her own age. But soon, she makes a new friend, a French girl named Paulette. Paulette becomes her constant companion. They share many fun adventures and some tricky situations too. Like the other books, Celia en el mundo shows what life was like in Spain during a time of big changes. Different versions of the book have featured artwork by various illustrators. These include Molina Gallent, M. Palacios, and Gori Muñox. This book was the first "Celia" novel not to be fully shown in the 1992 TV series, Celia.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
This book picks up right after Celia en el colegio. Celia's uncle, Tío Rodrigo, arrives at her school. He takes her away without her parents' permission. He believes the nuns are not good for Celia's education. He thinks they fill her mind with silly ideas.
Celia's New Home in Madrid
Celia moves to her uncle's house in Madrid. She lives with Basílides, Rodrigo's servant, and Maimón, a young boy. Basílides and Maimón often argue, which makes things interesting. Rodrigo wants Celia, who is nine years old, to "see the world." He means he wants her to experience real life, not just school.
Celia spends many days with older people. She doesn't have many friends her own age. Her uncle asks her to behave when they go out. They visit restaurants or the park with his friends. But Celia finds the adults' conversations very funny. She often feels she needs to join in. Rodrigo's rule is for Celia to speak only when spoken to. She must stay quiet the rest of the time.
At home, Celia hears constant arguments. Her uncle and Basílides often disagree. Basílides also has a pet owl, Casimira. The servant woman and Maimón also fight a lot.
Summer in France
Celia, Rodrigo, Basílides, and Maimón go to a French villa for the summer. Their pets, Casimira the owl and Pirracas the cat, come too. Basílides finds it hard to adapt because no one understands her Spanish. But Celia makes some great friends.
Paulette becomes Celia's best friend. They visit each other's houses and spend time at the beach. They also have another friend, a girl named Claude. Claude comes from a poor family. Her older brother, Raymund, cannot join them on vacation. Their family cannot afford to send both children to the beach.
Celia comes up with a plan to help Claude's brother. She tries to earn money in many ways. She sells Rodrigo's berries and flowers. She also tells people at the beach about Claude's family's sad situation.
More Family and Trouble
Celia's aunt, Julia, arrives. She is Rodrigo's sister. Aunt Julia helps Celia's plan. But she also causes a lot of trouble at the French villa.
When summer ends, Tío Rodrigo sends Basílides and Maimón back to Madrid by train. Celia and her uncle are invited to spend Christmas with Paulette's family. They stay in a grand castle. Celia, of course, causes more trouble there.
The two girls get into serious mischief and are punished. Celia tries to escape with Paulette. Paulette is being sent to a school in Paris. Celia manages to crash the car she was hiding in against a tree. She wakes up unconscious, thinking she is dead. But she hears her father's voice. He has come to take her back to Spain. He wants his daughter to grow up as a Spaniard. He believes constant changes in culture and language are too much for her young mind.
How the Story is Told
Like all the previous books, this story is told from Celia's point of view. It starts with a short introduction from the author, Elena Fortún.
The Book on TV
Celia en el mundo was the first "Celia" novel not to be fully made into a TV show. This was part of the 1992 series directed by José Luís Borau. Only a small part of the previous book, Celia novelista, was shown. It appeared in the last few minutes of the final episode, "¡Hasta la vista!"
Some important characters from Celia en el mundo had small roles in the TV series. These included Tío Rodrigo, Maimón, Basílides, and Tía Julia.
Characters in the TV Series
- Tío Rodrigo: Celia's uncle, played by Tito Valverde, appeared in the second episode. Celia told her friend María Teresa about his arrival with Maimón. He was shown as a loving uncle and a handsome brother-in-law. He invited Celia to his quiet birthday party. He left early due to a headache.
- Maimón: He was introduced with Tío Rodrigo. Doña Benita immediately disliked him, thinking he was a thief. Maimón was sad that some characters, like Basílides and Celia's cousins, didn't like him. He appeared again in the fifth episode for Celia's school exams.
- Basílides: Played by Diana Salcedo, she appeared at Rodrigo's birthday party. She tried to keep the three girls calm and prevent them from upsetting their uncle. She did not appear again in the series.
- Tía Julia: She had a slightly bigger role, appearing in two episodes. In the first episode, she joined Celia's family for Christmas. She tried to convince Celia's father to send her to school with the nuns. He didn't think it was a good idea. Tía Julia appeared again in the third episode. This time, she succeeded in convincing Celia's parents. This happened after Celia's misbehavior put her little brother in danger.
The short appearances of these characters in the TV series meant their stories were not as developed as they were in the book.
See also
In Spanish: Celia en el mundo para niños
