Triton the Tug — cover of Spanish language edition
WISTA-UK and WISTA Argentina lend their support to superb cartoon story that tells children about the importance of shipping
A beautifully illustrated cartoon-style book has been launched to help teach children about the essential role of commercial shipping in society.
The publication, Triton the Tug and his friends the Boats, is being released in chapters one by one, in translation from the original in Spanish, written by Horacio Guillermo Vázquez Rivarola, a professor and staff officer of the National Nautical School of Argentina, and head director of the Argentine Maritime Museum Ing Cerviño.
Prof Vázquez, who is a qualified marine radio electronics officer, launched the English language version during his participation in the WISTA-UK Liverpool Forum, an event promoting the maritime industry and its links with Merseyside.
The author of more than 20 books published in Argentina and Spain, including at the end of 2013 his much-praised volume Women in the Argentine Merchant Marine, Prof Vázquez said that his latest literary enterprise was designed to familiarise children with the part that shipping plays “in the lives of each and every one of us.”
He said: “Very few people are aware that nine out of 10 of every-day things around us, from the food we eat to the gas in our cars, come to us on merchant ships travelling thousands of miles on the oceans.”
Prof Horacio Vázquez
Prof Vázquez said that organisations representing maritime professionals on five continents, and eight maritime associations from four countries were among those who have supported the project.
With colourful illustrations, chapter one of the children’s book, entitled We Made it on Time introduces a tug named Triton, a tanker named Lady Anna, a containership named Marco Polo, a passenger liner named Queen of the Seas and a coast guard patrol boat named Admiral Columbus. The story shows the value of teamwork between all parts of the industry at sea and in harbours.
Prof Vázquez said that he and his collaborators planned to produce three more episodes of shipping adventures, and appealed for further funding for the project.
Illustrations and design were the work of Facundo Quiroga, Luciano Vieira Carreira and Rodgrio Mariano Vázquez Filannino of Argentina, and Edwin Carlos Soriano Cabanillas of Peru.
Horacio Vázquez introduces his book to WISTA-UK meeting.
Sponsors of the book include Centro de Jefes y Oficiales Maquinistas Navales, Obra Social de Comisarios Navales, Escuela Nacional de Marina Mercante Almirante Grau of Peru and Centro de Jefes y Oficiales de Radiocomunicaciones. Leading supporters include WISTA-UK, Escuela Nacional de Nautica Manuel Belgrano, Universidade da Coruña and WISTA Argentina.
WISTA-UK and WISTA Argentina are affiliates of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association. WISTA-UK says that the publication is an excellent complement to its Came by Ship Campaign which seeks to raise awareness among all sections of the public of the extensive contribution of shipping to the economy and wellbeing of all nations.
The importance of Prof Vázquez’s work supporting education, the advancement of women in the maritime industry and historical research, was recognised when the secretary general of the International Maritime Organization, Koji Sekimizu, contributed a prologue to his book on the history of women in the merchant marine in Argentina. There are editions of the 250-page book in Spanish and English. Launch events for that book were celebrated at the headquarters of the IMO, at the official residence of the Ambassador of Argentina to London, in Argentina and in Spain.
As earlier reported in this site, Prof Vázquez has been selected as Personality of the Year 2014 by WISTA Argentina, which has nominated him for the International Personality title at the WISTA 2014 international conference in Limassol from October 8-10.
