Antonella Pervil Caligari He turned 12 in January, lives in Toa Steelmunicipality of Puerto Ricoand is the author of two books on environmental awareness. He wrote the first one when he was 8, but he not only created the story, but also drew all the characters, and the composition of each of them has a powerful meaning.
Through a video call Antonella and her mother, Patricia Caligari, sit down to chat with Clarion. Pride is in the air. It is impossible not to be inspired and feel that the digital distance is broken when witnessing the enthusiasm of the great little artist that crosses the screen.
His debut feature is titled «Saori and Ananí, two unstoppable friends save the planet». For that book, which captivates not only for its length full of educational content but also for the way it teaches other children about caring for the environment, he was awarded the prize International Latino Book Award in the category Best Use of Photos or Illustrations Inside the Book (Best use of photos and illustrations within a book).
He also received two honorable mentions, «Best First Book» and «Best use of illustrations and photographs.» «Winning those awards was the best part, really It is an honor to be recognized for a book that I wrote with so much affection and love.and shows that even if we are small, we can do great things,» says the author herself.
All the competitors in the edition were adults, except Antonella. Far from being a disadvantage, it stood out for the originality, length and quality of its material.
«The fact that it is a story written by a girl for other children caught attention and many mothers wrote to me saying that after reading the book their children were encouraged to read more, learn about the subject and draw,» says Patricia.
While having fun and being captivated by the drawings in the book, young readers learn about endangered animals, native flora and fauna, cultural diversity, geographyand above all, they absorb the moral of the importance of care of the environment.
When the call came for the winners to attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles, California, The entire Toa Baja community celebrated. They even collaborated financially so that Antonella could travel.
The dream came true and they went to the event together. «It was a very exciting experience, I really liked it, and I would like it to be repeated,» says the mini writer, who remembers with joy the moment in which she was given her diplomas and medal after taking the opportunity to walk through Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Soari and Ananí, two friends who make up a literary universe of environmental education
That international achievement motivated her to continue writing. He really wanted to follow the adventures of his characters, and that’s how the saga came about. «Stories to take care of the planet»formally presented with the launch of its second book, «Saori and Anani save the water» in November 2025.
«Anime art has always been liked, that’s why I chose to create Saori, a Japanese characterto represent my tastes for that culture, and then to Ananí, a Taíno person because the Tainos are the indigenous typical of Puerto Rico, which were there before the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus,» explains Antonella about the two protagonists and the cultural fusion they represent.
«Just as in Uruguay they are the Charrúas and in Paraguay the Guaraníes, in Puerto Rico they are the Taínos, and I really liked it when at school they taught me the rock art they made,» he says.
Since writing and drawing are two of his passions, he felt it was a beautiful way to honor them. That is why his first two books integrate taíno and japanese vocabulary, in addition to teaching about the biodiversity of Puerto Rico and Japan.
Those two friends who save the planet together have much more in common than they thought, despite being from different countries and continents.
«In each book the same protagonists face different environmental challengeswith more detailed and colorful illustrations,» says Antonella, who not only wrote and illustrated her second book, but also laid out all the scenes in the story with graphic design programs.
«I would like to keep some issues in the saga, such as Each story takes place on an island. Puerto Rico and Japan have in common that they are islands, and the next one will be another island too, which are not usually taught in geography when you are a child and are very important,» argues the 12-year-old author.
Additionally, each book has an animal endemic to a country that is in danger of extinction. «I always make a research of endemic animals before writing and for the second book I chose the Japanese giant salamander,» he details.
«I want to teach children to take care of the animals and biodiversity around them, because to take care of the planet we first have to take care of biodiversity, and that is what keeps everything balanced,» he adds.
And when they reach the end of the story, children access an available QR code that redirects them to interactive content, additional educational material and the YouTube channel “Stories to care for the planet: Beyond the book.”
On this channel Antonella shares interviews with scientists and environmental educators that she herself conducts, to delve deeper into the topics that inspire her stories.
The idea of also becoming a YouTuber arose after his participation in the program ««Seeds of Triumph» by Ciencia Puerto Ricoa non-governmental organization that promotes education and science, and that initiative in particular promotes scientific and community leadership in girls and young women.
«They selected 120 girls from all over the islandthey offered them science workshops, they went to different laboratories, they met many scientists, and then each girl prepared a dissemination project on the topic that interests them; Anto chose to expand his books and turn them into a complete saga,» says Patricia.
Another of the recognitions he received was when the historic newspaper First Hour He highlighted her as one of the 10 Puerto Rican children who are making significant contributions to their community, those who make up the «Impact Generation.»
His concern about coastal erosion when he was 5 years old
«She wrote since preschool, she made a lot of little books and she has been drawing since she was 4 years old; the teachers told me that she was very precocious in her learning, that she was bored because she already knew everything they taught; and I didn’t know who to ask, because she is an only child and I am a single mother, so I had no one to compare with to realize that she was doing things a bit ahead of her,» Patricia recalls.
He remembers that when he was still a baby, at 18 months old, Antonella made little circles every time she managed to grab a pencil. As the teachers told her, she discovered that her daughter has an above-average IQ and they recommended that she look into extracurricular activities.
«We were learning together, I understood that she needed more challenges. They had to advance her in gradeshe is now in the second year of high school and her classmates are one or two years older than her,» she reveals.
«Although my friends are turning 13 or 14, I don’t feel like there is that much difference, I feel just as mature as them,» says Antonella.
He went to drawing classes, where he learned to make Japanese caricatures, took double bass lessons, because he loves music and wanted to learn to play that instrument, and later completed a creative writing workshop.
At the same time, she taught herself to make crafts, all kinds of hair accessories, bracelets, and sew with felt.
Suddenly, she became a writer and artist. He also received a language scholarship, so he is also in bilingual training and is super fluent in English.
«From a very young age I also really liked learning about the environment and the planet, especially how to take care of it, because it is the only one we have to inhabit,» says Antonella.
«I was watching the news about coastal erosion and the world’s problems, and I was worried about the climate changeI thought what I could do to fix that,» he recalls.
Patricia smiles and remembers that image. «You would see a five-year-old girl listening to the news and asking questions about why the beaches were disappearing, and I would tell her to go play, but she really cared and insisted,» he says.
«I am a biologist by profession, but I have not practiced since 2020, when the pandemic broke out and I had to quit my job in the laboratory where I worked, because it required presence as essential personnel and I had no one to leave Anto with, so reinvented myself and I dedicate myself to something completely different, now I am a preparer of immigration procedures,» explains Patricia.
The environmental issue was always very present in his house, from recycling, caring for water, turning off the lights, contaminating as little as possible with plastic. They also had storytime routines every night.
«Maybe all that influenced her interests a little, but I tried to accompany her as her curiosity arose,» says her mother. For Antonella there was a pivotal moment where her path towards awareness began.
«There is a park in San Juan called Ocean Park and there was a part with a little cement path to walk on. But a few weeks later the water had eaten it, everything was broken and I wanted to know what was the reason,» he says.
When he had to choose a topic for his first science fair project at school, he had no doubts: coastal erosion. He was 6 years old and won first prize.
The gift that Bad Bunny’s foundation gave him and the dream of meeting Shakira
«Thanks to Bad Bunny and his foundation I was able to write my second book»reveals Antonella during the interview with Clarín. In 2023 he applied for the first camp summer that he organized Good Bunny Foundation, a non-profit organization created by Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny to support the development of children and young people in vulnerable sectors of his native Puerto Rico.
Antonella was one of the 180 children who were selected to receive music, art, sports and education workshops for two weeks.
«They gave each of us a iPad to draw, with a digital pencil, during one of the final activities and when the camp ended they told us that it was a gift for us,» he says.
«I couldn’t believe it because it was exactly what I needed. I couldn’t draw anymore with my old tablet, it got stuck all the time, and that’s why it also took me longer to make the characters, but now I have that iPad along with the layout programs that they gave us and with that I wrote my second book,» she says excitedly.
When he had everything ready, he used the auto-publish option on Amazon and that saved them several costs. «We only paid the cost of printing the books, which was relatively low, and of course they are published on Amazon as well, to be purchased directly there,» says Patricia.
That first Antonella book sold 1,000 copies in one year. «Although it had a fairly low profit margin, because demand is not high, at least for now, she considers it a long-term project,» he says.
«The money generated from that goes into an account in her name that she uses for school expenses, her transportation to lectures in libraries where she reads books, new prints, and so on,» she lists.
All the children made a group video call with Bad Bunny when that camp ended and he apologized for not being able to be there in person due to the musical commitments he had at the time. «That’s why I want to meet him, to thank you for giving me that opportunity and for your humilitybecause it was very exciting to chat with him,» says Antonella.
«I would also like to meet Shakira, because I love his music and because I really like your Barefoot Foundationwhich promotes education, builds schools for children and it makes me very happy to see the results,» he adds.
The girl even wrote the lyrics of a song to invite the Colombian artist to make a musical song about caring for the planet, and was about to give it to her in person.
«We were at Premios Juventud in July 2023, where she appeared, and I brought her my book, dedicated to her children Sasha and Milan, and for a matter of minutes I couldn’t give it to her before she left,» he reveals. He does not lose faith that this dream will come true in the future.
«Child Queen of Toa Baja», the crown of Antonela Pervil Caligari
In addition to being an artist, Antonella was also crowned Children’s Queen of the Patron Saint Festivals of Toa Baja in 2024. During his experience he carried an environmental message and He chose the coquí llanero for his typical costumean endangered species emblematic of Toa Baja, belonging to the family Eleutherodactylidae.
At the talent show he chose to recite «They Yelled at Me Black!» of the Peruvian composer and poet Victoria Santa Cruz. Thanks to her talent as a reclaimer – that’s what they call reciters in Puerto Rico – she was selected.
Like any beauty pageant, it involved compete and participate in many elimination rounds for a year. She stood out with her outfits, her activism and her personal project, a combo that led her to be crowned.
«It was a sacrifice because the costumes were very pompous, you had to go to each parade carrying makeup, clothes, everything, but she met a lot of people, it opened many doors for her and that also expanded her project because they themselves invited her to other towns to read her book,» says Patricia.
Antonella wants to give a message and some advice to other children. «I want to tell you that don’t give upto pursue what they want to do with their lives, believe in themselves, and if they need help, look for a mentor because the help of someone with experience always adds up,» he says.
«This is the only planet we have to live on, we are the future and we can also contribute. We can do small actions that make a difference, like do not throw garbage in the streets or on the beachbecause all that goes down the sewer and from there to the sea and other bodies of water,» he explains.
«Use less plastic, bring your reusable bottle, recycle, plant trees, and I know it’s difficult, but try to use public transportation more instead of cars, to pollute less,» advises Antonella.
That’s what his second book is about, taking care of water. «It’s the only thing we have to drink and only 2.5% of the water on the planet is fresh water.»
When he thinks about what he wants to be when he grows up, he says he has several ideas. «I want to study something related to art, technology and environmental sciences, I would like to study a career at MIT that combines some of that,» he reveals.
No matter what you choose in the future, you are already doing what you love and your calling to serve is evident. The same was anticipated by the medal he won at the School Science Fair at age 6, which had the message written on it: «You are never too small to make a difference.»
