The Steamboat: a 40-year journey through children's literature 2026

Forty years. That is the time that has passed since El Barco de Vapor saw the light and its books became part of the history of children's and youth literature in our country. In the last four decades, there have been hundreds of titles that have added to this collection, segmented by age and theme so that all children could find content adapted to their age and interests. Titles that in these four decades have accompanied different generations.

The first children who enjoyed that collection are now old enough to be the parents of the little ones who currently continue reading the books of this imprint that combines adventures, mystery, fun and literature.

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In these forty years, 52 million copies of Barco de Vapor books have been sold. Of all of them, the most successful has been Fray Perico y su burrico (with 907,121 copies sold). Behind them are The Pirate Tick (474,012 copies), The Scarecrow's Daughter (460,432), Finis Mundi (457,795) or Pamplinoplas (423,359). The glassmaker's children, The Adventures of Vania El Forzudo, A Striped Duende, Abuelita Opalina and Cucho have also managed to make a place in the top ten best sellers, in that order.

These already legendary books are joined every year by, on average, between 30 and 40 new titles, according to data from SM, Barco de Vapor's publisher. A collection that according to Gabriel Brandariz, editorial manager of children's and youth literature at SM "emerged when children's literature stopped being nerdy, and finally the production of children's books in Spain emerged with its own personality on the international scene, in dialogue with the great traditions of children's literature from central and northern Europe."

According to Brandariz, the name with which this collection was baptized was inspired by the first steamboat trips that began to be made in 1807 along the longest river in the United States, the Mississippi. Trips where that mechanical contraption was transformed into fantasy and where Tom Sawyer's spirit of freedom and infinite adventure glided everywhere. A journey that now, two centuries after those ships, and forty years after that collection, continues...

Granny Opaline

One afternoon, before finishing class, Miss Laura instructs her students to prepare an assignment for the next day: an essay about her grandmother. Isa does not have one and uses her imagination to provide one. Can something that has been invented as a game become a reality? A story that tells family relationships with humor.

From 7 to 9 years.

Cucho

Cucho has no parents and lives with his grandmother in a dilapidated apartment in the heart of Madrid. When his grandmother loses her job, Cucho has to find ways to help her get ahead. Thank goodness friends appear when you least expect it... A realistic novel about misery, friendship, solidarity and overcoming difficulties.

From 8 to 12 years.

The Pamplinople

Poliche is a boy who goes to visit his grandfather in the countryside. Instead of a boring stay, it becomes a fantastic adventure in which Pampinoplas, a character who has terrified the entire town, is involved. Will they both be able to decipher that enigma? A humorous story that advocates for peaceful solutions to conflicts.

From 7 to 9 years.

Finis Mundi

France, year 997 AD. Michel, a Cluniac monk, decides to embark on an impossible mission. According to the revelations of the hermit Bernard of Thuringia, the end of the world is approaching and there is only one way to save humanity: to invoke the Spirit of Time. But first it is necessary to recover the three axes on which the Wheel of Time is based. Where are they located? Nobody knows. Fast-paced adventure story against the clock.

From 12 to 14 years old.

Fray Perico and his donkey

Perico is a rustic, fat and red boy who shows up at a convent in Salamanca with the intention of being a friar. None of the friars want to admit him, but when they realize that Friar Perico is all goodness and that, in addition, he can talk to the sculpture of Saint Francis... everything changes. Currently, children and adults from 10 different countries and 5 different languages ​​(including Hungarian and Korean) enjoy the adventures of Friar Perico, Calcetín and the other friars of the convent. From 8 to 12 years old.

Scarecrow's Daughter

Loella, a twelve-year-old girl, has Papa Pelerín, the scarecrow, as her best friend. Her mother is always traveling and her father simply does not exist. A letter arrives at the cabin in the forest that will change Loella's life forever. What fate awaits her? Will she find what she has been searching for for so long? A book in which the value of friendship in overcoming difficulties is revealed.

From 10 to 14 years old.

The adventures of Vania the strongman

The glassmaker's children

Klas and Klara, the glazier's children, mysteriously disappear after a visit to the fair. They are taken to a magnificent mansion where the Lord of the City of All Desires and his always dissatisfied wife live. Because...can anyone say where the true wealth of the human being lies? An enigmatic story that reveals the importance of family love to overcome all difficulties.

From 8 to 12 years.

A striped elf

Rayas, as its name suggests, is a striped and multicolored elf. When his birthday arrives, he embarks on a journey that will lead him to learn many things about others and about himself. What fun adventures await him along the way?

From 7 to 9 years.

The Tick Pirate

The pirate Tick and his crazy crew are ready to set out on an adventure. Those who fear him say he is the fiercest man in all of London. He has a wooden leg, a steel hook and a crew of buccaneers ready for anything. Discover his first adventure on the high seas. From 8 to 12 years old.