Examen de Inglés PAU La Rioja 2026 · Ordinaria

The Spanish illustrator who wrote the letter cards for 'Frankenstein'

Tomás Hijo's carefully crafted work features in Guillermo del Toro's new film, Frankenstein. In the film, the creature learns new words through specially designed letter cards created by Hijo in a 19th-century style. The cards look like linocut prints — a way of making images by cutting shapes into a material — and reflect the artist's meticulous visual approach. This appearance is part of a collaboration between the director and the artist that goes back much further.

It is not the first time that Hijo's illustrations or prints have appeared in a film by the Mexican filmmaker. Their professional connection started almost by chance through a Hollywood art gallery that organised exhibitions devoted to figures from popular culture. One of these exhibitions, Guillermo del Toro: In Service of Monsters, included an engraving by Hijo inspired by del Toro's film: Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Hijo himself invented this fictional piece as if it were an old board game manufactured in Valencia during the Spanish Civil War. Del Toro bought this work for his personal collection.

Since that exhibition, they began exchanging messages and commissions. First, the director asked him to design his bookplate, which is a stamp placed inside a book to identify its owner, and other engravings. Later, they met again in Paris, where the idea for the Tarot del Toro was born, a project based on the Mexican director's cinematic universe that solidified their collaboration. Then, in Nightmare Alley (2021), other Tarot cards designed by Hijo became an essential element of the plot.

Because of all this previous work together, Hijo received another request when the new Frankenstein film started to develop. Del Toro wanted him to design the letter cards used by the creature to learn words while observing a grandfather teaching his granddaughter. "The instructions were very precise", he says, "they had to be round cards, each with a letter of the German alphabet and an associated icon". On the back, Hijo added a "green man", a figure connected to nature in European folklore, a nod to the forest spirit that runs throughout the film sequence. The artist even considered the creature's limited vision. To help him recognise each card by touch, Hijo added small marks around the edges. This obsession with visual and narrative coherence is one of the reasons why Hijo feels such a strong connection with the director. "He looks for a specific artist for each task. He doesn't delegate everything to an in-house team, but rather selects someone he believes is ideal for the job", Hijo explains.

Hijo has published many illustrated books. In 2025, he released his own edition of Frankenstein with the publisher Minotauro. His career has taken many turns. Although he studied journalism, he never worked as a journalist. Instead, he began drawing for school textbooks and children's stories. Step by step, he moved into fantasy, horror, and science fiction, which is the area where he feels most comfortable.

1. Answer the following questions about the text IN YOUR OWN WORDS. (2 points; 1 each)

a)

What were the main stages in the development of Hijo and del Toro's collaboration from the exhibition in Hollywood to their later collaboration on Frankenstein ?

b)

Why does Hijo feel a strong connection with the director, according to the text?

The Spanish illustrator who wrote the letter cards for 'Frankenstein'

Tomás Hijo's carefully crafted work features in Guillermo del Toro's new film, Frankenstein. In the film, the creature learns new words through specially designed letter cards created by Hijo in a 19th-century style. The cards look like linocut prints — a way of making images by cutting shapes into a material — and reflect the artist's meticulous visual approach. This appearance is part of a collaboration between the director and the artist that goes back much further.

It is not the first time that Hijo's illustrations or prints have appeared in a film by the Mexican filmmaker. Their professional connection started almost by chance through a Hollywood art gallery that organised exhibitions devoted to figures from popular culture. One of these exhibitions, Guillermo del Toro: In Service of Monsters, included an engraving by Hijo inspired by del Toro's film: Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Hijo himself invented this fictional piece as if it were an old board game manufactured in Valencia during the Spanish Civil War. Del Toro bought this work for his personal collection.

Since that exhibition, they began exchanging messages and commissions. First, the director asked him to design his bookplate, which is a stamp placed inside a book to identify its owner, and other engravings. Later, they met again in Paris, where the idea for the Tarot del Toro was born, a project based on the Mexican director's cinematic universe that solidified their collaboration. Then, in Nightmare Alley (2021), other Tarot cards designed by Hijo became an essential element of the plot.

Because of all this previous work together, Hijo received another request when the new Frankenstein film started to develop. Del Toro wanted him to design the letter cards used by the creature to learn words while observing a grandfather teaching his granddaughter. "The instructions were very precise", he says, "they had to be round cards, each with a letter of the German alphabet and an associated icon". On the back, Hijo added a "green man", a figure connected to nature in European folklore, a nod to the forest spirit that runs throughout the film sequence. The artist even considered the creature's limited vision. To help him recognise each card by touch, Hijo added small marks around the edges. This obsession with visual and narrative coherence is one of the reasons why Hijo feels such a strong connection with the director. "He looks for a specific artist for each task. He doesn't delegate everything to an in-house team, but rather selects someone he believes is ideal for the job", Hijo explains.

Hijo has published many illustrated books. In 2025, he released his own edition of Frankenstein with the publisher Minotauro. His career has taken many turns. Although he studied journalism, he never worked as a journalist. Instead, he began drawing for school textbooks and children's stories. Step by step, he moved into fantasy, horror, and science fiction, which is the area where he feels most comfortable.

2. Find A WORD OR EXPRESSION in the text for each of these definitions or synonyms. (1 point; 0.25 each)

a)

To a greater distance or degree, or at a more advanced level:

b)

Unexpectedly, not on purpose:

c)

Event(s) where artistic work is publicly displayed:

d)

An act of asking someone to do a specific task:

The Spanish illustrator who wrote the letter cards for 'Frankenstein'

Tomás Hijo's carefully crafted work features in Guillermo del Toro's new film, Frankenstein. In the film, the creature learns new words through specially designed letter cards created by Hijo in a 19th-century style. The cards look like linocut prints — a way of making images by cutting shapes into a material — and reflect the artist's meticulous visual approach. This appearance is part of a collaboration between the director and the artist that goes back much further.

It is not the first time that Hijo's illustrations or prints have appeared in a film by the Mexican filmmaker. Their professional connection started almost by chance through a Hollywood art gallery that organised exhibitions devoted to figures from popular culture. One of these exhibitions, Guillermo del Toro: In Service of Monsters, included an engraving by Hijo inspired by del Toro's film: Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Hijo himself invented this fictional piece as if it were an old board game manufactured in Valencia during the Spanish Civil War. Del Toro bought this work for his personal collection.

Since that exhibition, they began exchanging messages and commissions. First, the director asked him to design his bookplate, which is a stamp placed inside a book to identify its owner, and other engravings. Later, they met again in Paris, where the idea for the Tarot del Toro was born, a project based on the Mexican director's cinematic universe that solidified their collaboration. Then, in Nightmare Alley (2021), other Tarot cards designed by Hijo became an essential element of the plot.

Because of all this previous work together, Hijo received another request when the new Frankenstein film started to develop. Del Toro wanted him to design the letter cards used by the creature to learn words while observing a grandfather teaching his granddaughter. "The instructions were very precise", he says, "they had to be round cards, each with a letter of the German alphabet and an associated icon". On the back, Hijo added a "green man", a figure connected to nature in European folklore, a nod to the forest spirit that runs throughout the film sequence. The artist even considered the creature's limited vision. To help him recognise each card by touch, Hijo added small marks around the edges. This obsession with visual and narrative coherence is one of the reasons why Hijo feels such a strong connection with the director. "He looks for a specific artist for each task. He doesn't delegate everything to an in-house team, but rather selects someone he believes is ideal for the job", Hijo explains.

Hijo has published many illustrated books. In 2025, he released his own edition of Frankenstein with the publisher Minotauro. His career has taken many turns. Although he studied journalism, he never worked as a journalist. Instead, he began drawing for school textbooks and children's stories. Step by step, he moved into fantasy, horror, and science fiction, which is the area where he feels most comfortable.

Questions:

3. Choose the correct answer A, B, or C for the following questions. (1 point; 0.5 each)

1.

Which statement best describes del Toro's approach to collaboration, as presented in the text?

2.

What does the text suggest about Hijo's professional path?

PART 2. USE OF ENGLISH (2 POINTS)

4. Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it means the same as the first one. Use between 2 and 5 words, including the word given. Each word in a contraction counts separately. (1 point; 0.25 each)

a.

I forgot his birthday. WISH

I his birthday.

b.

The mechanic repaired Marta's car yesterday. HAD

Marta yesterday.

c.

I regret having wasted so much time yesterday. ONLY

If so much time yesterday.

d.

I did not study hard enough, so I failed the exam. IF

I would not have failed the exam hard enough.

5. Complete each sentence using your own words so that it is grammatically correct and makes sense. Write between 4 and 12 words. Each word in a contraction counts separately. (1 point; 0.25 each)

a.

Many people were disappointed because the match was cancelled due

b.

The plan failed because neither the staff nor

c.

They decided to go ahead with the event despite

d.

She is the student whose research project

PART 3. WRITING (4 POINTS)

Choose ONE of the following options:

a.

Failure is often seen as something negative, but some people believe it is essential for learning and personal development. Write an opinion essay explaining whether you agree or disagree with this idea. (140-180 words)

PART 3. WRITING (4 POINTS)

Choose ONE of the following options:

b.

Learning does not take place exclusively in formal educational settings. Write an opinion essay discussing the importance of learning beyond the classroom, for example through travelling, work experience, volunteering, or personal interests. (140-180 words)