Brazil
165
Barbosa, Rogério Andrade (reteller)
Lima, Graça (illus.)
Duula a mulher canibal : um conto africano
(Duula, the cannibal-woman : an African fairy-tale)
São Paulo : Difusão Cultural do Livro, 1999. – [40pp]
ISBN 85-7338-324-0
Cannibalism - Fear - Africa/Fairy-tale
Duula, who had turned into a man-eating monster during a draught in her childhood, has
captivated twins, a girl and a boy, who can escape the deadly danger. One will recognise
well-known motifs in this retelling of a Somalian fairy-tale: like Hansel and Gretel, the
children are fattened; like Little Read Riding Hood, they ask the monster about its
terrifying appearance; and like the people of Israel, they get away through the parting
sea. The impressive illustrations, inspired by the shapes and colours of Africa's desert
landscapes and everyday culture, poignantly mirror the children's fear. (6+)
166
Boas, Marion Villas (text)
Vilas, Ricardo (music)
Pimentel, Marcelo (illus./design)
Mistérios da Pindorama (Pindorama's secrects)
Rio de Janeiro : Ampersand, 2000. – 63pp
ISBN 85-87914-01-4
(Includes 1 CD)
Brazil - Folk literature/Character - Environmental destruction - Environmental protection
Well-known characters of Brazilian folklore play an important role in this book of
adventure stories. There is Boitatá (a fire-snake), or Curupira (an Indian with inverted
feet). In every story, one of these characters solves an environmental problem
(deforestation, water pollution etc.) and fights for the protection of nature. Songs of
protest against the destruction of the environment, equally operating with elements of
Brazilian folklore, complement the texts. The book design (recycled paper and
black-and-white illustration remeniscent of African and Amerindian art) contributes to the
integrative concept of this attractive environmental book. (5+)
167
Cruz, Nelson (text/illus.)
Chica e João
<proper names>
Belo Horizonte - MG : Formato, 2000. – 39pp
(Coleção histórias para contar história)
ISBN 85-7208-282-4
Brazil <18th century> - Portuguese man - Slave - Social prejudice - Love
Based on historical facts, this story tells of the love between a Black slave and a
Portuguese diamond trader, a love that was an absolute scandal in the eyes of the 18th
century colonial Brazilian society. The story has its origins in the province of
Diamantina; today, it is well known all over the country. The memories of the slave Chica
and the images – of architecture or fashion, for example – transport the reader
back into those times. The characters move through the large-formatted
colour-illustrations as if on stage, while extreme perspectives and optical distorsions
add visual momentum to the dynamics and drama of the story. (8+)
168
José, Elias (text)
Landucci, César (illus.)
A vida em pequenas doses (Life in small doses)
São Paulo : Global Ed., 2000. – 77pp
(Coleção jovens inteligentes)
ISBN 85-260-0594-4
Everyday life - Family conflict
The title of this slender volume is programmatic: Elias José, known for his short
stories, writes in »small doses«, that is in 70 very short stories, about little
everyday things, about love and life. In his bare prose, he focusses on one single
situation of conflict or crisis (divorce, separation, unwanted pregnancy, etc) and
concentrates on the inner life of the characters, on their psyche and memories. The book
is a collection of suggestive frozen moments, and it is up to the reader, to reconstruct
or even constitute the story from this extracted narrative material, reduced to its very
essence. (14+)
169
Nunes, Lygia Bojunga
A cama (The bed)
Rio de Janeiro : Agir, 1999. – 170pp
ISBN 85-220-0521-4
Bed
In the works of the Andersen Award-winning author objects often play a prominent role,
they might even become agents. In this story, the protagonist is a 100-year-old bed, that
had already been put aside but then found another purpose. In a true odyssee, it moves
from one place to the next – to a favela, an antique shop, for example, or on an old
photograph – and to humans of diverse social background and living conditions. They
all face crises and they all are on the quest for their identity. In her characteristic
narrative style full of poetic imagery, the author creates a series of touching and
original episodes. (11+)
170
Sandroni, Luciana (text)
Fukue, Roberto (illus.)
O sítio no descobrimento : a turma do Picapau Amarelo na expedição de Pedro Álvares
Cabral
(The people of the »Sítio« discover Brazil : Picapau Amarelo and his friends on Pedro
Álvares Cabral's expedition)
São Paulo : Ed. Globo, 2000. – 132pp
ISBN 85-250-3244-1
Lobato, José Bento Monteiro/Literary character - Cabral, Pedro Álvarez - Brazil -
Discovery <1500>
Some of the characters that Monteiro Lobato, the »father« of Brazilian children's
literature, created more than 70 years ago, and who still enjoy immense popularity in
Brazil, make their reappearance in this book. A rag-doll, a corncob, a cook, two children
and their grandmother travel back in time and take part in the »discovery« of Brazil by
the Portuguese Pedro Álvarez Cabral in 1500. They see and witness everything on this
great voyage of discovery, but they don't interfere with the course of history. The
narrative, written in humorous, playful prose, will stimulate the reader's imagination
with plenty of fun-filled scenes and original ideas. (8+)