Brazil
(Portuguese)
161
Azevedo, Ricardo (text/illus.)
Histórias de bobos, bocós,
burraldos e paspalhões (Stories about fools, imbeciles, donkeys, and
simpletons)
Porto Alegre : Projeto Ed., 2001. - 63 p.
ISBN 85-85500-36-0
Folktales/Brazil - Luck - Lucky devil
This book presents four tales from Brazilian folklore. The author preserves the original nature of the
tales with his skilful and entertaining style; at the same time, he creates his
own, contemporary version by incorporating new elements and motifs from other
fairy- and folktales. The uniting element of the tales are the protagonists, who
all suffer from a remarkable lack of intelligence: »daft heroes«, who fail in
their tasks, create havoc and confusion but end up winning the big game without
much of their own doing. Black-and-white illustrations reminiscent of
silhouettes harmonise very well with the text. (10+)
162
Braz, Júlio Emílio (adapt.)
Dansa, Salmo (illus.)
Lendas negras (Black
legends)
São Paulo : FTD, 2001. - 109 p.
(Série no meio do caminho)
ISBN 85-322-4814-4
Brazil/Africa/Folktales/Legenda
In recent years, Brazilian children's literature has increasingly returned
to those roots of Brazil that link them with the Indian aborigines and the
history and culture of Africa. The present book assembles eight African tales:
myths and fairytales about the basic questions and secrets of life - one of
which is death. Retold in a style suitable for contemporary, young readers, they
nevertheless preserve the character of African folklore and the immediacy of
orally transmitted literature. Fascinating black-and-white illustrations,
effectively exploring the effects of light and shadows, complement the vivid and
gripping narrative. (10+)
163
Coelho, Raquel (text/illus.)
A arte da animação (The
art of the cartoon film)
Belo Horizonte - MG : Formato, 2000.
- 43 p. + supplement
(No caminho das artes)
ISBN 85-7208-275-1
Cartoon film - Trick film
This non-fiction book introduces children to an exciting topic in an
attractive and lively way. With the help of innovative, vivid illustrations
obviously indebted to the visual language of audio-visual media, the author
explains the techniques, possibilities, and secrets of her trade. The pictures
and the simple text make this popular topic accessible to children. The book is
complemented by a didactic supplement primarily designed for educators; it
offers ideas for activities inviting the children to experiment themselves with
the basics and techniques of the art of cartoon-film-making. (9+)
164
Hetzel, Bia (text)
Jardim, Felipe / Sonkin, Flora (illus.)
O porco (The pig)
Rio de Janeiro : Manati, 2000. - [24] p.
ISBN 85-86218-07-3
Human - Character – Pig
Human characteristics and behaviour are often associated with certain
animals. This picture book takes up the idea in a witty and entertaining way: It
explores the so-called »pig-spirit« that, once it takes hold of us, can
determine our gestures and words. Bad mood, violence, rage - all those »base«
feelings and instincts slumbering deep down in our human soul can be awakened by
the pig-spirit. The rhymed verse, which makes fun of »piggish situations«,
resounds with natural musicality and lends itself wonderfully to reading out
loud. The expressive, brightly coloured illustrations, which suitably complement
the text, reflect the unruliness and highlight the comic side of the subject. (6+) ¤
165
Lima, Ricardo da Cunha (text)
Calvi, Gian (illus.)
De cabeça pra baixo
(Head down, feet up in the air)
São Paulo : Companhia das Letrinhas, 2000. - 55 p.
ISBN 85-7406-078-x
Children's poetry - Writing poetry – Nonsense
An air-balloon that's scared of heights, a vacuum cleaner that's allergic
to dust, a flying lettuce: Ricardo da Cunha Lima's poems teem with comic
absurdities. The poet juggles around with ideas and words and creatively
explores the playful, spontaneous side of language. His poems break rules and
mix up the normal order of things to open new windows onto the world and change
the way we ordinarily see things. The colour-illustrations take up that playful
mode. They, too, turn the world upside-down - head down, feet up in the air -
and kindle the imagination of young readers. This is not merely an anthology of
poems; it is also a book about the art of writing poetry, encouraging children
to try their hand at rhythms and rhymes. (7+)