Brazil
157
Azevedo, Ricardo (text)
Massarani, Marina (illus.)
Trezentos parafusos a menos (Three hundred screws loose)
São Paulo : Companhia das Letrinhas, 2002. – 134 p.
ISBN 85-7406-129-8
Family – Inheritance – Search for identity – Happiness
The Souzas are an ordinary family and full of all those idiosyncrasies that
are simply part of life. When they suddenly inherit a fortune, their lives
radically change. The nervous, cranky father Luis quits his hated job, takes
guitar lessons, and becomes a talented musician. Mother Ruth, who spent her
life worrying about her weight, fulfils her life-long dream by taking up
professional training to become a nurse. Adopting the point-of-view of
10-year-old daughter Tatiana, Ricardo Azevedo delivers a humorous and
fast-paced account of people who don’t let their good fortune slip by and
set a new course that helps them grow and find happiness. (9+)
158
José, Elias (text)
Scatamacchia, Cláudia (illus.)
Deu doideira na cidade (Crazy things in the town)
São Paulo : Martins Fontes, 2002. – 116 p.
(Escola de magia)
ISBN 85-336-1606-6
Town – Magic
Tonho is outraged. Even though his cousin Otávio lives in the bustling
metropolis of São Paulo, he pretends that nothing happens there worth
mentioning. Instead, he asks Tonho for the latest news from Catitó. No
problem! Catitó may be a small town, but it certainly has a lot to offer. In
his letters, Tonho convinces his cousin that life out in the provinces can
even be quite crazy. There are ghosts, rebellious objects, or a miraculous
metamorphosis – without the slightest surgical intervention – from Paulo
to Paula. In an unpretentious, subdued tone, Elias José relates short and
whimsical episodes from the life of a rather weird town. (6+)
159
Nestrovski, Arthur (text)
Maria Eugênia (illus.)
Bichos que existem & bichos que não existem (Creatures that exist and creatures that don’t)
São Paulo : Cosac & Naify, 2002. – [60] p.
ISBN 85-7503-120-1
Animals – Mythical creatures
This imaginative and inspiring ‘encyclopaedia’ offers a colourful journey
through a very diverse world of animals. Beside the commonly-known cow,
Brazilian jabutis, and giant ants, seahorses, camels, and the tropical bird
Uirapuru, the book also portrays some extremely unusual specimens, such as the
headless mule popular in traditional folk tales from Brazil, the legendary
bird called Phoenix, and the ever-smiling Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland. The witty, playful texts and the captivating,
highly graphical illustrations in bright colours make this book a particularly
attractive and enjoyable read. (5+)
160
Oliveira Neto, Godofredo de (text)
Mello, Roger (illus.)
Ana e a margem do rio : confissões de uma jovem Nauá (Ana and the bank of the river : confessions of a young Nauá)
Rio de Janeiro [et al.] : Ed. Record, 2002. – 206 p.
ISBN 85-01-06257-x
Amazon – Indios – Female adolescence – Missionary school – Cultural conflict – Interculturality – Search
for identity
Ana,
a girl from the Nauá people, attends a missionary school run by Salesian nuns
in the Amazon. At this juncture of two very different worlds, she attempts to
reassert her origins and find her own way. From chapter to chapter, the
narrative shifts between Ana’s account of daily life at school and a legend
from the oral tradition of the girl’s tribe. As retold (and slightly
modified) by Ana in a school essay, this Indian legend reflects the influences
resulting from the encounter with Western culture. Without resorting to exotic
or romantic stereotypes – as often happens in books about Indian cultures
– the well-known novelist dresses a convincing portrait of Ana’s quest for
identity. (13+)