Portugal
138
Araújo, Jorge (text)
Pereira, Pedro Sousa (illus.)
Nem tudo começa com um beijo (Not everything starts with a kiss)
Cruz Quebrada : Oficina do Livro, 2005. – 165 p.
(Ficção)
ISBN 989-555-108-8
Street kid – Social injustice – First love – Friendship
A
group of homeless teenagers lives in the »cave« (cellar) of a big city – a
tight, rat-infested, and hierarchically structured world of conflicts,
friendships, pain, tragedies, and death. The »sotão« (attic) above them is
close and yet seems far away. 14-year-old Fio Maravilha breaks through the
barrier separating these two spheres when he gets »upstairs« and meets Nuvem
Maria. The unconditional love between the two teenagers is only given a chance
thanks to a natural catastrophe. Despite a few inconsistencies, the book is
well worth reading because of its unusual combination of realism and almost
magical elements. The relentless description of the protagonists’ lives
serves as a sharp contrast to the language, which is rich in images, and to
the parable-like quality of the story. (12+)
139
Duarte, Rita Taborda (text)
Henriques, Luís (illus.)
A família dos macacos (The monkey family)
Lisboa : Caminho, 2006. – [28] p.
ISBN 972-21-1779-3
Child – Monkey – Behaviour – Boisterousness – Zoo
This
amusing picture book provides conclusive proof that we humans are close
relatives of apes. With their effervescent, monkey-like vivacity, two (human)
siblings turn the house upside down and drive their parents to despair.
Therefore, the parents »donate« them to the zoo, where the children
immediately feel at home. Other parents are impressed and dispose of their
offspring in the same way. Before long, however, the »monkeys’« hullabaloo
makes the exasperated zoo director send the children back to their parents –
who are not particularly delighted. The colour drawings accompanying the
rhymed story are vivid and cheeky, and perfectly translate the adorable little
guys’ carelessness and anarchic energy. (4+)
140
Gomes, Luísa Costa (text)
Nesbitt, Jorge (illus.)
Trava-línguas (Tongue twisters)
Lisboa : Dom Quixote, 2006. – 33 p.
ISBN 972-20-3127-9
Tongue twister – Language game – Nonsense
Tongue twisters, common in many languages and cultures, are a popular way of playing un-restrainedly with sounds, syllables, words, and language. Usually they have but one purpose, which is to lead the people who are trying to master them up the garden path and tie their tongues in knots. In this book, Louísa Costa Gomes offers witty new tongue twisters in prose and verse, including some fairly unusual adaptations of well-known traditional Portuguese tales. The texts are printed in a varied typography and are accompanied by sparsely coloured illustrations reminiscent of woodcuts. This splendid collection will delight children and adults alike. (5+)