Maria V. Acevedo-Aquiño, University of Texas A&M, San Antonio, Desiree W. Cueto, Western Washington University, and Dorea Kleker, University of Arizona
For the final week of July, Desiree and Dorea give their takes on From My Window, a picturebook which shares a name with a previous book discussed this month.
DESIREE: In this Outstanding International Book Award finalist, Otavio Junior gives readers an inside look at his own childhood, growing up in a Favela neighborhood in Brazil. Favelas were built by formerly enslaved Africans and the poverty that has endured across generations is documented in the author’s notes at the end of the book. The story itself does not shy away from issues of crime and violence that have resulted from prolonged struggle and no government support. But, what resonates most is the strength and resilience of the people. Told from the perspective of a young boy using the refrain from my window, the story beckons us to see, hear and celebrate the beauty that inspires the protagonist. The collage illustrations in bold, bright colors send a message that this place is full of life, and the dreams of its people, “seeking their own treasures”, could never be muted.
Once again, I find myself thinking of this past year and returning to the sense of dread felt by so many people around the world. The idea of not being able to get groceries, the fear of not having enough, or going without was almost more than some of us could tolerate. I wonder what we can learn from people for whom this is a constant reality—even when there is no global crisis. I started this conversation by saying that this book is one about beauty, strength and resilience. I wonder how these types of window books might teach us to better recognize the beauty in the everyday and to really see and connect with hopes and dreams of those around us.
DOREA: The many layers of colors and textures that Vanina Starkoff uses in her illustrations highlight the vibrant complexity of this boy’s beloved neighborhood. To me, these illustrations feel like an invitation to the favela—an invitation that asks me not to pass through quickly but implores me to stay a while, to settle in and to look and listen carefully. Each page is filled with faces, places and human interactions showing the day-to-day lives that make up this community. It is the details in these images (the word olá that appears throughout, the telephone lines, the white birds flying through the pages) that made me pause, consider what I am noticing more deeply and wonder: What else do I need to know?
In one of the pages, there is an image of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala, as a mural and it piqued my interest. A Google search for “Malala mural favela Brazil” led me to learn about this mural and its artist, Panmela Cruz. I continued to learn that Malala visited favelas as part of a project to support the education of young girls and was responsible for spray painting the second piece of graffiti in the illustration that I hadn’t previously noticed: a depiction of Michelle Franco, a local politician and human rights advocate who had been recently killed due to her activism.
I spent an hour reading and learning about a part of the world that was previously unfamiliar to me and I was reminded how important our questions and wonderings are. Desiree, you asked how these books might teach us to better recognize the beauty in the everyday and to really see and connect with hopes and dreams of those around us. We have talked about how the pandemic forced much of the world to slow down. As we hold on to the lessons we’ve learned, I would hope that we continue to seek out spaces to pause, to look out our windows, pay attention to the small details, ask what more do I need to know and then continue to search out new ways of understanding the world around us.
Title: From My Window
Author: Otavio Junior
Illustrator: Vanina Starkoff
Translator: Beatrice C. Dias
ISBN: 9781782859772
Publisher: Barefoot Books
PubDate: March 15, 2020
Throughout July 2021, Desiree Cueto, Maria Acevedo-Aquiño, and Dorea Kleker discuss four recently published picturebooks with global connections around the theme of “windows”. Check back each Wednesday to follow the conversation!
- Themes: Desiree Cueto, Dorea Kleker, From My Window, Maria Acevedo-Aquino, Otavio Junior, Vanina Starkoff
- Descriptors: Books & Resources, My Take/Your Take