Brazil

How Night came from the Sea: A Story From Brazil

There was no starlight or moonbeams. There were no night creatures and no night flowers to fill the air with perfume. Everywhere there was only sunlight and brightness and heat.

In graceful, deeply felt text and bold, brilliant pictures, this story shows how an ancient African sea goddess brings the gift of night to the land of daylight. With the coming of night there is not only beauty and wonder of night flowers opening their petals at dusk, of stars and moonbeams flickering across the sky, and of the gentle chorus of night creatures, but there is rest, too. For when the dark, cool blanket of night covers everything, the people can then leave their work from under Brazil’s bright, hot sun.

This traditional story expresses Brazil’s unbroken connection to Africa as it show how one woman finds peace and hope in a strange new land. Celebrating all the beauty of the lush, tropical night, here is a tale that will be long remembered.

Dancing Turtle: A Folktale from Brazil

After being caught by a hunter, a clever turtle uses her wits and her talent playing the flute to trick the hunter’s children into helping her escape.

The Moon Has Written You A Poem

Subtly capturing the innocence and imagination of childhood, this magical poetry collection captures the innocence and imagination of childhood focuses on the importance of family. Deftly translated verse captures the lyrical rhymes of the original Portuguese while providing a whimsical escape for the entire family to enjoy.

B is for Brazil (World Alphabets)

From the wilds of the Amazon rain forest to the busy streets of São Paulo; from C is for Carnival to J is for Jangada; from football to Zebu cattle; B Is for Brazil shows this lively South American country in all its colorful diversity. Maria de Fatima Campos’s striking full-color photographs capture the essence of Brazilian life – the interweaving of its cultures and peoples – as she leads the reader on an alphabetic tour. With a simple, informative text, the book illustrates the contrasts between city and rain forest, different customs and peoples, and the vibrant world of Brazilian children whether at home, at school, fishing on the river, or painting in the open air.

Jabuti The Tortoise: A Trickster Tale From The Amazon

Jabut’s shell was smooth and shiny, and the songs he played on his flute were sweet. But his music was a reminder, too, of the mischievous pranks Jabut sometimes played. When a concert takes place in heaven, Vulture offers to fly Jabut there . . . all the while plotting a trick of his own.

From Another World

Martin and his friends are helping their parents turn an old Brazilian coffee plantation into an inn. The children have a fun time helping to renovate the old place and they sleep in a shed that is being converted into a guest room. But one night they hear the sound of a young girl crying. Gradually, the ghost of a slave girl from the late 1800s named Rosario appears to them. Rosario tells them the story of her life and in doing so reveals the danger and instability that existed in Brazil after slavery ended. Though not the best at writing, Martin promises Rosario to record her story in the form of a book. Though the experience of slavery seems remote to Martin and his friends, by the time they\’ve heard Rosario\’s story, the evil of slavery is made painfully clear. Ana Maria Machado’s deft storytelling skills and social conscience come together in this powerfully moving book that explores the history and impact of slavery.

Bisa Bea, Bisa Bel (Spanish Edition)

Hacer limpieza general puede descubrirnos un mundo. En el cuarto de mi madre -cuenta Bel- había un armario, dentro del armario había un cajón, dentro del cajón había una caja, dentro de la caja había un sobre, dentro del sobre había un montón de retratos, dentro de un retrato estaba Bisa Bea. Y así, de la mano del pasado y del futuro, Bel vivirá su presente.

Camilon, Comilon

camilionCamilón is a gluttonous and lazy piggy who prefers to order food from the others to get it himself. He is accustomed to his friends always saving him from starving, and when he gets a lot of food, he thinks he could do something different … What will Camilon, a glutton, propose? A fun story that emphasizes the need for friendship and generosity.

The Great Snake: Stories From The Amazon

As the Rio Afuá ferry wends its way along the Amazon, Sean Taylor takes in not only the sights and sounds of this extraordinary landscape but also the stories of the people he meets. From sly jaguars and the slowest of sloths to spine-tingling giant serpents and white-suited strangers, his retellings teem with legendary beings, vivid color, earthy comedy, and the mysteries of the rainforest. Together, with Fernando Vilela’s dramatic, color-saturated illustrations, they reveal the Amazon peoples’ beliefs and way of life. Notes and a glossary provide additional information about the region.

Carnaval

For weeks the people of the Brazilian town of Olinda have been sewing costumes, painting masks, and creating giant puppets–preparing for carnaval. Like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, carnaval is a five-day festival of parades, dancing, and singing. But unlike Mardi Gras, Olinda’s carnaval still celebrates the traditions and folklore of the people and the shared cultures–indigenous, European, and African–that make up Brazil. As generations have done each year, the people of Olinda and their visitors give themselves over to the music, dance, and joy of carnaval.