WOW Review: Volume XVII, Issue 2 • Page 4 of 9 • Worlds of Words

Along the Tapajós
Written and illustrated by Fernando Vilela
Translated by Daniel Hahn
Amazon Crossing Kids, 2019, 40 pp (unpaged)
ISBN: 9781542008686

Life along the Tapajós river in Brazil begins like the days of many children for brother and sister, Cauã and Inaê, members of an Indigenous tribe who have learned to live with the rainy seasons in the Amazon rainforest. They eat breakfast, grab their school bags, and head off to school in their boat. While at school, the skies grow dark signaling the start of the winter season when it rains nonstop causing the river to flood and families to relocate to dry ground. When Cauã and Inaê return home, they find that Ma and Pa have packed everything from the house into a boat and are ready for the move.

Once they reach dry ground, Inaê realizes they have left behind something very important: their pet tortoise, Titi! Filled with worry, the brother and sister decide to sneak back to their village against their mother’s wishes to save their beloved pet. When they return home, they find that only the rooftop is above water and Titi is alive on the roof with a giant anaconda lurking behind him. Cauã must swoop in to save the tortoise and risk being eaten by the giant snake. Somehow, the snake becomes entangled and Titi is saved, leaving the tortoise and the children happily reconnected and demonstrating the strong bond that can exist between humans and animals and the extent to which that bond prompts action.

The author and illustrator, Vilela, draws on his experiences in the Amazon rainforest of his native Brazil. He uses a landscape orientation and double-page spreads to mimic the length of the river and provide a wide view of the scenery. The majority of the colors used are green, black, and brown to depict the scenery, including the river, plant life and the buildings along the river. Pops of color are shown in the wildlife, plant life, and clothing of the people. In contrast to the vast scenery, human characters are relatively small within the double-page spreads. These elements, along with the bold lines featured throughout, help to accentuate the setting as an integral part to the story. Effectively, the reader comes to know the Tapajós river as an element that drastically impacts the lives of those who live along its banks. The narrative also illustrates ways in which Indigenous people adapt to cycles of flooding, living with nature instead of building structures like dams and levees to change natural river cycles.

The back matter provides information about the Tapajós river as well as information about the author’s visit to the Amazon rainforest that inspired the book. These elements help to draw a line between the reality of life along the river and the fantastical elements within the plot. Without these features, the flooding and relocating of the people who live there could be seen as another made-up plot twist to readers who have never experienced life along a river, in particular the Tapajós.

While life of the populações ribeirinhas (riverside populations) comprises many differences from those who do not live there, children across the globe who own a pet will easily make a connection with Cauã and Inaê’s love for their pet tortoise. Other aspects of the book may seem far away or imagined, but the love of a pet is very real for those who have experienced such a connection. Often pets become valued members of the family and children develop strong bonds with their pets. The small image of Inaê and Titi nose to nose with smiles on their faces and Inaê’s hand on Titi’s back perfectly depicts the strong relationships that can form between humans and the animals they love and care for. These human-animal relationships transcend time, borders, and cultures and provide a source for children to find connections with cultures that differ from their own.

Along the Tapajós would pair well with other global books that explore relationships between children and their pets such as My Dog Mouse by Eva Lindstrom (2017, Sweden), The Lost Kitten written by Lee Lee and illustrated by Komako Sakai (2017, Japan), and Loula and Mister the Monster by Anne Villeneuve (2015, Canada). Like Along the Tapajós, each of these books examines the connection between humans and animals and how pets can become beloved members of the family.

Along the Tapajós was first published in 2015 in Brazil under the title Tapajós by Brazilian author and illustrator, Fernando Vilela. Vilela resides in the capital city of São Paulo, Brazil and frequents the Amazon rainforest. Vilela’s books have been published in 14 countries and his artwork can be found in New York and Brazil. Vilela has received five Jabuti Awards (Brazil) for his picturebooks, some of which portray the rich cultures of the Amazon basin. He collaborated with poet Jorge Argueta (2010) on Rice Pudding: A Cooking Poem / Arroz con leche: un poema para cocinar, commended by the 2011 Américas Award and listed as an Outstanding International Book for 2011. Learn more about Fernando Vilela and his work at his website.

Daniel Hahn is a British writer, editor, and translator. He translates works from Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Hahn won the International Dublin Literary Award in 2017 for his translation of A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa.

Deonna Tourtellot, Red Rock Elementary, Red Rock, Arizona

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