GUMERCINDO AND THE GROUPER CHICKEN
ILLUSTRATED BY LAURABEATRIZ
COMPANHIA DAS LETRINHAS 2011
It was late on Friday the 13th when Gumercindo left his uncle’s house. Alone and a little scared, he saw something creep up behind him. He quickly hid, though when he saw who the creeper was, he cracked up: it was just a poor chicken, just as scared as he was.
For some reason, the chicken took a liking to Gumercindo. She followed him home and early next morning, she jumped into the back of the truck and followed the family to work in the market, where Gumercindo and his father sold twine stories and sang folk songs.
Everything was going well until the day the sheriff claimed that the chicken belonged to him. To decide who the true owner was, a challenge was proposed. Gumercindo had no idea that this challenge would spark hauntings, and take him and his family on an adventure through the Brazilian hinterlands, all the way to the Atlantic.
Through Gumercindo’s adventure, Joaquim shows a glimpse of hinterland culture, unfamiliar to many young readers in the more populated regions of Brazil. The book includes a glossary of hinterland terms, describing its origins and cultural relevance.
:: 2012 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Brazilian Selection
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CHICO CAMBEVA AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HAMMER
ILLUSTRATED BY LAURABEATRIZ
COMPANHIA DAS LETRINHAS 2009
It was a typical morning, Chico said goodbye to his wife and children and paddled into the ocean in his canoe, Idalina, for another day of fishing. The weather was nice, and Chico had no idea what was to come. Out of nowhere, he felt something tug hard at the line. He did his best to pull back, but as he looked down and saw the shadow of a huge animal, he was effortlessly pulled down deep into the ocean.
Through this fisherman’s adventure, Joaquim tries to show the importance of preserving the oceans and its animals. The book also contains an appendix filled with information about sharks, an animal that fascinates this writer.
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JOSÉ MOÇAMBIQUE AND THE CAPOEIRA
ILLUSTRATED BY LAURABEATRIZ
COMPANHIA DAS LETRINHAS 2007
To play with one another, not against each other. This is the essence of capoeira. A mix of fight and dance, introduced by African slaves as a form of resistance to the oppression. An art form, that for many decades was considered a crime, but that with the abolition of slavery, took on a more prominent role in the genuine expression of a culture. Through the story of José Moçambique and the Capoeira, Joaquim reveals a little about the origins and evolution of capoeira, that today has been established beyond Brazilian borders, in distant places, such as Denmark, Israel and Japan.
:: 2007 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Brazilian Selection
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