CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Children's Books, Manuel António Pina
A poet for children. A rich imagination that addresses big themes with nonsense and word play. A writer who believes that having fun is the most serious thing in life.
Manuel António Pina (1943-2013, Sabugal) was one of the few Portuguese writers to win the most important distinction within the Portuguese speaking countries literature, the Camões Prize. He graduated in Law, was an influential journalist and Editor-in-Chief of a national newspaper, but it was as a poet and children's books writer that he won unprecedented prestige amongst the national literary scene.
Pina was translated into Danish, French, Galician and English. During his career he collaborated with the British Film Institute; was the Portuguese translator and editor of fundamental authors like Pablo Neruda, T. S. Eliot and Paul Éluard; and won several prizes of the children's literature genre, namely: the Grand Gulbenkian Prize for Children and Youth Literature (1988), the Jury’s Mention of the Pier Paolo Vergerio European Prize (1988), and the Portuguese Centre of Theatre Prize for the Children and Youth (1988). In Portugal, he won in 2001 the Merit Golden Medal of the Porto Municipality. Pina was also part of the official authors' committee representing Portuguese literature at the Frankfurt Book Fair (1997), at the Paris Book Fair (2000) and the Gèneve Book Fair (2001).
Pina's children's literature production is characterized by a singular poetic sensibility that was strongly influenced by the British Nonsense literary style, in particular that of Lewis Carrol.
Pina was a regular collaborator in mediums like the television, for which he wrote scripts for children series; the theatre, having written more than twenty plays; or the education field, with his texts being part of manuals and anthologies in Portugal and Spain.
The Country of the
Upside-down People
Pages: 36
ISBN: 9789899702912
Using humour and nonsense,
this book brings together four
daring stories that pioneered
Portuguese children's literature:
The daily life in a country where
people live upside-down; a
goldfish who wrote a book too
hard to be read by his human
owner; a Baby Jesus who refused
to be God, because that would
prevent him from playing like
any regular kid; a delicious cake
who fights against the sin of
gluttony, which prevents people
from even touching him.
The Bird of the
Head and Other
Verses for Children
Pages: 80
ISBN: 9789720726797
The Bird of the Head gathers
several poems for children
which are easy to read, but
musical and meaningful
enough to be remembered.
Expressive paintings by the
renowned artist Ilda David
accompany the texts.
The Tinsteadqwuh
and Other Stories
Pages: 96
ISBN: 9789720786616
Since they were little the letters
have been taught the alphabetical
order. When they asked the big
letters why As had always to be the
first and Zs always the last, the big
letters answered that there isn't
really a reason for that. But how
come the order must always stay
the same, why can't letters decide
differently now and then?
This is a book where linguistic
games and imagination plays along
to tell fantastical stories of our
language and the weird beings
inhabiting it.
Children's Books, José Jorge Letria
200 books + 40 years career + extensive collaborations with
promising new illustrators.
José Jorge Letria (1951, Cascais), a prolific author with more than 200 books and 40 years of literary activity, is better known for his poetry and vast children and youth books writing production. The author has books translated into more than a dozen languages and was published by such distinguished publishers as Albin Michel.
A coordinator of radio and television programmes, Letria has been part of the developing team behind the Portuguese Sesame Street. His notoriety within the big audiences were accompanied by dozens of national and international prizes, namely the Unesco International Prize, having also been invited to be part of the European jury of the European Union Literary Prize.
Letria is a member of the World Literary Academy and has participated in the Editorial Commission of the Blank Book on European Cultural Politics. He is the president of the Portuguese Society of Authors and of the CISAC European Committee, and a member of the European Group Direction of Societies of Authors and of the Executive Committee of the Writers and Directors Worldwide.
He was awarded in Portugal and France with the Order of
Freedom and the Internationale des Arts et des Lettres
medal.
Weirdlings
Pages: 36
ISBN: 9789899671744
Sixteen Weirdlings that divide in
three and combine as they will.
They are sixteen Weirdlings to the
cube, which makes for 4096
Weirdlings to be discovered in
different combinations as pages
are turned forth and back.
Grandpa, Read It
Again
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9789897241604
In this book lives a poem that a
tender grandfather have
dedicated to his grandson. As
the little boy grows up with
“stars in the eyes and swallows
in the smile”, listening to the
many new words of his
grandfather's text, they start
developing a special bound that
will last forever.
The Man Who Had a
Tree in His Head
Pages: 36
ISBN: 9789720718945
Imagine a man called Streeve to
whom, one day, a tree began
growing on top of his head.
This unusual phenomenon
happens in a world that needs
more and more its scientific
culture in order to understand
all natural events that may
seem odd to us, and while
preparing for what the future
may unfold.
Mouschi, Anne
Frank's Cat
Pages: 38
ISBN: 9789724128221
Mouschi was a real cat that was
brought as company to Anne
Frank's captivity by her young
companion Peter vans Pels.
The day-to-day life in a small
refuge, the routine of a group
of people hiding from the Nazi
terror and the hope for the
freedom that never came, are
told by the voice of a pet that
has become the singular
witness of a human tragedy.
If I Were a Book
Pages: 64
ISBN: 9789899671768
This sweet celebration of the
magic and wonder of reading
portrays books as kites, tents,
and ships. A book becomes a
mountaintop with a spectacular
vista ("If I were a book, I'd be
full of new horizons"), and an
endless staircase of
imagination ("If I were a book, I
would not want to know at the
beginning how my story ends").
Seamlessly weaving together
art and prose, this petite tribute
to a reader's best friend makes
a timeless addition to every
bookshelf.
Children's Books, Álvaro Magalhães
Fun & daring. For angry kids, creative kids, and everyone else
who thinks no one can possibly understand their souls.
Álvaro Magalhães (1951, Porto) is particularly well known in Portugal for the youth book series Jay Triangle, which has reached a million readers and been adapted for the Portuguese public television RTP in 2012. With a 30 years career and almost 80 books written, the author has been getting increasing international attention and is already published in Spain, France, Brazil and South Korea.
Able of a great flexibility in his writing, which in some youth books results in a fast paced and action-centred story telling and in some children books it's the poetic sensibility that predominates, Álvaro Magalhães got recognized in 2002 by the Hans Christian Anderson Prize of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) while entering their Honour List. In Portugal, the author was awarded with several literary prizes by the Portuguese Writers Association, the Cultural Ministry and, more recently, by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, having been the recipient of the Grand Prize of Children and Youth Literature.
His books are authentic works of language, where the playfulness of words, concepts and sounds are always part of a thrilling narrative that catches young readers senses. Álvaro Magalhães has books in the short-story, poetry, narrative stories and theatre plays genres.
The Strangeton
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9789720727817
Fred, the Strangeton, is a 11 years
old boy with a high IQ who is
committed to tell his strange life
story with words and drawings,
while reflecting in a perhaps too
scientific manner on the meaning
of it all.
His major aim is to lead a normal
life, without turnovers, and while
his quest for understanding all the
peculiarities of his lifestyle takes
place, his friends will learn on the
way that to be different is actualy
a sign of originality rather than of
being weird.
The Master of His
Nose and other
stories
Pages: 60
ISBN: 9789892309927
A boy carries a nose the size of a
huge sausage, but that which
seemed initially bad luck or a
curse ends up revealing itself as
a blessing. This book addresses
how we can turn our faults into
advantages, always with a fun
and imaginative approach that is
stressed by the colourful
drawings of João Fazenda.
The Boy of the Silver
Sneakers
Pages: 208
ISBN: 9789892324562
A boy feels too special and intelligent
to even be the child of his parents,
who obliges him to do all the useless
and annoying things in life: going to
school, their obsession with his
personal hygiene, caring about some
odd future for him without even
asking if he actually believes in
growing up and becoming an adult.
While he can't do a DNA test to prove
they aren't his real parents and finally
live an independent life, the boy will
try to contradict anyone imposing
responsibilities and burdens on him.
Children's Books, Álvaro Magalhães
Pedagogy combined with the pleasures of early reading.
Luísa Ducla Soares (1939, Lisboa), a graduate of Germanic Philology, is one of the head figures of the Portuguese children's books literature, having now more than ahundred published titles. Her books usually get re-printed in numerous editions and are translated in several languages, with the French, Catalan, Basque and Galician being the most representative.
Ducla Soares has been developing crucial work in promoting reading amongst young people, namely through collaborations with the Education Ministry cabinets of consecutive Portuguese governments and by coordinating different projects for the Portuguese National Library where she worked from 1979 to 2009. Luísa Ducla Soares is also the founder of the Institute for Children Support and collaborated with several children's books for the Portuguese Institute of the Books and Libraries and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Grand Prize for the Work of a Lifetime (1996), or the Portuguese Society of Authors' Honour Prize (2009), are amongst the most prestigious distinctions Ducla Soares won.
The regular visits to schools and libraries, the participation in musical initiatives or in publications like the Sesame Street magazine (from 1990-5), and the highlighted place of some of her books within the National Reading Plan list have contributed for making Luísa Ducla Soares a reference author amongst young readers.
A Fingers' Story
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9789720728524
Fingers should be treated
like real people, as all of
them have specific
functions and strong
personalities. They are:
Tommy Thumb, Peter
Pointer, Toby Tall, Ruby
Ring, and Baby Small. This
book presents each one of
them, showing how
characteristic they are
alone, and how useful they
can be when living and
working together.
A Cow Pet
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9789720728586
Pets are the perfect animals for
company, but how would it go if
we tried having a cow hanging in
the living room? An old professor
tried exctaly this when he
brought one to his apartment
stuffed with books.
Daily life then becomes a series
of incidents where tripping in a
book and making the house
shake like a earthquake has just
passed becomes a normal event.
The Soldier João
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9789720728562
This is not a story about a brave
and invincible warrior who
dreams to fight for glory. The
soldier João was a simple boy
who liked everyone and wished
only to live in peace. He has
now to learn how to escape the
orders from the sergeant, the
captain, and the general who
demands him to go fight in the
war. In a time when João was all
about solidarity, happiness and
humour how much will he be
able to resist?
Glasses for Rita
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9789720728555
There are kids who resist using
glasses because they think it
will make them look silly. What
they don't realise is that glasses
make their eyes stand out and
gain new abilities. With them
the world suddenly becomes
richer, sharper and much
colourful. They are then able to
see the ant's fuss during its
work, the shirt's button which
fell in the carpet without notice,
and the invisible round hat of
the letter i.
From little kids unaware of the
secret things the world contains
they become better observers,
almost like they have earned a
superpower.
Crazy ABC
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9789720728494
Words are just as good fun
as toys can be. The crazy
letters in this book were
drawn as if they got bored
from sitting in grammars and
dictionaries, brought now to
life in the shape of animals,
making funny sounds and
trying to catch children's
attention to their infinite
possibilities and playfulness.
Children's Books, Mário de Carvalho
Magic realism meets children literature. By the Portuguese Borges.
Mário de Carvalho (1944, Lisboa) is, most probably, the best living short story writer of the Portuguese language. A graduate in Law, the author had an intense political activity before dedicating his life to fiction writing, with his departure to exile after the students fights against the dictatorship regime being one of the most important episodes in his life, as well as the return to Portugal when the democratic Carnation Revolution of 1974 occurred.
Mário de Carvalho is currently published in 11 countries with works on different genres: novel, short story, children writing and playwriting (his plays have been put on stage in Portugal and abroad).
Owner of an impressive erudition and with a perfect command of the Portuguese language workings, he is the author of 25 books, nine of them having been multiple times awarded. His sophisticated irony, the universality of his themes and inventive abilities – sometimes reminding us of the fantastic atmospheres depicted by Jorge Luis Borges or inspired in the Portuguese literature classics – have resulted in translations of his books into the main market's languages: English, French, German, Italian, and others.
Amongst the most important prizes Mário de Carvalho won, it included: the Grand Prize of Short Story and Novel of the Portuguese Association of Authors, the Internazionalle Città di Cassino Prize (Italy), the Pegasus Prize for Literature, the Portuguese Pen Club Prize of Fiction, and the Vergílio Ferreira Prize for his lifetime written production. More recently, in 2014, he was distinguished with the Order of Saint James of the Sword for literary merit.
Mário de Carvalho coordinated post-graduate courses in playwriting, as well as several workshops in fiction writing, and was a university professor for several years.
The Man who
swallowed the
Moon
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9789720709493
At the Sardinyard alley the
universal physical laws
seem a little bit more
flexible than anywhere else,
which means that the man
who by chance opened his
mouth in a slightly wider
yawn than expected got to
swallow by accident the
whole moon.
Children's Books, Hélia Correia
A global literary sensibility. With acute historical and cultural
awareness. Carries the ancient Greece tradition with her.
Hélia Correia (1949, Lisboa), a graduate in Romanic Philology, is the 2015 recipient of the most important prize of the Portuguese language literature, the Camões Prize. Correia is considered a reference of the modern Portuguese fiction, and is one of today's most prominent national writers.
Correia adopts a socially committed approach in her works, usually showing great historical awareness of past world conflicts and of intricate political and cultural tensions where the poor, the refugees, and the opressed are the main characters of her stories.
In her playwriting works, Correia's love for ancient Greece stands out as a major influence. Hélia Correia has also written poetry, children literature, and was the translator of Shakespeare, Adelaide Garcia Morales and Juan Carlos Onetti.
She was awarded several times for her books, having won the Pen Clube Prize (2001), the Máxima Prize of Literature (2006), the Virgílio Ferreira Prize for her lifework (2013), The Correntes d'Escritas / Casino da Povoa Prize (2013), the Grand Prize Camilo Castelo Branco (2015), amongst others.
Mopsos, The Little
Greek: The Delfos Gold
Pages: 140
ISBN: 9789727088188
The Delfos Gold is the first volume
of a collection of books inspired in
the ancient Greece literary
tradition and it's mythological
characters, intended for young
readers and those interested in
new fictional universes which
recovers this heritage.
Mopsos, who comes from a family
of fortune tellers, decides to go on
his first trip to Tebas when he is 8
years old. Accompanied by his
blind grandfather Tiresias, the
most important of all Greek tellers,
they eventually reach the Apolo
sanctuary in Delfos where an
unpredicted adventure will
challenge young Mopsos'
maturity .