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A review by angkunkel
Bisa's Carnaval by Joana Pastro
5.0
As someone who has never experienced a carnaval celebration, I appreciated this glimpse into the Brazilian traditions surrounding the season, by author Joana Pastro and illustrator Carolina Coroa. Pastro masterfully weaves Brazilian Portuguese words and phrases throughout the majority-English text, and while context clues are enough for readers to understand the meaning, a glossary is also included in the back.
Pastro masterfully reveals the greater significance of the celebration, showing that everyone forgets their troubles: "The lost job or the long hospital line. The duct-taped sneaker, the leaking roof. The end of summer, back-to-school blues. The paycheck that doesn't last." At the heart of the story, though, is the relationship between the main character and her great-grandmother, or Bisa, and the story ends in a sweet and satisfying way. Coroa's colorful illustrations beautifully capture the range of fantasias and cultures represented during a carnaval parade, and an author's note adds even more specificity and context.
Pastro masterfully reveals the greater significance of the celebration, showing that everyone forgets their troubles: "The lost job or the long hospital line. The duct-taped sneaker, the leaking roof. The end of summer, back-to-school blues. The paycheck that doesn't last." At the heart of the story, though, is the relationship between the main character and her great-grandmother, or Bisa, and the story ends in a sweet and satisfying way. Coroa's colorful illustrations beautifully capture the range of fantasias and cultures represented during a carnaval parade, and an author's note adds even more specificity and context.