Before there were books with written stories, there were stories told orally, and before that, and language, there were stories in drawings, or represented through gestures, symbols and sounds. There was imagination, although we don't know the exact moment in which humans began to use it. There were dreams. Emotions.

I have always been curious about the creation of intricate stories with parallel narrative events and conflicts, but also with logic and, above all, with a component of emotional authenticity capable of captivating other people. It's a process that draws on imagination or, often, on imagination mixed with memory. Regarding the writing of stories for children, I deduce this process is permeated by a strong emotional awareness.

Throughout my life, I have come across many books designed especially for younger humans. Among the ones I read as a child, the ones I read to my daughter, and the ones I translated, there are some for which I feel special affection, whether for the subject matter, the prose or poetry presented, or their ability to stimulate critical and creative thinking, ideas and understanding without neglecting the purity factor. In this post, I would like to highlight two books, but many others will follow in due course—the collection O Povo-Luz e os Homens-Sombra (Light-People and Shadow-Men): O Segredo da Romã (The Secret of the Pomegranate), Dom Quixote, 2006 and O Planeta Adormecido (The Sleeping Planet), Dom Quixote, 2007, by Ana Zanatti, for whom I also feel a special affection. The illustrator is Carla Nazareth. There's a third book in the collection, A Grande Travessia (The Great Crossing), which I will be reading soon.

Although these two books belong to the children's category, reading them is a useful reminder and, perhaps, a warning sign so that we adults can readjust the course of our days, which are easily and frequently beyond our control or intrinsic will, influenced by verbs such as to have, to win, to compete. Perhaps it can give us back glimpses of the wonder at those days, now properly adjusted between love, the imaginary and reality. 

These two books show us, metaphorically (or not so metaphorically), a world in which adults are greedy people, driven by power and money, neglecting purity and nature, children and animals, taking up more and more physical space and destroying the habitat of other living beings. They claim to have no time, the most precious commodity, and live dominated by fear and sadness. The children of that world, as the ones in ours, have the admirable ability to bestow love and awaken the numb adults. The same is true of some of the wise and sensible animals that make up the captivating characters in these books. A quite valuable reading to be found on bookstore shelves or, perhaps, in libraries.

I therefore suggest trips to libraries and bookstores. In both, libraries and bookstores, the floor is usually comfortable (because the floor is not what matters the most) and to the liking of the little ones; if it isn't, just find a corner with a rug, or chairs, if there are any. Choosing books, leafing through them and absorbing them means entering different worlds born of the imagination and shaped by the perception of those who read or see them. Of those who absorb them. It grants courage, understanding. It also grants peace, but for that we must not give up reading and telling stories with affection.

Other suggestions that never become obsolete:

. offer books as presents;

. read (even more) books;

. read every day;

. read together with the children;

. ask the children to read books to us (and carefully listen to them);

. propose the writing of an essay, a drawing, or the construction of an object inspired by a book or a story;

. propose the creation a book (a few pieces of paper glued together or tied with string, drawings and/or words);

. encourage the children to continue the story told in the book using their imagination (orally or in writing);

. arrange the books in a place that is easily accessible to the children (at a height they can reach and so that they can see the covers or spines).

When children are small, the floor is an excellent place to store their books. Whenever they feel like picking up a book, they can do so independently. Not only will we be fostering their autonomy, allowing them to explore their surroundings independently, but we'll also be fostering their appreciation for books, their passion for stories, their knowledge of the world and their knowledge of themselves.

Stories have the power to open hearts and change mindsets; they equip adults and children for resistance, change and evolution. Educating, offering knowledge and affection, creates the responsible adults of the future.

Cláudia Gomes Oliveira

1 February 2024