Brazilian children love Emilia

Monteiro Lobato and family

The most famous writer of Taubaté is without doubt Monteiro Lobato. He created Emilia, a dominating, obstinate rag doll that has adventures with two children Pedrinho and Narizinho. But there is also, the grandmother Dona Benta that tells the stories and the maid Tia Nastacia. Tia Nastacia made Emilia and also the half man half corn person Visconte de Sabugosa. Emilia comes to life by eating a speaking pill. Sometimes the Saci, a one legged creature from Indian legends, appears in the stories.

Emilia and Tia Nastácia

The Saci

Most of his stories start with the grandmother telling a tale to the children. Then the children and the doll become involved in the story and go off into their fantasies.

Grandmother telling....

During the dictatorship some of his books were prohibited because in some stories the children used a magic powder. This made conservative and clerical powers think Monteiro Lobato was writing about the use of cocaine. 

The sitio Pica-Pau (Woopecker farm) where Monteiro Lobato was born and where he lived has become the centre of Monteiro Lobato  activities in Taubaté / Brazil. Many, many children go there. Either with their school or with their parents. The house is made into a museum, there is also a library and there is a little shop where you can buy “Emilia’s”.

Library

Saci

Emilia rag doll

The day I went there was bright and sunny. Walking under the old trees was refreshing. You couldn’t imagine that just outside this oasis was the busy traffic of Taubaté. In the park you meet the figures from the books. The statues are made of concrete and painted in bright colors. There is also a small band stand in the grounds.

Several times a day there is a show for children in a part of the old farm. The actors perform one of the stories. We saw part of a show. No photos because of copy rights!! The children were completely absorbed by the spectacle. This time they went to the moon!

In the grounds we saw this huge tree, the Jaca tree, with extremely big fruits. The vicinity of the tree was closed off, because you can imagine what happens when a fruit like that falls on your head.

 

Monteiro Lobato sure made Taubaté the Brazilian capital of children's literature