Stories that celebrate storytelling and black child protagonism

by Nilma Gonçalves

Studies around the world show that children learn about racial characteristics before they even stand up to walk. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that anti-racist education must begin from a very early age, and this includes diversity in the books to which they have access. Mother of Serena, 4, and Martin, 1, journalist Natália Paiva, 37, not only believes this, but also decided to write the books she would like her children to read. In the center, there are black children and babies telling stories about the world around them and in affectionate relationships with their parents. ' Martim Barulim - The Baby Sounds ' and ' The incredible Serena against the fearsome Aspiraldo ' mark Natália's debut as a writer of literature for children.

The protagonists of both works are black children who play, sleep and receive affection from their parents, exercising their imagination. “We have wonderful books on the Brazilian market about racial equality and black children’s empowerment, so my small contribution was to increase the supply of stories that celebrate storytelling and black children’s protagonism, with black families full of affection”, he highlights.

A journalist by training and now working in the technology area, Natália Paiva says that her writing side was reborn together with her children. “When Serena was born, I started reading a lot with her. It was a movement that brought back my old desire to write, to tell stories, something I always had, but had fallen asleep, mainly because my professional life took a different path”, she says, who believes that there are still few black writers published but who This scenario is undergoing strong change. “Historically, we have had fewer people having spaces to create, to tell other stories, in this everyone loses. It's good that we are at a time when this is changing, but, obviously, we still have a long way to go”, he says.

Faced with structural racism - which, according to North American educator Beverly Daniel Tatum, involves society as a kind of pollution (sometimes noticeable, sometimes not) -, Natália says that anti-racist education is urgently needed: “Parents need have intentionality, ensure that your children awaken diversity in their eyes, that they consume works starring black people. This not only in literature, but also in cinema, theater, animation”, says Natália. The journalist, who has already written articles on the topic for Folha de S. Paulo and El País, subscribes to the account @aloucadoslivrosinfantis on Instagram, where she gives publication tips and raises important reflections on childhood.

To read, watch and hum

The books 'Martim Barulim - The baby sounds' and 'The incredible Serena against the fearsome Aspiraldo' are multimedia and were developed for different platforms. In addition to the texts, it is possible to access videos and songs about the characters, through a QR code available on the back covers. The book inspired by Serena will also have a version told in Stories, on Solisluna's profile (@solislunaeditora). “I wanted my books to dialogue with the multiplatform world we live in. For me, it's recognizing that stories expand beyond the book itself. I thought about what these works would be like in audiovisual form, sung, read on the cell phone, on social media”, says Natália, who in her professional life is responsible for Instagram's Public Policy area in Latin America, was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, directed the NGO Transparência Brasil and was a journalist for Folha de S.Paulo.

For the game to be complete, it had several partnerships. Singer Cris Barulins (@crisbarulins) composed and sang the songs, Rebimboca (@estudiorebimboca ) produced the videos and Luísa Amoroso (@aluisaamoroso) illustrated the books. “When Natália invited me to compose these two beautiful stories with her, I was very happy”, recalls Luísa. “I was inspired by her poetic text, my personal experience as a mother and our many conversations. We debated every detail, settings, clothes, hair, gestures. We defined together what was going to be said in the text, what was going to be said in the image. It was a great dialogue and a lot of learning for me”, guarantees the illustrator. Another process under development is to transform book characters into plush toys, made in a limited edition by Ateliê da Pigly (@ateliedapigly).

A fundamental partnership in the publishing process was with the publisher Valéria Pergentino, managing partner of Solisluna, through which Natália Paiva insisted on publishing her books. “Having discovered Solisluna’s work was a balm. It's incredible to see the work that the publisher has done, to provide high quality literature at all levels. I think it's incredible that the editing work, graphic design, choice of paper, everything, is very sophisticated. It is even more wonderful that this is done outside the Rio-São Paulo axis”, highlights the writer, who is from Ceará, but lives in São Paulo.

“I don't even have words to express how happy and honored I feel to be part of a Solisluna project, which is a publisher that highly values ​​quality and does so with a very sensitive eye, recognizing the multiplicities of Brazil and investing in diverse and bold narratives, including in the children’s catalogue”, celebrates Natália Paiva.

The incredible Serena against the fearsome Aspiraldo (R$55.00) - Serena is a very imaginative girl. While her father vacuums different spaces in the house, Serena transforms herself into a queen, a mermaid, a ballerina or a fairy, fighting with her imaginary friends against a fearsome monster with a long nose that wants to suck up everything. In a sonorous narrative full of rhymes, the book takes us to a children's universe that transforms everyday domestic life into fantasy, smiles and lots of affection.

 

To find out more: www.solisluna.com.br