Yellow Woodpecker Ranch

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A unofficial illustration of the Yellow Woodpecker Ranch
A unofficial illustration of the Yellow Woodpecker Ranch

The Yellow Woodpecker Ranch (Sítio do Picapau Amarelo) is the setting for the children's books written by Brazilian writer Monteiro Lobato. It is a small farm with a pretty cottage, surrounded by trees and simultaneously close to several other subsettings: the river, the woods, and a small village nearby.

Caricature of Monteiro Lobato with the rag doll Emília ("Emily"), his creation
Caricature of Monteiro Lobato with the rag doll Emília ("Emily"), his creation

In the ranch lives an old widow, Dona Benta ("Mrs. Benta"), and her two grandchildren, a girl, Lúcia ("Lucy") that is always referred only by her nickname, Narizinho (roughly "Little Nose", because she had the turned-up nose), and a boy, Pedrinho (roughly "Pete"), the servant and cook, a black woman named Nastácia ("Anastacia"), and two talking puppets, the rag doll Emília ("Emily") (animated by some of Doctor Snail's "Talking Pills" she somehow "ingested") and the aristocratic and learned puppet made of corncob Visconde de Sabugosa (roughly "Viscount Corncob") (sabugo means corncob in Portuguese). In the ranch lives also various animals, the fat pig Rabicó (roughly "Short-Tail") the cow Mocha, the learned donkey Conselheiro (roughly "Counsellor"), and a rhinoceros named Quindim (roughly "Candy", Quindim is a Brazilian dessert), who fled from a circus and was kept hid by the children.

While in the ranch the children have a lot of adventures, with or without the participation of the old widow, get to know many strange creatures, like the noble fish Príncipe Escamado (roughly "Scabby Prince"), the vain sardine Miss Sardine, the fretful cockroach Dona Carochinha ("Mrs. Carochinha") and the old snail Doutor Caramujo ("Doctor Snail"); and entities from the Brazilian folklore, like the witch alligator Cuca (an evil monster invoked by Brazilian mothers at night to convince their kids to go to bed), the Saci (an one-legged elf), or Iara (some sort of river mermaid).

The Ranch was devised as an attempt to sum up all widespread characteristics of the Brazilian rural way-of-life of its time for educational purposes: Lobato intended to teach children to understand, to enjoy and to be proud of their cultural heritage and tried to do so by means of creating an entire milieu in which to set his children's stories so that they could all have a common Brazilian feel and background.

The major features of the Ranch were established by the book A Menina do Narizinho Arrebitado ("The Girl With the Turned Up Nose"), in 1920. The quick success of the book, an unexpected but very welcomed surprise for the author, encouraged him to keep writing more on the series, until he eventually produced 23 books set in the Ranch. Lobato invested the revenue of his children's books in his publishing house, but these books are not be viewed as commercial venture: later in life Lobato admitted that he had joyfully given up writing for adults (from 1925 on) because he believed it to be much more pleasant and useful to teach children through his books.

Contents

[edit] Monteiro Lobato's children books

Lobato's books have been translated to Spanish, but not yet into English. Here's the full list of his children books:

  1. Reinações de Narizinho (Adventures of Little Nose). The same book mentioned above, but reedited, enlarged and renamed. Presents all major characters.
  2. Viagem ao Céu (Voyage to the Sky). Pete befriends an invisible magic being (nicknamed: Feather, because he must wear a feather in his cap so that Pete can know where he is). This being travels throughout space and time using a magic powder (codename: Pirlimpimpim) and Pete finds himself in possession of some as Feather forgets (or intentionally leaves) his knapsack on Pete's bed. Using the powder, Pete and the others take a trip through the Solar System -- in which they learn a lot about the planets and meet several mythical beings.
  3. O Saci (The Saci). Pete learns from an old man, Barnabé, how to attract and entrap a Saci with whom he eventually becomes friends.
  4. Caçadas de Pedrinho (Pete's Hunting). Pete hunts down a jaguar and evades a siege of the Ranch by the other jaguars. In the meantime the real action is happening: a rhinoceros escapes from the circus and is found and hid by Emily. Pete is asked to help find him but is eventually beaten by the doll's great intelligence.
  5. Aventuras de Hans Staden (The Adventures of Hans Staden). The tale of the XVI-Century German sailor who survived a shipwreck but was taken as hostage by the Tupinamba Indians for two years is told by Mrs. Benta to the Children in a fortnight of night meals.
  6. História do Mundo Para Crianças (History of the World for Children). Lobato's best-seller of all time. History teachers loved this book because it indeed helped children learn history, at the cost of giving augmented importance to funny anecdotes. The language is superbly simple and colloquial, all terminology is either dropped or explained in advance. History is taught as a series of causos (folk stories) told by Mrs. Benta to the Children.
  7. Memórias da Emília (Emily's Autobiography). Emily takes the corncob Viscount as a secretary and starts to write on his life. As she is still too young, she "adds" a lot to what happened, which makes every previous story seem different. In the meantime some English children come to Ranch to visit the Angel with the Broken Wing.
  8. Emília no País da Gramática (Emily in the Grammar Country). The most original Grammar ever written! The children come to Grammar Country, where each language has a city and, guided by the bookworm rhinoceros, Candy, learn spelling, linguistics, the use of dictionaries, syntax, etc.
  9. Aritmética da Emília (Emily's Math Book). Teaches the basics of Arithmetics and Algebra.
  10. Geografia de Dona Benta (Mrs. Benta's Geography). The children are taken by Mrs. Benta in a world cruise on board the seaship "Terror dos Mares" (Terror of the Seas). Lobato spends a lot of energy to describe how the United States and Japan managed to become developed nations quite recently (with the hope that his readers, when adult, would implement the same policies in Brazil).
  11. Serões de Dona Benta (Night Chatting With Mrs. Benta). Mrs. Benta helps Pete learn Physics.
  12. História das Invenções (Histories of Inventions). The children want to know "how things were invented" and Mrs. Benta teaches them. The interesting thing about this book is how it groups inventions according to the part of the body they supposedly "extend" and the vivid language that is used to tell the lives of famous inventors, like Santos-Dumont, the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison and Guglielmo Marconi.
  13. Histórias de Tia Nastácia (Aunt Anastacia's Tales). Anastacia tells Brazilian folk tales to the children.
  14. O Picapau Amarelo (The Yellow Woodpecker Ranch). The characters of the fables move into the Ranch, causing a lot of humdrum.
  15. A Reforma da Natureza (Reforming Nature). Emily and Viscount dabble into Genetics and Endochrinology and eventually make many monsters, like a giant flea, a giant legged earthworm, and some more. After all the humdrum, and taking advantage from Mrs. Benta's trip to a cousin's home, Emily implements his radical reformation views on the plants and animals found in the Ranch. When Mrs. Benta comes back things are beyond recognition. Hilarious, surrealistic, positively not only for children.
  16. O Minotauro (The Minotaur). After the disappearance of Anastacia in "O Picapau Amarelo", everybody goes to the mythical Ancient Greece, where they expect to find her. After many adventures there, they come back with her.
  17. A Chave do Tamanho (The Size Switch). Furious with the rampant war World War II Emily plans to go to the "House of Switches" in the end of the world and switch war off. However, she makes a mistake and switches off the size of humans, which causes all mankind to become two-inch tall. In the aftermath of the change, while the world leaders try to keep war going, common people try to organise themselves to survive against huge threats like rainfall, stray cats & dogs, closed doors, mice and roaches, etc. Despite the huge number of deaths (mostly of people who cannot adapt to change), Lobato depicts a world that is possibly happier little than it was "big".
  18. Fábulas (Fables). Aesop's and La Fontaine's fables are told by Mrs. Benta and "commented on" by the children. No, this is not a boring book. The children, especially the talkative doll, Emily are pitiless in their critique of the fables, ranging from sardonic irony to "blearrgh". Yet they find many of the fables interesting.
  19. Os Doze Trabalhos de Hércules (The Twelve Trials of Hercules). For the first time in all modern literatures, the famous 12 Trials of the famous Greek demi-god are told, in Lobato's peculiar style, with the participation of the children.
  20. O Poço do Visconde (The Viscount's Well). Viscount, Emily and the children go in the search for petroleum in the Ranch.

Lobato's books are not yet in public domain. His copyright is due to expire in 2018.

[edit] Main Characters

Dona Benta (Mrs. Benta), the grandmother of Pete and Little Nose.
Tia Nastácia (Aunt Anastácia), the cook of the Ranch.
Lúcia "Narizinho" (Lucy "Little Nose"), the girl with the turned up nose.
Pedrinho (Pete), and Quindim (Candy), the pacific rhinoceros.
Emília (Emily), the talking rag doll.
Rabicó (Short-Tail), the gluttonous pig.
Visconde de Sabugosa (Viscount Corncob), the learned puppet made of corncob.
  • Dona Benta (Mrs. Benta) - the ranch's owner and the most frequent 'storyteller'.
  • Lúcia "Narizinho" (Lucy "Little Nose") - the girl with the turned-up nose, she's Benta's granddaughter and Pete's cousin. She is orphan and lives in the ranch with her gramma.
  • Pedrinho (Pete) - Benta's grandson and Lucy's cousin. He's a courageous (and usually infatuated) boy who's keen on adventures. He lives in a big city, and spends his holidays at the Ranch.
  • Tia Nastácia (Aunt Anastacia) - Benta's housemaid and cook. She's a middle-aged black woman who knows a lot of folk tales and is quite superstitious.
  • Emília (Emily) - Lucy's rag doll, a present she got from Anastacia. Can talk since Lucy mockingly gave her a magic "talking pill" intended to cure Nastacia from a nervous wreck.
  • Visconde de Sabugosa (Viscount Corncob) - a corncob puppet with a high IQ, a love for sciences and tendency to be over-polite. His talkativeness is never fully explained.
  • Rabicó (Short-Tail) - a gluttonous and stupid pig.
  • Conselheiro (Counsellor) - an old burro who was taught how to read by the Viscount and now is an eager reader and has developed a wise personality.
  • Quindim (Candy) - a rhinoceros who fled from a circus and was kept hid by the children. He teaches them how to speak English (which he learned by hearing the British while he was still back in his homeland, Uganda) but is usually quite cowardly.
  • Tio Barnabé (Uncle Barnabé) - an old black man who knows a lot about folk superstitions. He works at the ranch too.
  • Coronel Teodorico (Colonel Theodore) - was Mrs. Benta wedding witness and is still her best friend. He often comes and has a cup of coffee with her.
  • Elias - a covetable trader who owns a grocery store in the village.
  • Iara - a river mermaid, she loves Pete.
  • Saci-Pererê - a one-legged trickster elf.
  • Cuca - a witch into an alligator body.


[edit] Yellow Woodpecker Ranch on TV

Monteiro Lobato's books were turned into widely popular TV programs. Including five series of Sítio do Picapau Amarelo adventures, one in 1952 on TV Tupi, another in 1964 on TV Cultura and in 1967 on Rede Bandeirantes, another on Rede Globo in 1977, and the last version in 2001 on Rede Globo too. Several generations of Brazilian children were hooked and educated by his marvelous stories, which seems never to lose currency.

[edit] Cast

[edit] TV Tupi (1952 / 1962)

  • Lúcia Lambertini - Emília
  • David José - Pedrinho
  • Edy Cerri - Narizinho
  • Rubens Molino - Visconde de Sabugosa
  • Sydneia Rossi - Dona Benta
  • Benedita Rodrigues - Tia Nastácia.

[edit] TV Cultura (1964)

  • Lúcia Lambertini - Emília
  • Roberto Orosco - Visconde de Sabugosa
  • David José - Pedrinho
  • Edy Cerri - Narizinho
  • Leonor Pacheco - Dona Benta
  • Isaura Bruno - Tia Nastácia

[edit] Rede Bandeirantes (1967 / 1969)

  • Zódia Perreira - Emília
  • Silvinha de Castro - Narizinho
  • Ewerton de Castro - Visconde de Sabugosa.

[edit] Rede Globo (1977 / 1986)

  • Dirce Migliaccio - Emília (1977)
  • Reny de Oliveira - Emília (1978 / 1983)
  • Suzana Abranches - Emília (1983 / 1986)
  • Rosana Garcia - Narizinho (1977 / 1980)
  • Daniele Rodrigues - Narizinho (1981 / 1982)
  • Isabela Bicalho - Narizinho (1983 / 1984)
  • Gabriela Senra - Narizinho (1985 / 1986)
  • Júlio César - Pedrinho (1977 / 1980)
  • Marcelo José - Pedrinho (1981 / 1984)
  • Daniel Lobo - Pedrinho (1985 / 1986)
  • André Valli - Visconde de Sabugosa
  • Zilka Salaberry - Dona Benta
  • Jacyra Sampaio - Tia Nastácia
  • Samuel dos Santos - Tio Barnabé
  • Tonico Pereira - Zé Carneiro
  • Canarinho - Garnizé
  • Romeu Evaristo - Saci Pererê
  • Germano Filho - Elias Turco
  • Jayme Barcellos - Coronel Teodorico
  • Ary Coslov - Jabuti
  • José Mayer - Burro Falante (1980 / 1982)
  • Ivan Setta - Burro Falante (1983 / 1984)

[edit] Rede Globo (2001 / 2006)

Emilia toy doll, issued in 2001
Emilia toy doll, issued in 2001
  • Isabelle Drummond - Emília
  • Cândido Damm - Visconde de Sabugosa (2001 / 2004)
  • Aramis Trindade - Visconde de Sabugosa (2005 / 2006)
  • Lara Rodrigues - Narizinho (2001 / 2003)
  • Caroline Molinari - Narizinho (2004 / 2005)
  • Amanda Diniz - Narizinho (2006)
  • César Cardadeiro - Pedrinho (2001 / 2003)
  • João Vítor da Silva - Pedrinho (2004 / 2005)
  • Rodolfo Valente - Pedrinho (2006)
  • Nicette Bruno - Dona Benta (2001 / 2004)
  • Suely Franco - Dona Benta (2005 / 2006)
  • Dulcilene Moraes - Tia Nastácia
  • João Acaiabe - Tio Barnabé
  • Cassiano Carneiro - Zé Carijó
  • Thávine Ferrari - Patty Pop
  • Yachmin Gazall - Antonica
  • Nizo Neto - Nestor
  • Ary Fontoura - Coronel Teodorico
  • José Augusto Branco - Elias
  • Isaac Bardavid - Elias
  • Lilian Cordeiro - Iara
  • Ildi Silva - Iara
  • Izak Dahora - Saci
  • Leandro Léo - Pesadelo
  • Hylka Maria - Miss Sardine
  • Rafael Novaes - Príncipe Escamado
  • Charles Daves - Doutor Caramujo
  • Marilu Bueno - Dona Carochinha

[edit] Voice cast (2001 / 2006)

  • Mário Jorge - Rabicó
  • Márcio Simões - Conselheiro
  • Mauro Ramos - Quindim
  • Mônica Rossi - Cuca

[edit] Puppet manipulators (2001 / 2006)

  • Roberto Dornelles - Rabicó
  • Aline Mendonça - Rabicó
  • Sydney Beckenkamp - Quindim
  • Totoni Silva - Quindim
  • Zé Clayton - Conselheiro
  • Jacira Santos - Cuca

[edit] Episodes of TV

[edit] Tv Tupi / Cultura / Bandeirantes

1952 / 1969

  • A Pilula Falante
  • O Casamento da Emília
  • O Gato Felix
  • O Irmão do Pinóquio
  • João Faz de Conta
  • O Alfinete de Ponbinha Carijó
  • O Palhaço
  • Os Óculos de Dona Benta
  • O Ensaio
  • A Surpresa
  • O Espetáculo
  • O Pó de Pirlimpimpim
  • O curto circuito
  • Emília no País da Gramática
  • Metre João
  • A Nau Capitania
  • Caramuru
  • João Ramalho
  • A Mudança para Pirantinga
  • Pedro Sardinha
  • 13 de Março
  • O Primeiro Granfino
  • Dom Francisco das Manhãs
  • A Cama de Dom Gonçalo
  • Amador Bueno
  • Espanhois em São Paulo
  • O Marquês de Rabicó
  • O Preço do Pão
  • Pedro Taques ou o Nepotismo
  • Parentesco entre Vereadores
  • A Vila de São Paulo se Transforma em Cidade
  • Os Rios de São Paulo
  • O Cacho de Bananas
  • O Governador das Esmeraldas
  • A Primavera
  • O Poço do Visconde
  • Os Bilongues da Emília
  • Até Breve

[edit] Tv Globo

1977

  • O Picapau Amarelo
  • A Cuca Vai Pegar
  • João Faz-de-Conta
  • O Anjinho da Asa Quebrada
  • Peninha, o Menino Invisível
  • O Terrível Pássaro Roca

1978

  • Cupido Maluco
  • A Raíz Milagrosa
  • Os Piratas do Capitão Gancho
  • O Minotauro
  • A Reinação Atômica
  • A Morte do Visconde
  • Memórias da Emília
  • Quem Tem Boca Vai a Roma
  • O Outro Lado da Lua

1979

  • Dom Quixote, o Cavaleiro da Triste Figura
  • O Curupira
  • Quem Quiser Que Conte Outra
  • Olhos de Retrós
  • O Gênio da Lâmpada
  • Emília, Romeu e Julieta
  • O Casamento da Raposa
  • Davi e Golias
  • O Rapto do Rabicó

1980

  • A Santa do Pau Oco
  • Não Era Uma Vez
  • A Sacizada
  • A Rainha das Abelhas
  • A Galinha dos Ovos de Ouro
  • O Dia em Que a Emíla Morreu
  • Elementar Emília
  • A Máscara do Futuro

1981

  • A Chave do Tamanho
  • O Fazedor de Milagres
  • O Espelho da Cuca
  • As Caçadas de Pedrinho
  • Entrou por Uma Porta e Saiu por Outra
  • Rapunzel
  • Abu Kir e Abu Sir
  • O Pé de Feijão
  • O Homem Que Quis Laçar Deus
  • O Nascimento do Saci

1982

  • A Sobrinha da Cuca
  • Ali Baba, Emília e os Quarenta Ladrões
  • A Bela e a Fera
  • A Canastra da Emília
  • Pinóquio
  • A Grande Vingança da Cuca
  • A Chave Particular do Tamanho
  • Os Besouros da Emília
  • O Rapto das Estrelas
  • Um Estranho Conto de Fadas
  • Aí Vem Tom Mix
  • Reinações de Narizinho

1983

  • Viagem ao Céu
  • Robinson Cruzoé
  • A Guerra dos Sacis
  • Califa por um Dia
  • O Gato Félix
  • Emília Borralheira
  • O Burro Falante

1984

  • A Arca da Emília
  • A Reinação do Esperto Come Esperto
  • A Volta do Anjinho
  • Visconde de Sabugosa
  • Barba Azul, o Cara de Coruja

1985

  • O Enígma Enigmático

1986

  • A Trilha das Araras

[edit] Tv Globo

2001

  • No Reino das Águas Claras
  • O Saci
  • Caçadas de Pedrinho
  • Reinações de Narizinho
  • Viagem ao País das Fábulas
  • A Festa do Faz de Conta
  • Viagem ao Céu
  • A Reforma da Natureza

2002

  • O Picapau Amarelo
  • Dom Quixote das Crianças
  • O Minotauro
  • Memórias de Emília
  • Os Doze Trabalhos de Hércules
  • O Poço do Visconde
  • Histórias Diversas
  • Aventuras de Hans Staden
  • História das Invenções
  • Peter Pan
  • Histórias da Tia Nastácia
  • Fábulas
  • Volta ao Reino das Águas Claras
  • Perigo no Reino das Águas Claras
  • O Fantasma do Casarão
  • As Caçadas do Barão de Muchausen
  • Memórias do Picapau Amarelo
  • O Menino Bruxo
  • A Convenção das Bruxas
  • O Mapa do Tesouro
  • O Cangaceiro e o Lobisomem
  • A Pedra Mágica de Tupã

2003

  • O Extraterrestre
  • A Lenda do Rei Arthur
  • O Primo do Carijó
  • A Bela e a Fera
  • Juca Pirama
  • Rapunzel
  • Os Bandeirantes
  • O Coronel Timbó
  • O Sumiço da Emília
  • O Circo
  • O Rodeio
  • A Estrada

2004

  • Menina da Selva
  • Dance
  • A Dama dos Pés de Cabra
  • Aladim
  • O Pequeno Samurai
  • Dom Quixote

2005

  • O Preço do Verdadeiro Amor

2006

  • Entre o Amor e a Promessa

[edit] Sound Track

[edit] LPs

1952

  • "A pílula falante"
  • "O casamento da Emília"

1977

1978

  • "Narizinho" – Lucinha Lins
  • "Ploquet pluft nhoque" (Jaboticaba) – Papo de anjo
  • "Peixe" – Doces bárbaros
  • "Saci" – Papo de anjo
  • "Visconde de Sabugosa" – João Bosco
  • "Dona Benta" – Zé Luis
  • "Sítio do Pica-Pau Amarelo" – Gilberto Gil
  • "Pedrinho" – Aquarius
  • "Arraial dos tucanos" – Ronaldo Malta
  • "Tia Anastácia" – Dorival Caymmi
  • "Passaredo" – MPB-4
  • "Emília" – Sérgio Ricardo
  • "Tio Barnabé" – Marlui Miranda e Jards Macalé

[edit] CDs

2001

2005

2006

  • "Sítio do Picapau Amarelo" - Gilberto Gil
  • "Bom Dia" - Dhu Moraes / Suely Franco
  • "Pedrinho" - Marcelo Viana
  • "Falas da Emília" - Regina Lucatto
  • "Canto de Iara" - Doriana Mendes
  • "Eu vi o Saci" - Marcos Sacramento
  • "Cuidado com a Cuca" - Nina Pacevski
  • "Caipora" - Chiara Santoro
  • "O Vilão Valdo Serrão" - Pailo Malagutti
  • "Pro Sítio de Trem" - Coro
  • "Tio Barnabé" - Nina Pacevski
  • "Pra Tia Nastácia Cantar" - Dhu Moraes
  • "Amanhecer no Sítio" - (Various)
  • "Lá Vai o Trem" - (Various)
  • "Tema de Chico e Tirza" - (Various)
  • "No Reino de Luterra" - (Various)
  • "Alegria no Sítio" - (Various)
  • "No Reino de Lumar" - (Various)
  • "No Sítio do Picapau" - (Various)
  • "Maldades de Valdo Serrão" - (Various)
  • "Tema de Caipora" - (Various)
  • "Perigo Rondando" - (Various)
  • "Sítio Caipira" - (Various)
  • "Grilo e o Ermitão" - (Various)
  • "Minueto" - (Various)

[edit] DVDs

  • Viagem ao Céu / No Reino das Águas Claras ("Voyage to the Sky" / "In the Kingdom of Clear Waters")
  • Reinações de Narizinho / O Poço do Visconde ("Adventures of Little Nose" / "The Viscount's Well")
  • O Saci / Caçadas de Pedrinho ("The Saci" / "Pete's Hunting")
  • Histórias de Tia Nastácia / Memórias de Emília ("Aunt Anastácia's Tales" / "Emily's Autobiography")

[edit] External links

Languages