Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (novel series)

Sítio do Picapau Amarelo

Cover of the book "Serões de Dona Benta", Illustration by Manoel Victor Filho. In the cover are Mrs Benta, the cook Anastacia, Lucia, Pedrinho, the talking rag doll Emilia, and Viscount the corncob.
Reinações de Narizinho
Viagem Ao Céu
O Saci
Caçadas de Pedrinho
Aventuras de Hans Staden
História do Mundo para Crianças
Memórias da Emília
Emília do País da Gramática
Aritmética da Emília
Geografia de Dona Benta
Serões de Dona Benta
História das Invenções
História das Invenções
Histórias de Tia Nastácia
O Picapau Amarelo
A Reforma da Natureza
O Minotauro
A Chave do Tamanho
Fábulas
Os Doze Trabalhos de Hércules
Peter Pan
Dom Quixote das Crianças
O Poço do Visconde
Histórias Diversas
Author Monteiro Lobato
Language Brazilian portuguese
Genre Fantasy
Children's literature
Publisher Various (originally Editora Monteiro Lobato & Cia)
Published December 1920 – 1947
Media type Print (hardcover and paperback)

Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (literally translated and roughly known as "the Yellow Woodpecker Farm" or "the Yellow Woodpecker Ranch") is the title given to a series of 23 fantasy novels written by Brazilian author Monteiro Lobato[1] between 1920 and 1940. The series is considered representative of Brazilian children's literature and as the Brazilian equivalent to children's classics such as C. S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia and L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series. Lobato's single original adult fiction, a sci-fi novel entitled O Presidente Negro ("The Black President") set in the far future, would not achieve the same popularity of Sítio.[2] The concept was introduced in Monteiro Lobato's 1920 novel A Menina do Narizinho Arrebitado, and was later republished as the first chapter of Reinações de Narizinho, which is the first novel of the actual Sítio series. The main setting is Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, where a boy, a girl and their living and thinking toys enjoy exploring adventures in fantasy, discovery and learning. On several occasions, they leave the ranch to explore other worlds such as Neverland, the mythological Ancient Greece, an underwater world known as the Clear Waters Kingdom, and outer space. Sítio is often symbolized by the character of Emília, Lobato's most famous creation alongside Jeca Tatu.

All the Sítio volumes have been published in other countries, including Russia (as Орден Жёлтого Дятла) and Argentine (as "El Rancho del Pájaro Amarillo"). While this two have the role series translated and adapted, the single volume Reinações de Narizinho was published in Italy, as Nasino. Sítio do Picapau Amarelo has never been translated to English, even though Monteiro Lobato also worked as a translator for numerous foreign novels to Brazilian Portuguese, such as Tarzan of the Apes,[3] Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the two Pollyana novels.[4]

Sítio has also been adapted into two theatrical films in the 1950s and several television series, the most popular being Rede Globo's 1977-1983 and 2001-2007 productions.[5][6] In 2012, an animated series was produced by Rede Globo and Mixer, visually based on the 2001 version.

Globo retains the rights of Sítio do Picapau Amarelo and publishes the books through its publishing division Editora Globo.[7]

Background and conception

In 1920, while in a chess match, Lobato's friend Toledo Malta told him the story of a fish that drowned after spending too much time away from the water. The idea became fixed in Lobato's mind, forcing him to write a short tale entitled A História do Peixinho Que Morreu Afogado ("The Tale of The Fish that Drowned to Death"), now reported as lost. This tale inspired A Menina do Narizinho Arrebitado ("The Girl with the Upturned Nose"), published in Christmas 1920.

A Menina introduced the title character Lúcia "Little Nose" and her rag doll Emília (Lobato's most popular creation alongside Jeca Tatu). A Menina was later republished, in the following year, as the first chapter of Reinações de Narizinho ("The Adventures of Lúcia Little Nose"), that introduced the other major characters Pedrinho and the Viscount of Sabugosa, and provided an expanded vision of the Sítio universe. For the ranch setting, Lobato was inspired by memories of his childhood, living in a São Paulo countryside farm with his family. In the characters, Lobato set his own childhood personality and family characteristics. His grandfather, the Viscount of Tremembé, was an inspiration for the corncob-made Viscount of Sabugosa, as Emília features his "stubborn", "bossy" young behaviour.

A Chave do Tamanho and A Reforma da Natureza are original novels featuring Lobato's trademark creation, the character of Emília, intervening in reality and changing the world according to her will. Monteiro Lobato borrowed several stories from the public domain and inserted them in his work. In the novel Peter Pan, Mrs Benta tells her grandsons J. M. Barrie's novel of same name, which she reads in English before deciding to narrate it on her own way. In addition to the fantasy narrative, the series is known for its didactical role on young readers. Several volumes feature the farm characters literally exploring the worlds of Arithmetic and Grammar; História do Mundo para Crianças provides an overview on the history of mankind for young readers, as it is told by Mrs Benta to her grandchildren. In Geografia and Serões de Dona Benta, the old lady teaches Geography and Physical chemistry general concepts.

Main characters

The major characters illustrated by Manoel Victor Filho, for the Editora Brasiliense editions. From left to right, the corncob Viscount, the rag doll Emília, Lúcia ("Narizinho"), Pedrinho, Aunt Nastácia and Mrs Benta. In the background, the rhinoceros Quindim.

Volumes

Lobato's books are not in public domain, and his current copyright will not expire until 2018.

Tie-ins

Emília, the Viscount and Mrs Benta, are featured in a biographical novel written by Brazilian author Luciana Sandrini, Minhas Memórias de Lobato ("My Lobato Memories").[9] The story is similar to Memórias de Emília, but instead the doll writes about her creator, once again with the "help" of the Viscount. Mrs Benta then tells them his story, detailing his entire life, from childhood to his final years.

Author Moacyr Scliar wrote a short story, Por Onde Anda Emília? ("Whatever Happened to Emilia?"), in which he suggests the fates of the doll and her family after several years have passed. Mrs Benta and Aunt Nastácia have died, Rabicó has been turned into ham, and Pedrinho and Lúcia have become adults and 'vanish'. An aged Emília is still alive and defiant as always, dreaming about switching off the keys of Poverty, Unemployment and Hunger (Brazilian social issues of the present day). The Yellow Woodpecker farm itself, their former world of fantasy is now possessed by homeless invaders (a reference to the MST). Having a conservative and an anarchist side, Emilia demonstrates being dubious over the movement, divided between adhering and go against it, while the most recommended person to advise her, her own creator, has already died. Scliar, however, makes no mention of the Viscount.

Criticism

Political views

Sítio, as well as Lobato's general work, had a negative reception by Brazilian politicians of the time, who complained that his work was "anti-patriot", and that criticising the government at children was "impolite". Lobato replied that "it was important" to him "to convey his critical spirit through his stories, and that "people were used to lying to their children by saying that Brazil was a really wondrous country".

Creationism and evolutionism

According to Luciana Sandrini's biography Minhas Memórias de Lobato,[10] the novels were banned from several Catholic schools due to its evolutionist nature. In 1942, a nun required all her students to burn their Sítio books in a bonfire.

Accusations of racism

Monteiro Lobato, after his death, has been accused of racism due to the portrayal and treatment of black people in several of his works.[11] In 2010 a Brazilian educator attempted to legally ban Caçadas de Pedrinho from Brazilian junior schools for the prejudiced narrative and terms contained in the novel. For example, Lobato describes Aunt Nastácia (a mulatta), climbing up "the pole of Saint Pedro as an old monkey", and that "no one would escape" the jaguars attack, "neither Aunt Nastácia, of black flesh."[12][13][14]

An academic analysis made by the Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Sociais at the Rio de Janeiro State University reportedly has proven that Monteiro Lobato was a "dangerously influential racist working on the scholastic area", and cites a letter Lobato sent to Toledo Neiva, in which he complains about "a country [Brazil] where black men don't have strength enough to organize a Ku Klux Klan", and comparing it to the United States by mentioning André Siegfried, "glad that they're not a second Brazil. Some day, justice will be done to the Ku Klux Klan."[15]

Other media

Films and television

The series was first adapted into a live-action production in 1951, as a theatrical film. O Saci, based on the novel of same name, and was directed by Rodolfo Nanni. It introduced child actress Olga Maria in the role of Emília. In the following year Sítio became a television series produced by TV Tupi.[16] In 1967, a new series premiered on Rede Bandeirantes. A second movie, O Picapau Amarelo, was released in 1973, directed by Geraldo Sarno and based on the novel of same name. Rede Globo bought the rights and started producing Sítio do Picapau Amarelo in 1977. The series ran for six years until it was canceled in 1983.

After the first Rede Globo series ended, playwright Cíntia Abravanel, daughter of Brazilian TV host Silvio Santos, bought Sítio's rights with the intention of adapting the series to her father's network SBT. However, Santos showed no interest in the idea (as he is known for his usual investment on foreign series such as Chiquititas and Carrossel), and the rights were returned to Rede Globo.[17]

Globo later produced a new version of Sítio in 2001, featuring the first child actress to portray Emília in more than fifty years, Isabelle Drummond.[18] The series ran for six years and featured original characters that had not appeared in the books. Cuca's hunchback rotten minion Pesadelo ("Nightmare"), and the tender Zé Carijó (based on other Monteiro Lobato's famous creation, Jeca Tatu) were made popular among the audience. This version was canceled in 2007 due to poor ratings. An animated series was released in 2012, produced by Globo and Mixer, and based on the 2001 version. It currently airs on the Globo and Cartoon Network.[19][20]

Comics

The 1977 series became a comic a few months after the program's debut, published by RGE. The major characters later received their own titles, such as Emília, Pedrinho and Visconde. After 1981 the comics had significant changes in the art style and were discontinued in 1984. The 2001 series was brought into the comic book format in 2003 for the national Brazilian anti-hunger campaign Fome Zero, entitled Emília e a Turma do Sítio no Fome Zero. The series generally dealt with nutritional reeducation.[21][22][23] In 2006 were published new comic books also based on the 2001 series, by Globo. Titles starring Emília and Cuca were also published in this period. The comics were discontinued in 2008 and since then there has never been another adaptation.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Monteiro Lobato - E-Biografias Archived 2014-02-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ O Presidente Negro. Um livro assustador | Acerto de Contas Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ 10 Prováveis coisas que talvez você não saiba sobre Tarzan ~ Listas Literárias | Muito além dos livros | Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  5. ↑ SÍTIO DO PICAPAU AMARELO - 1ª VERSÃO Archived 2015-08-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ SÍTIO DO PICAPAU AMARELO - 2ª VERSÃO Archived 2015-07-15 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ LOBATO - Editora Globo Archived 2012-07-17 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ Crescer - NOTÍCIAS - Aplicativo de Monteiro Lobato para Ipad Archived 2016-06-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Minhas Memórias de Lobato «Sebo Letras e Livros Sebo Letras e Livros Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ MINHAS MEMÓRIAS DE LOBATO - Luciana Sandroni - Companhia das Letras Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ :: Revista Emilia ::
  12. ↑ G1 - Mais uma obra de Monteiro Lobato é questionada por suposto racismo - notícias em Educação Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ Monteiro Lobato e o racismo - Íntegra da entrevista concedida à CartaCapitalnº 716, 21/9/2012, da qual a edição da revista aproveitou trechos. Marisa Lajolo é doutora em Letra... Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ Discussão sobre racismo na obra de Monteiro Lobato continua hoje em reunião no MEC - Notícias - UOL Educação Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ↑ Monteiro Lobato, racista empedernido — CartaCapital Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (Tupi) - Teledramaturgia Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  17. ↑ ISTOÉ Gente Online Archived 2014-01-18 at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ↑ Isabelle Drummond: relembre a carreira da atriz que cresceu com seus personagens - Novelas e Famosos - MdeMulher - Ed. Abril Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  20. ↑ 2ª Temporada do Sítio do Picapau Amarelo Chega no Cartoon - Animação S.A.: O Globo Archived 2014-01-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  21. ↑ Sítio do Pica-Pau-Amarelo - Ação Social Archived 2014-01-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ↑ HQ - O que é educação alimentar? (Sítio do Pica-Pau-Amarelo) Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  23. ↑ Emília e a Turma do Sítio no Fome Zero > Quadrinhos | Omelete Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
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