Saudade: Our Longing for Brazil

by Ana Crespo, André Ceolin (Illustrator)

If your heart has ever ached remembering a place or a person, a smell or a taste, then you’ve felt saudade.

Saudade is a Portuguese and Galician word with no perfect translation to English; it’s a strong, melancholy longing for something you once had. Hiking in the hills, a little girl and her Brazilian immigrant mother contemplate what makes them feel saudade. A cool salty breeze miles from the ocean; the smell of great-grandma’s perfume; memories of playing with cousins under trees or waterfalls, riding waves with grandparents who are now stuck in the square of a video call.

Though deeply woven through Brazilian music and literature, saudade is a familiar companion to us all. Readers who live far from loved ones or have adopted new homes will especially connect with this exploration of nostalgia and yearning. An endnote offers author Ana Crespo’s personal story of saudade as a Brazilian immigrant, and a glossary covers other Portuguese words the mother and daughter use. Andre Ceolin’s vivid illustrations, twining with daydreamy wisps of haze, set the perfect mood for this bittersweet, profoundly human story.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Emotion, Cultural, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 25, 2024

About the author

Ana Crespo would much rather live life as a nomad, moving to different places every couple of months or so. Not possible. So, Ana spends her summers traveling through the United States, camping, visiting friends, and getting to know some of the most beautiful places around. When Ana is traveling, she is gathering material for new and exciting stories. When she’s not traveling, she is writing. No matter where she is, Ana is lucky to have a career that allows her to keep imagining way beyond her childhood years.

Ana is originally from Brazil but lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning more about a word that doesn’t have a direct English translation and captures the main characters longing for Brazil.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who loves language and learning new terms in languages other than English that have no English equivalent, I appreciated this picture book [3.5 for me!], which somehow gives readers a taste of saudade or deep longing for something that is out of reach. Even though this may not be a term with which most readers will be familiar, the emotion will be. As a young girl and her mother hike, the mother teaches her daughter about saudade with several examples, including the smell of her own mother's perfume, playtimes with cousins, and certain foods, all of which conjure up memories. As her daughter considers what she's shared, she too comes up with examples, ultimately describing it as "a painful blister after a long and beautiful hike--No matter how much it hurts, the memories are always worth it" (unpaged). The soft, almost sentimental illustrations, created with watercolor and digital painting, effectively depict the strong bond between Mother and Child as well as that bittersweet emotion. The nature scenes as the two hike make the shared conversation even more impactful than it might have been otherwise.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl walking with her Mamãe explores the concept of saudade. When something pleasant reminds Mamãe of Brazil, she whispers, “Que saudade!” The girl finds out it’s like the soft wind of the ocean, or music that reminds her mother of her childhood. When the girl remembers with longing the fun she had playing with her cousins in Brazil, she experiences saudade too.

This sweet book takes place over the course of a walk through the wilderness, with soft, natural colors all around. Swirls frame pleasant memories, allowing readers to imagine what mother and child are picturing in their minds. The text contains words in Portuguese which are defined in a glossary at the end. This is a lovely, thoughtful look at a unique word. Although there’s no direct translation into English, readers will understand the poignant longing it evokes.

[Stacy S. Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This emotion is universal whether we’ve called it Saudade or not.

Saudade: Our Longing for Brazil is written by Ana Crespo and illustrated by André Ceolin and published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House. It's a lovely book.

Saudade is a Portuguese and Galician word that doesn’t really have a direct translation in English. We’ve all felt it. As the book’s summary says, If your heart has ever ached remembering a place or a person, a smell or a taste, then you’ve felt saudade.

SAUDADE is a great book for those who’ve moved away from family and their home — maybe it’s to a different state or country. You may be like the mom and young girl in SAUDADE who have memories of a different home or visits with family.

André Ceolin’s artwork is perfect as it is realistic with a touch of whimsy as he blends memories with present day.

[Carmela Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teachers and librarians, Saudade - Our Longing for Brazil is a must read picture book to help build understanding and empathy when a new student arrives to your class, especially if they come from another country. Ana Crespo captures the nostalgia and love for things we have left behind in this lovely picture book which beautifully highlights Brazil, but is truly the universal story of longing for things we loved and left behind. The lush illustrations by Andre Ceolin capture the ¨longing for something you cannot have.¨

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous picture book about the unique word Saudade and the power of longing, nostalgia, and memory. A girl is on a hike with a mother when she utters the expression "que saudade!" and then proceeds to use examples to explain what the Portuguese word (which has no direct English translation) means. This is a great SEL book with links to grandparent relationships, the outdoors, and mother-daughter relationships. Very sweet with serious kid appeal (ages 6+).

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl learns what is important to her mother and what gives her happiness.
The rhythms of music from her childhood, and a strong longing for what you cannot
have or a place you cannot be like Brazil her childhood home.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely and poignant picture book about a Portuguese word that doesn't have a direct English translation. We learn it means a longing for a person or place. The message is conveyed in a way that readers will really ponder, and the illustrations are lovely.

[Veronika Rakchev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saudade offers a glimpse of Brazilian culture and shares what it feels like to long for something or similarly experiencing nostalgia. Being introduced to different words from another language is always a pleasure when reading, especially when they hold a significant meaning.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved learning about this word. So many possibilities for using it. Would be fun dread aloud and then to talk about what kids feel saudad about.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet picture book about saudade, the Portuguese word with no direct English translation, of longing for a beloved person or place.

Themes: Immigration, Language, Family, Home
Age range: Kindergarten-Early Elementary

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork in this book is so emotional and fits the story so perfectly.