Saudade

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 Mamãe’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.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Ana Crespo is happiest when surrounded by nature. So, Ana spends her summers traveling around the United States, visiting National Parks, and exploring some of the most beautiful places in America. She usually returns from her trips full of ideas for new stories. Her previous titles include Hello, Tree, Lia and Luís: Who Has More?, The Sock Thief: A Soccer Story, and the My Emotions and Me series. Originally from Brazil, Ana lives in the Rocky Mountain region with her husband and kids.

Andre Ceolin has been drawing since he was four years old. After early careers in advertising and pharmaceuticals, his passion for art won out, and he became a full-time, self-taught illustrator. He has illustrated more than thirty picture books, including With Lots of Love, written by Jenny Torres Sanchez, and A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human, written by Matt Forrest Esenwine. He is based in Brazil.