Black Sands Entertainment, founded by Manuel and Geiszel Godoy, publishes chapter books and comics for African-American parents and their children. The Godoys created the Mori’s Family Adventures series of chapter books for early readers as a reality-based alternative to the glut of children’s fantasy literature, depicting a family’s real-world travels around the world (the previous chapter book had the family exploring South Africa) while reinforcing positive family values.
BRAZILIAN CULTURE EXCHANGE, written by Geizel Godoy and illustrated by Huan Lim, follows young Mori, his sister Valencia, and their parents as they journey to Brazil, which, as Dad informs the kids, is the largest African Diaspora—”a community that developed from the forced movement of the African people by colonial powers”—in the world. Mori, understandably, is more excited about seeing exotic Amazonian animals than history lessons, while Valencia dreams of Brazilian cakes and sweets. (Dad, meanwhile, is on a mission to tour Brazil’s famous steakhouses.) Landing in Rio De Janeiro, the family embarks on a whirlwind tour of Brazil’s cultural and natural splendors, from its renowned beaches to the summit of Mount Corcovado (site of the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer), the breathtaking Sugarloaf Mountain, and the majestic Amazon River. Along the way, Mori and his family learn about Brazil’s cultural history at the National Museum, marvel at the colorfully-costumed dancers at the Rio Samba Parade, and, of course, gorge on mouth-watering steaks and desserts.
The book’s goal may be to educate children by expanding their knowledge of the world, but Godoy understands that much of the joy of travel lies in the small details: the excitement of planning the trip, the thrill of exploring local delicacies, and the introduction to charming cultural oddities. BRAZILIAN CULTURE EXCHANGE delivers marvelously on that front, offering fascinating glimpses of Brazilian culture, such as a description of a traditional Brazilian breakfast, a frozen puree of Açaí berries topped with granola and guarana syrup, or the Vehicle Protos, an automobile made primarily out of wood. Godoy adeptly weaves these colorful details into the book’s geographical and historical lessons, including a brief history of Brazil’s sugarcane industry (which doesn’t tiptoe around the grim facts of the slave trade that supported it) and the thousands of animal species of the Amazonian jungle.
The characters are likable and charming, with amusing quirks—readers will chuckle at Dad’s obsession with Brazilian steakhouses (“Brazil is known for their endless steaks. I can’t believe a country like that even exists”) and clever wordplay (“‘We’re heading to the top of Mount Corcovado, dear.’ ‘Mount Avocado? Is it tasty?'”). Outside of the dialogue, however, the writing is frequently stilted and prone to info-heavy passages that sound as if they’re copied directly from encyclopedia entries. There is little in the way of plot—the book is essentially a string of descriptions of stops along the family’s trip—and the characters have little depth beyond a few personality traits. Also, while the illustrations are lively and visually appealing, they lack the personality and detail to bring the setting to vivid life. Nevertheless, younger readers will likely enjoy the book’s colorful details and humorous dialogue.
A rich, immersive travelogue that delves beneath Brazil’s vibrant surface to explore its complex cultural and historical fabric, Geizel Godoy’s BRAZILIAN CULTURE EXCHANGE is an enjoyable read that educates as much as it entertains.
~Edward Sung for IndieReader