Some say the best of parties is waiting for them, but what kid never wanted the most magical time of the year to last a little longer?
This Christmas, that desire became history. In the personalized book “And if every day was Christmas”, each child becomes the protagonist of an adventure to discover the answer to this curious question.
In today’s post, we interview children’s author Maria Amália Camargo, author of this Inside History launch. After graduating in Literature from USP and choosing to work with children, she published her first book in 2006. Today, she has over 20 published titles and lives daydreaming about new stories.
Then Maria Amália tells what it was like to write her first personalized book and shares with us her take on children’s literature and the importance of stories for children today.
1) You have a diploma in Italian and Portuguese from USP. How did you decide to dedicate yourself to writing?
Maria Amalia Camargo: I remember starting to make stories when my family moved from Santos to São Paulo. I was eight years old and we went to live in my great-grandmother’s apartment. In every corner there was an old-new thing. Among them a typewriter, where I was typing for hours until I filled the sheets of paper. I still hadn’t made any friends in town and we were on vacation. So I played with the characters I came up with. My mom read all the lyrics and loved it. She has been telling me for at least twenty years to start writing again.
At school I had Portuguese language and literature teachers who were snake charmers. This was one of the reasons for choosing Literary Studies. Then I graduated and didn’t really know what to do with my degree because I didn’t want to teach – like most of my college friends. So I decided to listen to my mother, got up the courage and started writing again. And even today it happens as in the past: I spend hours and hours writing and playing with the characters I make up.
2) You had art education experience before becoming a writer. How does this affect your stories and the way you look at children’s literature?
Maria Amalia: Art education brought me into contact with children and with my children’s side. When I entered the USP Museum of Contemporary Art, I was in my final years of college. Like any intern, I did a little bit of everything there: I sharpened pencils, spent hours in the library researching the artists in the collection, wrote texts for the catalog of the didactic exhibition, hosted groups of schools…
Every day was a learning experience. Through school visits I learned how important it is to listen to children. When they realize that they have conquered their space, they feel welcome to ask questions, express opinions, express emotions… And one colleague attracts another. Suddenly, even the most shy people are talking.
Children’s literature is like a tour through the museum: the story leads the child to an opening of the mind, directs the eye to the written and visual language. In addition to allowing her to ask what is being presented.
The text can raise a series of questions and make the child search for the answers. Whether you ask parents or teachers, or if they are older, consult other books and the Internet. In this way, we also do not underestimate the intelligence of children by providing a ready-made text that does not stimulate their curiosity.
3) You have published more than 20 books since 2006. What do you think is essential in a good story, be it for children or ‘adults who are not grown up’?
Maria Amalia: A good children’s story appeals to both children and adults. Both will of course read differently. A good text always has a story hidden between the lines. This is the story that the adult reads and appreciates.
One obvious thing is that a story must have a beginning, middle and end. I say this because I often open a book with a story that begins and ends in the middle. That is, they are lyrics that go from nowhere to nowhere.
Perhaps that’s why many people still see children’s literature as a subordinate genre.
4) The book “E se todo dia é Natal” has a difference from his other works, namely the personalization, with the inclusion of the child as a character in the story. How did this trait influence the development of the story?
Maria Amalia: For this story I had to create a character that moved the story and was not just a spectator.
The biggest challenge was working with a protagonist that I didn’t invent. It’s a character that really exists and I still don’t know. It could be a girl or a boy and have so many faces… With each page I ended up imagining someone else. I often caught myself thinking, Will the reader identify with this scene?
5) Christmas is a time usually marked in childhood memories. How does history benefit from the typical elements of this date?
Maria Amalia: I’ve tried to include a lot of the elements of the Christmas repertoire: reindeer, sleigh, snowman, the tradition of gifts at the foot of the tree, the long-awaited food… fun.
6) And you, would you like it to be Christmas every day?
Maria Amalia: Hmm… I wouldn’t want that. If I had to choose, I’d like every day to be…pizza day! On reflection, I think the nice thing is that we always live one day differently than the next.
7) What is the role of literature in childhood?
Maria Amalia: Literature is essential in all times of life. Especially when the reader is still young, contact with books – in addition to aiding in reading fluency, spelling words and enriching vocabulary – is a passport for those who want to travel without leaving their place.
Literature gives the child the opportunity to develop a critical sense. All forms of art exist to make you think, to reflect. THE children’s books helps the reader to distinguish right from wrong, right from wrong. Above all, it helps to prepare the child for situations that it will face in the future.
8) What tips would you give to families who want to encourage children to love reading from an early age?
Maria Amalia: First of all: have books at home! And within reach of children, so they can handle them whenever they feel like it. My father showed me art books. My mother, books about animals. Wonders and mysteries of the animal world, I remember the title. In the midst of so many books, my brother and I read many comic books.
All kinds of reading, as long as diversified, it is valid. The book, like the toys, is an object that should be part of the everyday life of the little ones.
Read close to your children, grandchildren, cousins, godchildren. Tell them stories before bed, on the way to school, during meals. When parents get involved in the activity, they become snake charmers. I doubt that the child is not paying attention to all the details. This is sure to be a fun time like so many others.
Another tip is to regularly visit bookstores and libraries for the little ones to get acquainted with the area. We have examples of welcoming public libraries with a very diverse program for families: storytelling, shows, plays…
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