Monteiro Lobato

Monteiro Lobato was a Brazilian writer and editor, considered one of the most influential and innovative authors of children's literature in Brazil and Latin America. He was born in Taubaté, São Paulo, in 1882, and graduated in Law, but never practiced it. He worked as a journalist, translator, and promoter, before inheriting his grandfather's farm and becoming a farmer. He started to write stories inspired by the rural life and the folk tales of Brazil, and published his first book, Urupês, in 1918. He also founded his own publishing house, Monteiro Lobato & Cia, and later the Companhia Editora Nacional, where he edited and translated several books, especially from English literature. He was a pioneer in using colloquial language and Brazilian themes in his works, as well as introducing elements of fantasy and science fiction. He is best known for his series of books for children, set in the Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (Yellow Woodpecker Farm), where he created memorable characters such as Emília, a talking rag doll, Pedrinho, her adventurous owner, Visconde de Sabugosa, a wise corncob, and many others. He also wrote educational books, such as Emília no País da Gramática (Emília in the Country of Grammar) and Aritmética da Emília (Emília's Arithmetic). He was also an activist for several causes, such as nationalism, oil exploration, and education reform. He died in 1948, at the age of 66, leaving behind a rich and diverse legacy that influenced generations of readers and writers in Brazil.