Picture Books about Brazil (Cultural Learning for Homeschoolers)

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When you think about Brazil, what images come to mind?

Perhaps you think beaches, or soccer, or Carnaval. It’s true that all of these things are important parts of Brazilian culture! However, if you’re studying this South American country (or its language) in your homeschool, I’ve got something else to tell you:

Brazil has plenty more to explore.

If you want to dive deeper into Brazilian history and culture, today’s booklist is for you. It’s something that I developed for my own kids, as a part of our homeschool Portuguese study this year. Before we learned a single word in Portuguese, we began with a read-aloud marathon of these picture books. Starting this way allowed me to give my children a cultural context for their language learning (something that every homeschooler can benefit from) and help them to imagine themselves one day speaking Portuguese—our goal for them!

I checked out every book that our (extensive) library system had on Brazil, and after reading through them all, I’m ready to share my top picks. All of these are written in English, so whether you’re studying Brazil as part of a unit study, for a geography lesson, or learning its language, they’re books that any family can enjoy. (If you’re looking for books written in Portuguese, check out my recommendations in this post).

Here they are:

The Best Tailor in Pinbauê by Eymard Toledo

This visually engaging picture book (the illustrations reminded me of Ezra Jack Keats and The Snowy Day) recounts the changes that a small Brazilian town experiences when a new factory moves in. Narrated from the perspective of a young boy, this relatable story has some deep themes: the role of art in everyday life, the impact of industrialization on the Brazilian economy and way of life, and the relationship between man and nature, to name a few. That makes it sound like a really heavy book, but I assure you that my kindergartener loved it! I especially liked that the main characters are Afro-Brazilians, since I’m always looking for more diverse picture books to share with my sons, and because it reflects the reality of Brazil, where approximately half the population is of African descent.

Carnival in Latin America/ Carnaval in Latinoamérica (Spanish/English) by Kerrie Logan Hollihan

This easy-to-read non-fiction book showcases how Carnaval is celebrated in different places across Latin America, including Brazil. I particularly liked that it shows how many different traditions have developed around this common holiday, and of course, I appreciated that I was able to read it to my kids in Spanish, since it has the Spanish and English text side-by-side. The photos are engaging and all are appropriate for kids (which is not the case for all photos of Carnaval!).

Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! by George Ancona

Invented by slaves as a method of self-defense, the Brazilian sport of caipoeira is a fascinating mix of dance and martial arts. This accessible picture book explains the history of capoiera and introduces readers to the sport’s key elements including: its basic moves, the musical instruments used in practice sessions, practitioners’ traditional dress, and even the naming practices that it uses. This is a great in-depth history of and introduction to capoeira, even for young children. Obviously, it does touch on the topic of slavery, so know that you might want to do some page skipping if you have very young or sensitive children.

If you find your child’s imagination captivated by this marital art, you might consider pairing this book with the Capoiera Coloring and Activity book. It’s full of coloring pages and activities that will teach them about all of the different elements of capoeira practice.

Animal Poems of the Iguazú (Spanish/English) by Francisco Alarcón

The waterfalls of Iguazú share the border between Argentina and Brazil and this eye-catching book celebrates the fauna of this region with poems dedicated to all sorts of exotic animals, from XX to XX. This is the perfect volume for hosting a Brazilian Poetry Teatime with your kids. Whip up some brigadeiros with them in the kitchen, brew a cafezinho for yourself, and settle in to enjoy these poems.

Steve Goes to Carnival by Joshua Button and Robyn Wells

For very young readers, who might not have the attention span for Carnival in Latin America (recommended above), try this humorous story about a gorilla who escapes from the Rio zoo—and joins in the city’s Carnival festivities. The vibrant art by illustrator Robyn Wells will capture preschoolers’ attention and the light storyline is easy to follow. While the story itself doesn’t offer a ton in the way of cultural education, this is an easy introduction to Carnival for young children, and I really like how the illustrations capture the spirit of Brazil during this special time of year.

Jabutí The Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott

Gerald McDermott has written and illustrated an entire collection of classic folktales from around the world, and Jabutí is his adaptation of a traditional tale Brazil. Now, while this folktale doesn’t focus on the people of Brazil—all the characters are animals—it can still be a really useful tool for learning about Brazilian culture. For example, you could use it to help your children compare this story and other folktales that they may know. Do any of the animals in Jabutí remind your children of characters from other folktales? Brer Rabbit and Anansi are two worth exploring—how are they similar or different to Jabutí?

Brazil: Enchantment of the World by Ann Heinrichs

Look at that book cover! If your children aren’t already fascinated with Brazil, they just might be drawn in by this book, a comprehensive guide to Brazil and its people. This non-fiction book explains just about everything there is to know about Brazil, including its geography, food, holidays, and more. It’s suitable for most upper elementary students and above, as younger kids will probably get lost in all the details.

Songs from a Journey With a Parrot: Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from Brazil and Portugal by The Secret Mountain

Since I love to use music to homeschool foreign languages, I was thrilled to find this book while surfing Amazon. It comes with an audio CD and has short poems and nursery rhymes (included in both English and Portuguese) that are perfect for practicing with your young kids. What I especially love, however, is the back section of the book, which has short explanations of where each song comes from—which is hugely helpful for understanding the songs and their cultural value. According to these summaries, the song “Samba, Samba, Samba, lê lê” for example, has its roots in African culture and music, whereas the song “Marinheiro só” originated as a sea shanty centered on the coastal city of Salvador de Bahia (one of Brazil’s first cities and still one of its largest today).

If you have a chance to read any of these books, let me know what you think—and what you learn about Brazil!