WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY
VANESSA ALEXANDRE
WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY
VANESSA ALEXANDRE
NATURE INSIDE
Copyright © 2023
Vanessa Alexandre (text and illustrations)
Editorial direction
Aloma Carvalho
Editorial assistant Jessica Spilla Revision
Maria Cristina Monaco
Desktop publishing
Indaia Emília S. Pelosini
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INTERNATIONAL DATA FOR CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION (CIP)
ALEXANDRE, V. Severed wings. / Text and illustration: Vanessa Alexandre. 1st edition. São Paulo: Pangolin Books, 2023.
32 p. : color illu., 21 x 28 cm
ISBN - PRINTED BOOK - 978-65-85061-36-0
ISBN - E-PUB - 978-65-85061-30-8
ISBN - MOBI - 978-65-85061-31-5
ISBN - PDF - 978-65-85061-32-2 DDC 028.5
1. Children’s literature. 2. Illustrated narrative. 3. Environment. 4. Amazon Rainforest. 5. Flying rivers: water cycle. I. Author. II. Illustrator.
INDEXES FOR SYSTEMATIC CATALOG:
1. Children's literature: illustrated narrative - 028.5
2. Children's book: Brazilian children's literature - 028.5
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No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise –without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Pangolin Books is a children's book publisher based in São Paulo, Brazil. Visit our website: www.pangolin-books.com Get in touch: info@pangolin-books.com
DID YOU KNOW THAT, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, A MASSIVE RIVER IS SOARING THROUGH THE SKY?
ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A RIVER WITH NO BED, MOUTH, OR SOURCE. IT WAS A DIFFERENT RIVER, WHICH HAD NO GROUND, BUT WINGS TO FLY. IT WAS A FLYING RIVER.
ITS FAVORITE PLACE WAS THE TREETOPS, WHERE ANIMALS AND PLANTS LIVE IN HARMONY.
THERE, THE FLYING RIVER FROLICKED WITH THE AIR, GATHERING LITTLE RAINDROPS. AND WHEN IT FELT ITS WINGS WERE WEIGHED DOWN, IT WOULD SIMPLY TAKE A FLIGHT...
ABOUT THE BOOK
“Severed Wings” was written to demonstrate to children the beauty and significance of the Amazon’s renowned “flying rivers”. These rivers are actually large volumes of water in the form of steam and clouds that are carried by the winds. They originate from the Amazon Basin and bring rain to the Andes Mountains and multiple states in Brazil, including São Paulo , Minas Gerais , and Mato Grosso .
AN INVISIBLE RIVER!
But where do the waters of flying rivers come from, since we can’t see them?
They originate in the Atlantic Ocean and are drawn to the Amazon Rainforest, which serves as a vast water reservoir, making the generated moisture turn into an immense amount of rain. As it rains over the forest, the water returns as steam. It is as if there is a rechargeable rain battery that is constantly being replenished! Trees play an essential role in this cycle, as they store and release rainwater.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES
With deforestation, burning, and the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest, the flying rivers are in great peril: without the presence of trees, the flying rivers cannot “fly,” as they are a critical component in the water storage process. That is, no trees, no water.
WILDFIRES
For this reason, fires are very harmful to the flow of the flying rivers and to the preservation of life in the forest. In addition to destroying the environment and the habitat of several animals, they contribute to global warming. Unfortunately, if no action is taken, the consequences may be irreversible. The flying rivers will disappear and the availability of water will decrease drastically… The forest as we know it today may no longer exist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is Vanessa, I’m an author and illustrator of children’s books and I work with publishers in Brazil, Spain, the United States, and Portugal, as well as illustrate textbooks.
I have participated in exhibitions such as the Cow Parade in São Paulo and the Jaguar Parade in São Paulo and New York. I was also chosen to be part of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Refugiarte exhibition.
Writing and illustrating “Asas Cortadas” [Severed Wings] was a challenge. Offering my interpretation of the cycle of the flying rivers and demonstrating their importance for the balance of nature and the existence of life is a great honor, as it has allowed me to imprint a bit of what I believe in each image: the necessity of preserving nature, conserving finite resources, respecting indigenous peoples, caring for animals, and preserving the memory of all those who fight (or have fought) for the Amazon Rainforest, the great cradle of the flying rivers, which has been so greatly affected by deforestation and burning.
While I was conceiving the story and the illustrations, certain details were of utmost importance. One of them refers to the day that turned into night, which happened in Brazil in 2019. It is a way to show that nature communicates with us and, living on a unique planet, events restricted to a part of the world can have a profound impact on the lives of many people in other areas.
Moreover, the illustration of the hands rebuilding the forest alludes to the real people who dedicate their lives to protecting the environment: indigenous peoples, journalists, scientists, activists – to name a few.
My hope is that after reading this story, every time we look up to the sky, we will be reminded of the immense and generous river that brings life to us all.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS BOOK, YOU WILL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT IT…
who is the person who came up with the idea for the story and writes the text.
the illustrator, that is, the person who imagines the characters and the scenarios and draws all of them.
the publisher, the company that makes the book and brings it to you!
the publisher’s social networks information about the book and its authors.
was written by… VANESSA ALEXANDRE
was illustrated by… VANESSA ALEXANDRE
was published by… PANGOLIN BOOKS
has the ISBN number… PRINTED BOOK - 978-65-85061-36-0
E-PUB - 978-65-85061-30-8 MOBI - 978-65-85061-31-5
PDF - 978-65-85061-32-2
is well explained here… www.pangolin-books.com
Making books, spreading reading!
which is the number that identifies the book anywhere in the world!
AN INVISIBLE RIVER CROSSES THE SKY EVERY DAY, RIGHT ABOVE OUR HEADS. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT, BUT SINCE IT’S HAD ITS WINGS RUTHLESSLY SEVERED, IT’S BEEN IN GRAVE DANGER… WHAT RIVER IS THIS? WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?