“Dandá” is my first illustrated book for children. It tells the story of a child who experiences, in an affectionate way, the space of the terreiro (a sacred space in Afro-Brazilian religions). The narrative, centered on the multisensory discovery of this territory, reveals the character's paths in attempting to interact with a guinea fowl that hides behind the mortar, the gourd, the tree… Upon entering this terreiro, both Dandá and the reader access and experience the sensations of the Afro-Brazilian universe, as a kind of initiation and learning of cultural codes.

This book, the fifth published by Editora Madrepérola, was born in lands that celebrate ancestry, because, just like childhood, the terreiro (a sacred space in Afro-Brazilian religions) is fertile ground for learning through the senses.

Text: Janaína de Figueiredo | Illustration: Mayara Smith | Graphic design: Denise Teixeira - Garagem Design | Proofreading: Márcia Pituba and Jéssica Dante | Editing and critical reading: Juliana Pádua Silva Medeiros | Editorial coordination: Rafael Silvaro