The Best Tailor in Pinbauê

Edinho’s uncle is the best tailor in the small town of Pinbaue in Brazil. He used to make bright-colored and beautiful clothes and costumes for the villagers, but now he just makes uniforms for the factory where almost everyone in town works. Edinho’s father doesn’t work for the factory either, he still keeps fishing though the pollution from the factory has impacted the quality and quantity of the fish. Then the factory decides to import their uniforms and suddenly Uncle Flores doesn’t have any work to do. When Edinho discovers bright fabric in storage, he has an idea that just might help the entire village. The text of this picture book is sprinkled with Portuguese words. The writing is clear and very readable, offering a fictional village that speaks to the plight of real small villages across Brazil and other countries.The illustrations are fascinating collages worth poring over. Fine details, textured papers and lots of patterns create a rich world. A compelling look at the impact of large factories on villages and how children can make a difference. Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Life is full of all kinds of changes.Uncle Flores was an excellent role model. He dealt with all kinds of setbacks in his lifetime, from losing a business to seeing how pollution was harming the people and animals who lived in his community. Many of these themes weren’t things that are typically talked about in children’s books. I was impressed by this character’s calm and hopeful approach to the hardships in his life. They made me confident in my decision to recommend this to such a young age group.I adored the beginning and middle of this book. Due to my first impressions, I was surprised by how disappointed I was by the ending. The story simply stopped. There wasn’t really a sense of closure for the characters, and some of my biggest questions about the community Edinho and his family lived in were never answered. If not for this issue, I would have chosen a much higher rating. The rest of it was a delightful read.The relationship between Edinho and Uncle Flores was warm and loving. I especially liked seeing how Uncle Flores explained some of the difficult topics that I mentioned above to his nephew. He knew exactly what to say to soothe Edinho’s fears while also acknowledging that the struggles they were going through were serious and did need to be solved soon if their family was going to be able to continue living in that area.I’d recommend The Best Tailor in Pinbaue to anyone who has ever seen their town change dramatically from one year to the next.originally posted at long and short ya reviews