A Festa for Luana is a splendid picture book by Brazilian American Joana Pastro (Lucas and the Capoeira Circle) that enthusiastically celebrates Festa Junina, a month-long Brazilian holiday commemorating St. John and the harvest. Latin American artist Duda Oliva makes his U.S. picture book debut featuring traditional food, decorations, clothing, and games in painterly illustrations.
Luana and her parents arrive at her grandparents' house from the U.S. just in time for the June festa. When her vovô (grandfather) introduces her as his "American granddaughter," she immediately feels that she is not Brazilian enough. First, Luana thinks her dress doesn't have the right "pretty little details"--Mamãe tells her everyone dresses "up in plaid, flowers, and frills"--so her mother plaits her hair and gives her a few aesthetic freckles. This is not enough for Luana, so the artistic girl enhances her blue-and-white July 4th dress with showy gold ruffles and a patterned apron, creating a dress that is "just like me, American and Brazilian!"
Pastro scatters Portuguese words throughout the text and includes context clues (and a glossary) to help young readers interpret anything with which they are unfamiliar. Her text is sometimes poetic, as when the family dances the "swirling. Twirling" quadrilha. Oliva's soft pastel and colored pencil art is impressionistic and focuses on feeling and tone while still highlighting specific details of the celebration and traditional clothing. An author's note and recipe for bolo de fubá (a fluffy cake) close out this endearing exploration of a girl's dual identity. --Melinda Greenblatt, freelance book reviewer