OS AMIGOS DO PEDRINHO

When Comecinho's first work (My little brother bothers me) was released by Global Editora, the public had the opportunity to recognize Miguel. An already well-established character by author Ruth Rocha, Miguel now has a different face (signed by Mariana Massarani), but his dilemmas remained the same – how to learn and adapt to one of the most complicated phases of life: maturing. As the series developed, we learned more about Miguel, his family and his brother Pedrinho, and their dilemmas became more complex and interesting, a characteristic that marks the arrival of the second wave of the series. The book that begins the second phase is Pedrinho's friends, the fifth volume. With illustrations also by Mariana Massarani, the little brother who arrived in Miguel's life in the first book of the saga is now older and dealing with his own issues. With an active and healthy social life, Pedrinho has several friends, but his favorite is Lucas. The two spend all their free time together, playing ball, playing, studying or simply walking home from school together. When Fernando arrives in their lives, however, the dynamic between them begins to change. Suddenly, Lucas and Fernando start walking together all the time, laughing during breaks and leaving together. Pedrinho starts to feel excluded and sad. The most interesting thing to see in the book is that at a certain point in the story, Pedrinho, frustrated at not being able to find a solution to his problem, asks his brother, Miguel, for help. Now older and with greater control over his own feelings, he advises his brother to simply have fun, find other friends and enjoy what school has to offer, expanding his friendships and the possibilities that come with it. With this in mind, Pedrinho starts playing ball with the boys at school. Enthusiastic about his brother's idea and willing to make new friends, he gives his all to the game and people, driven by his enthusiasm, start to join the game, creating a kind of spontaneous championship. At one point, even Lucas and Fernando participate! The conflict itself strengthens old friendships, creates more diverse friendships and includes all children, resolving the issue of jealousy and exclusion in the best possible way. The series is based on the lives of Ruth Rocha's own grandchildren. As she says: "One day, Miguel was very sad because no one could play with him. My daughter and son-in-law were working and his brother was too little to play. No ideas were working: drawing, painting, nothing. What did I do? I wrote a story!" Many years later, the series remains as universal as when it was first released. This characteristic is due to the fact that the subjects covered there are common to all children, and also because Ruth Rocha does an excellent job of capturing such emotions.