Broca 2021: Los Cuentos De La Calle

The premise of the book is deceptively simple: a young boy named Bachir, the son of the local grocer, sits in his father’s shop on Broca Street in Paris. There, he listens to the tales told by Monsieur Pierre, a mysterious and kind-hearted customer. This framing device creates an intimate, oral storytelling atmosphere. The street itself, located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, becomes a character—a familiar, grounded reality from which the most fantastical adventures spring.

(Based directly on Gripari’s original tales, adapted) los cuentos de la calle broca

(original Portuguese: A Rua do Broca ) is a celebrated Brazilian children’s book written and illustrated by Angela Lago (1945–2017). First published in 1982, it has become a classic of Latin American children’s literature, widely studied for its narrative innovation, visual-textual interplay, and social criticism disguised as playful storytelling. The premise of the book is deceptively simple:

The original collection contains 13 stories, later expanded to 26 in subsequent editions. Some of the most iconic tales include: The street itself, located in the 13th arrondissement

For decades, Spanish-speaking readers have fallen in love with this Spanish edition, which preserves the original’s clever nonsense, visual humor, and surreal logic. But what is it about la calle Broca that has turned it into a staple in classrooms and libraries across the Spanish-speaking world? Let’s walk down this very peculiar street.