"In the mountains of Brazil, there are only two seasons -- the rainy season and the dry season. Antonio is born during the rainy season, a bad omen. He is a sickly, odd child, born too soon slow to talk. Yet under the protective shadow of the encircling mountains, surrounded by the love of his family, Antonio fourishes. With the other boys he chases fireflies and swallows live minnows to make himself a better swimmer. He goes fishing with his father and measures their shadows, longing for the day when he will be just like the older man. He eats the special sweets his mother makes for him, listens to his grandmother's deliciously scary stories about souls from another world, and celebrates the monthly festivals to honour the saints. The seasons pass, and with each one the boy discovers more of the world's secrets. When the time finally comes to leave his farm to go away to school, Antonio is ready, nurtured in body and spirit by the rich tapestry of his childhood."--Page [4] of cover.