Every Sunday, Grandpa waited for me in his room, and I took my place at the foot of the bed. There were days when Grandpa wanted to talk, and days when he would sit in silence. Then one day, Grandpa began telling me stories about his life at sea. Tales of love and adventure and danger on the ocean waves. And that's when I learned who my grandpa really was...

Stella is a Brazilian children's book writer. An art teacher with a Masters in Art History, she is also a founding member of Casa BabaYaga, a literary collective in Brazil.