Malba Tahan Collection

According to various accounts, the boy Julinho, as he was called, was a child full of vitality and imagination. Inventive and mischievous, his favorite toys were the frogs from the backyard and the edge of the Paraíba River.

To the plumpest frogs, he gave solemn names like 'Monsignor' and 'Illustrious Sir.' As a little one, he played at giving lessons to a class of frogs and guiding them with a wand.

The memory of joy with the frogs of his childhood became famous. As an adult, many friends and admirers began to give him replicas of frogs in porcelain, wood, iron, jade, and crystal. Once, they asked the distinguished Professor Mello e Souza why he liked frogs so much.