Oh Hey, João & Family
Oh Hey, we’re huge fans of Richard Scarry! In the spirit of his Busytown books we’re excited to introduce you to our mascot João and his busy life!
João loves his job. He’s a mascot for a greeting card company!
It’s much harder work than you might think. For example, today he has a full 18 hour schedule! In the mornings he has a regular guest spot on a popular children’s TV show.
He loves it. All he has to do is smile big when the camera zooms in on him. The craft services are beyond compare and the perfect way to start the day.
Once filming finishes, he hurries cross town via mass transit for a long lunch meeting. He’s brainstorming future greeting card collections. João brought pudim for everyone from his favorite local dessert spot. It’s a huge hit and gives him the pick-me-up needed to carry into his next meeting… a phone call with the creative team and Netflix to pitch a fresh new animated show featuring his favorite animal… Capybaras!
Netflix decides to pass in favor of a sloth show. [note: it’s canceled after 6 episodes. The sloths’ timing was constantly too slow.] So João pencils in a call for next week with Adult Swim. João figures it’s a much better fit anyway.
At 3 he’s out the door and on the bus again headed cross town for a live promotional appearance. A new market featuring local, and sustainable, food has opened and he’s been invited for photos and to mingle.
At 5:30 João is back on the bus headed home to see his family. It’s been a long day and he can’t wait to make dinner and hear about everyone’s day. BUT, that’s not the end in his busy life.
After dinner and family time, João had to get ready quick! A car will be here at 9 to take him to the studio! João is surprisingly popular in Brazil and tonight he’ll be on their biggest late night show! It’s been a life long dream and is the next step in his plan to win an Oscar.
On Saturdays João and his kid head to the municipal park near their home. They go early, around 7am, and walk along the river.
On the weekends hundreds of kids from all over the neighborhood come to play football.
They like to get there before the games start and have a warm up swim in the lagoon. The water is cool and part of their natural habitat.
On a normal Saturday, there are dozens of other capybaras, even early in the morning. João is the only mascot in the bunch (although there is a chef and a broker).
His kid likes to play with friends, they warm up in the water so they’re limber when their football team plays.
At 9.30 the kid’s team is up!
They’re playing the sloths, a team from the other side of the neighborhood. It’s an easy match, the Capybaras win handily in regular time. 7 gooaaals to nil.
After the game they walk back home along the river. On the way, they stop and get some of the kid’s favorite… pão de queijo. It’s delicious!
They get home just past 2, family time.
Everyone else is already curled up in the den reading their favorite books and listening to Al Hirt’s Honey in the Horn.
João plops into his favorite chair and hoofs open his current read, The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. He’s liking it but keenly aware that it’s not as cool as he felt the hype made it out to be. However, he’s finding it interesting enough to reserve judgment until finishing the series.
By 7 the sun has set and everyone has wandered off, only João and his kid are left. The kid is enjoying legos and João is just finishing the book.
Time to get dinner going, a rich delicious Feijoada… João’s favorite (the kid’s too).
What a perfect day for João. Way less busy than work.
Thanks for reading! You can get yourself a little bit of João here, buy his cards and send them to your friends and family!