Naná lives in a village on the banks of the Amazon. People's lives are characterised by the warm and humid climate and the rhythm of the seasons. When the river overflows its banks in the rainy season, the people let the water flow through their homes and the village children travel to school by boat.
One day, as Naná sits on the bank with her fishing rod waiting for a fish to bite, a canoe appears. A mother is sitting in it with her children, the eldest boy skilfully steering the boat through the current with a paddle. Naná wonders where these people might be travelling to.
Then the boy from the canoe turns up at the village school shortly afterwards. His name is Kayabu and he is given a seat next to Naná. The two become friends, although they are often astonished at the other's world.
This story of friendship opens a window onto the world of the indigenous population of Amazonia, whose habitat is threatened by industrial deforestation and the extraction of raw materials. There were once 1000 indigenous ethnic groups in Brazil; today there are around 200.