The history of children who planted a river: the representation of childhood in the children's literature of Daniel da Rocha Leite

Abstract

This work aims to understand how the representation of childhood is constituted in the book "The history of children who planted a river" by Daniel da Rocha Leite (2013). The author presents a range of elements that carry the identities and strength of memory, in dialogue with the Amazonian culture. It is possible to observe in the narrative the representation of the imaginary and the infantile atmosphere in the construction of the characters and the literary space. Daniel presents the river as a central and formative element of the child's cultural practices. The construction of the object of study will take into account the theoretical approaches on children's literature in Zilberman (2003) and on conceptions of childhood in Aries (1978). In addition, the research considers it important to understand the constitution and symbolic translation of the Amazon culture in children's literature. The relation of the child to the river is marked by the marvelous character. The work brings to light some of the identity traits of childhood such as play, the fascination with oral narratives and the dream universe, these elements are loaded with the enchantments of the river, the social issues of the region and the playfulness of childhood.