Dialogando com as literaturas infantis voltadas à promoção da diversidade étnica nas escolas de Manaus

Abstract

The present research, entitled Dialoguing Children’s Literature Aimed at Promoting Ethnic Diversity in Schools of Manaus, is associated with the Scientific Initiation project titled Teaching Narratives Aimed at Promoting Ethnic Diversity through Children’s Literature. The research was approved through a public call by the Faculty of Education (FACED) at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) and began in August 2024. Its main objective was to analyze children’s literature books that address Indigenous culture present in municipal early childhood education schools. Specifically, we sought to: (1) identify supplementary educational materials, particularly children’s literature books that focus on Indigenous narratives, within early childhood education for children aged four and five; and (2) analyze children’s books that incorporate Indigenous narratives, aiming to understand how these books address cultural aspects, differences, and identities in relation to children’s ways of being in the context of early childhood education. The core focus of the investigation is to understand the use of these books as didactic-pedagogical resources in the identity-building process of children between four and five years old. In total, three institutions located in the North, East, and Central-East zones of the city of Manaus-AM were visited. The proposal is based on Rey’s (2005) qualitative research approach, employing image analysis according to Schwengber (2012), along with a literature review supported by Prestes (2012). Three books were analyzed: O onça by Daniel Munduruku; A lenda da Vitória-Régia by Paulinho Tapajós; and O menino irmão das águas by Thiago de Mello. The data obtained from the analysis indicate that books authored by Indigenous writers enable a greater impact on the identity-construction process of non-Indigenous children. On the other hand, works authored by non-Indigenous writers that address Indigenous themes may, in some cases, reinforce colonialist perspectives about Indigenous peoples. In this regard, the teacher’s mediation during the reading process proves to be essential.