Children's literature, oral tradition, and reading practices: an analysis of Zé Orfeu and the Magic Viola

Abstract

This article analyzes José Domingues's work Zé Orfeu e a Viola Mágica (2022) (Zé Orfeu and the Magic Viola), focusing on the relationship between children's literature, oral tradition, and literary reading practices. The analysis is based on an understanding of children's literature as an artistic and cultural manifestation, as proposed by Cademartori (1986), who defends the aesthetic value of literary works intended for children and their contribution to the formation of readers. The narrative is examined based on its dialogues with popular culture and musicality, elements that refer to oral tradition and the symbolic reworking of myths, bringing the text closer to the sensitive and imaginative universe of children. It draws on Candido (2011) to support literature as a human right, highlighting its role in expanding subjective experience and building sensitivity, fundamental aspects in children's contact with literary texts.  In the field of reading practices, the study is based on Vygotsky's (1978) historical-cultural perspective, understanding literary reading as a mediated social practice, in which the interaction between reader, text, and mediator plays a central role in cognitive and symbolic development. Based on this approach, the study discusses the potential of the work for literary mediation practices in school and non-school contexts, especially through shared reading, oral tradition, and musicalization. It is concluded that Zé Orfeu e a Viola Mágica (2022)favors reading experiences that articulate cultural tradition, playfulness, and the construction of meaning, establishing itself as a significant object for reflections on the formation of the reader in contemporary times.