Contemporary poetry in children’s Picture books: analysis of the work ‘Que lambança!’, by Ana Maria Machado

Resumo

This paper aims to present a possible analysis of the book Que lambança! (2004(a)), written by Ana Maria Machado and illustrated by Denise Fraifeld based on the theoretical assumptions of Reception Aesthetics (JAUSS, 1994; ISER, 1996, 1999). This poetic work for children belongs to the collection "Gato escondido" (Hidden Cat), whose title, in the tradition of the genre, dialogues with popular culture, nursery rhymes and songs from popular folklore, especially with the tongue-twister of the same name: "Gato escondido com rabo de fora tá mais escondido/que rabo escondido com gato de fora" (A hidden cat with its tail in plain sight is more hidden than a hidden tail with a cat in plain sight). (CIRANDA DO BRAZIL, 2021). This dialog reveals the aesthetic project of the writer who understands the role of literature to be the constitution of a social memory, by rescuing a cultural heritage that, when appropriated, is constantly updated. In this way, the work presents itself as a game that challenges a discerning reader to discover what is "hidden" and "shown" between the lines and, especially, in the relationship that is established between its verbal and visual texts. Thus, the choice for the theoretical contribution of the Reception Aesthetics is justified, because the work of Machado (2004(a)), by the use of dialogue with a popular and infantile imagination, and the communicability with the implicit reader, which is established in the form of a game, manifesting itself both in the verbal and visual texts, shows that it aims to captivate the child to read.