MARIA CRISTINA MARQUES
The emergence of Romani-themed children's literature represents an important gesture of symbolic and cultural reparation. This article, the result of doctoral research concluded in 2023, aims to analyze how children's narratives produced by and about Calon Romani children help valorize their ethnic identity. It contextualizes Romani childhood in Brazil, marked by orality and a historical absence of positive representation in children’s books. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, playful practices and real stories experienced by Calon girls and boys in the Mathias encampment (Rio de Janeiro) were documented, serving as the basis for the creation of original children's tales. The results show that such stories – exemplified by “The Dead Lizard” and “The Enchanted Discs” – recover collective memory, affirm cultural values, and contribute to a unique epistemology, strengthening children's sense of belonging and self-esteem.