Between human and non-human. Ecological perspectives in contemporary children’s literature

Abstract

Starting from the ecofeminist paradigm, this contribution explores children's literature as a tool for reflecting on current environmental issues and the role of childhood in countering violence and domination over the natural, animal, and human systems. The child’s body, vulnerable and constantly evolving, and so different from the adult’s, is viewed as a vehicle for an ecosystemic experience of coexistence between humans, animals, and nature. The analysis of works by several contemporary authors suggests that resisting domination means returning to that primordial state of interconnectedness with the natural world and all the creatures, human and non-human, inhabiting the Earth.