Perpetuating invisibility and mythification of animals in a children’s books collection

Abstract

A collection of books addressed to children titled “Farm Animals” aims, according to its publishing company, to be didactic on the subject of the animals in question. This study intends to question the didacticism of this collection through a comparative analysis between the case of “The Cow” (book) and the exploitation practices described by Portuguese livestock industry reports. It was concluded that there are considerable gaps between the narratives in this collection and the realities experienced by the animals in the livestock industry. That is, the narratives in question act in accordance with a hegemonic (food) culture, ultimately promoting invisibility and mythification - perpetuating the emotional separation between the consuming population and the evoked animals.