Challenging and controversial picturebooks : creative and critical responses to visual texts / edited by Janet Evans.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Evans, Janet, 1952-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Picture books for children--Educational aspects.

Picture books for children.

Visual learning.

Physical Description:

293 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2015.

Summary:

It is often assumed that picturebooks are for very young readers because of their emphasis on the illustrations and then" scarcity of text; however, there are increasing numbers of picturebooks where the age of the implied reader is questionable. These are picture-books whose controversial subject matter and unconventional, often unsettling style of illustration challenge the reader, pushing them to question and probe deeper to understand what the hook is about. In addition to the book challenging the reader, the reader often challenges the book in an attempt to understand what is being said. These increasingly popular picturebooks work on many different levels; they are truly polysemic and worthy of in-depth analysis. They push the reader to ask questions and in many instances are intrinsically philosophical, often dealing with fundamental life issues. Challenging and Controversial Picturebooks examines these unconventional, non-conformist picturebooks, considering what they are, their audience and their purpose. It also considers: Children's and adults' thoughts on these kinds of picturebooks. How challenging and unsettling wordless picturebooks can play with the mind and promote philosophical thought. What creates non-conformity and strangeness ... is it the illustrations and their style, the subject matter or a combination of both? Why certain countries create, promote and accept these picturebooks more than others. Why certain picturebooks are censored and what factors are in play when these decisions are made. The role of publishers in translating and publishing these picturebooks. Children's creative and critical responses to strange, unsettling and often disturbing visual texts. This inspiring and thought-provoking volume explores the work of a number of highly respected, international picturebook experts and includes an exclusive interview with the legendary Klaus Flugge, Managing Director of Andersen Press, one of the few remaining independent children's book publishers in England. It is an indispensable reference for all interested in or working with picturebooks, including researchers, students in higher and teacher education, English advisors/inspectors, literacy consultants and classroom teachers. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I Challenging and controversial picturebooks: What are they and who are they for? 1

1 Picturebooks as strange, challenging and controversial texts / Janet Evans Evans, Janet 3

2 The scandal of the commonplace: The strangeness of best-selling picturebooks / Perry Nodelmau Nodelmau, Perry 33

3 From traditional tales, fairy stories, and cautionary tales to controversial visual texts: Do we need to be fearful? / Sandra L. Beckett Beckett, Sandra L. 49

4 Who are these picturebooks for? Controversial picturebooks and the question of audience / Åse Marie Ommundsen Ommundsen, Åse Marie 71

Part II Controversy and ambiguity in the art of the visual 95

5 Fusion texts - the new kid on the block: What are they and where have they come from? / Janet Evans Evans, Janet 97

6 'These books made me really curious': How visual explorations shape the young readers' taste / Marnie Campagnaro Campagnaro, Marnie 121

7 Beware of the fox! Emotion and deception in Fox by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks / Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer Kümmerling-Meibauer, Bettina, Jörg Meibauer Meibauer, Jörg 144

8 Fear and strangeness in picturebooks: Fractured fairy tales, graphic knowledge, and teachers' concerns / Elizabeth Marshall Marshall, Elizabeth 160

Part III Creative, critical and philosophical responses to challenging picturebooks 179

9 What's real and what's not: Playing with the mind in wordless picturebooks / Sandie Mourao Mourao, Sandie 181

10 Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Children's responses to the portrayal of wolves in picturebooks / Kerenza Ghosh Ghosh, Kerenza 201

11 Filling the gaps: Exploring the writerly metaphors in Shaun Tan's The Red Tree / Sylvia Pantaleo Pantaleo, Sylvia 225

12 Could this happen to us? Children's critical responses to issues of migration in picturebooks / Janet Evans Evans, Janet 243

Part IV Thoughts from a children's book publisher 261

13 The legendary Klaus Flugge: Controversial picturebooks and their place in contemporary society / Klaus Flugge Flugge, Klaus, Janet Evans Evans, Janet 263.

ISBN:

9781138797741

113879774X

9781138797772

1138797774

OCLC:

896861152