This article examines the impact of immigration on Korean children through a content and literary analysis of 14 children's picture books. A majority of published children's literature dealing with the subject of Korean Americans or Korean immigration contains culturally specific themes common to the Korean immigration experience. These…

In this article the Viking motif in children's literature is explored--from its roots in (adult) nationalist and antiquarian discourse, over pedagogical and historical texts for children, to the eventual diversification (or dissolution) of the motif into different genres and forms. The focus is on Swedish Viking narratives, but points of…

American publishers have published numerous children's books about Barack Obama over the past several years; most take the form of informational biographies. This article reports on a research project aimed at how these books incorporate sociohistorical narratives, particularly those related to the civil rights movement. Though the features of the…

Northrop Frye (1912-1991) was one of the leading literary theorists of his day, and this article shows the ways in which his theories continue to be relevant for both the field of literary criticism and elementary classroom education today. The author, an eminent scholar in the field of children's literature in her own right and a student of…

In 1991, David Macaulay was awarded the Randolph Caldecott Medal for his picturebook, "Black and White" (1990). He believed the Caldecott committee's choice communicated many messages to readers of all ages: "that it is essential to see, not merely to look; that words and pictures can support each other; that it isn't necessary to think in a…

Examines a young girl's responses to "feminist" and "patriarchal" folktales. Explains that issues raised by tales involved the exercise of personal agency, physical strength of males and females, and the symbolic significance of dress. Contends that findings challenge psychological theories about the appeal of folktales to young children, and…

Explains that in "The Amber Spyglass," Philip Pullman extends the psychological depth of literature for young readers by presenting in palpable terms a confrontation with death met by the human capacity for dealing creatively, through story, with personal mortality. Contends that Pullman's portrayal of the power of storytelling is placed within…

Discusses what Chinese children have read in the last quarter of the 20th century. Notes that much of Chinese children's literature contains strong political, moral, and ideological messages. Examines the official guidelines for children's literature in the post-Mao era. Concludes that in the post-Mao period, the state has become more flexible,…

Notes that diverse characters in children's literature have been used for many years to introduce children to a variety of cultures. Explains that using characters in literature is also a strategy that is available to introduce children in a classroom to their peers who have disabilities. Explores how such books can be analyzed and what educators…

Notes that in his 20-year tenure as a picture book artist, Jon Agee, has produced a number of books that greatly vary in appearance. Provides examples of Agee's evolution as an artist while demonstrating his metafictive experimentation with artistic conventions, his play with concepts of reality and impossibility, and his abundant talent for…

Documents the author's interpretation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden." Explores a series of questions dealing with issues such as sight, speech, power, gender construction, and symbolism. Reveals the positive and potent ways women subvert the hegemony of patriarchal society and the celebration of the divine feminine within "The…

Considers how translations of indigenous folktales form a large proportion of South African children's books. Notes that at first those who published them were influenced by Social Darwinism, and later the folktales played a role in promoting the ideology of apartheid, but they were mainly the product of white paternalism. Notes that the folktales…

Addresses the question of why counting has figured so prominently in feminist social sciences studies of children's literature. Documents the quantitative approach to children's books used by both liberal and radical feminists; gives an account of why this approach has been so popular among feminist social scientists; and outlines some of the…

Argues that the story's two themes--a celebration of artistic creativity and a ringing denunciation of prejudice--are closely related through their reliance on the importance of imagination, both artistic and moral. Employs recent work in moral theory to analyze the way in which the resolution of Estes's story turns on the characters' growth in…

Questions whether the mediated experience provided by picture books contributes toward or hinders a realistic and appropriate appreciation of the natural world. Argues that picture books present highly misleading images of animals and their habitats. Examines a few exceptional books that give an accurate and sensitive account of the animal kingdom…