In 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus's landing in the Bahamas was simultaneously celebrated and denounced in the US. Damaging facts about Columbus and the impact of his voyages were aired along with demands for truth and change. This study analyzes the power relationships and political ideology of picturebooks about Columbus published…

This article explores children's picturebooks about death and grieving by considering both psychological and literary aspects. Two questions frame this analysis: How can picturebooks, particularly written for young children, support children's grief when someone dies? How do the illustrations and text of picture books express and convey the…

This article considers how emotions can be conveyed through the interaction of word and image in picturebooks addressed to young readers. The theoretical framework employed in the article develops ideas from cognitive literary theory, adapting it to the specific conditions in which there is a significant difference between the sender's and the…

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…

In this article David Lewis talks to Posy Simmonds about her career in illustration, cartooning and the writing and illustration of picturebooks. Together they discuss her early experience of working as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines; her first attempt at creating a weekly adult cartoon strip and her subsequent career as a regular…

In this interview Fiona French discusses her work and career with David Lewis. She describes early influences and stresses her lifelong love of colour and pattern. Amongst other themes she considers the factual basis of most of her books and her lack of interest in fantasy; her preference for clear, simple prose; her constant shifts in style and…

C. Walter Hodges first came to prominence as the author/illustrator of "Columbus Sails" in 1939, which the Junior Bookshelf hailed as "The best book never to have been awarded the Carnegie Medal." Widely acclaimed for the treatment of its subject matter, its powerful narration, and accompanying dramatic line illustrations, "Columbus Sails" was the…

This article intervenes in the debate about the pedagogical import of Heinrich Hoffmann's Der Struwwelpeter. Should this book be regarded as a typical example of black pedagogy or as a form of subversive children's literature? I argue in favour of the latter point of view, on the basis of a close reading of the interaction between words and…

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…

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…

Considers how the illustrators of J.M. Barrie's novel "Peter and Wendy" (1911) have responded to Wendy's role as mother, with particular emphasis on her skills as storyteller and needle-woman. Presents a detailed comparison of three versions of the scene in which Wendy meets Peter and sews his shadow back for him. Explores the possible…

Explores three distinct periods (across 60 years) in the work of renowned picture book artist Barbara Cooney. Reflects on strengths and weaknesses as well as her overall contributions to picture book art. (SR)

Discusses the integration of photographs and text in fictional works specifically regarding Garry Disher's "Bamboo Flute." Introduces the story and explores questions in detail regarding the presentation of its photographs in American publications. Attempts to make the readers become aware of alternative reading strategies that expand schemata and…

Considers the role of visual literacy in the reading experience. Discusses an assumption among readers, publishers, and many educators that the visual elements in a text may be safely ignored, marginalized, or simply edited out. Argues for the important role of visual arts in literature. (SC)

Examines five picture books by author/illustrator Peter Sis, and how they deal explicitly with people who through extraordinary journeys develop extraordinary ways of seeing the world. Discusses use of paratextual elements, multiple formats, multiple layers of narrative, and a merging of texts and pictures. Suggests ways these books might be used…