Exemplary picturebooks about democratic principles

Abstract

AbstractPicturebooks are media resources that combine illustrations and texts to reach young children with entertainment and messages about life. They can support children’s development of understanding of democratic principles. For this paper, picturebooks from Sweden and the US with content involving democratic principles were analysed with the goal of inquiring into specifically selected picturebooks through text- and illustration-based methods (iconotext). Ten picturebooks published since 2000 served as exemplars of five democratic principles: (a) equity/equality, (b) respect and appreciation for diversity, (c) rights, (d) freedom, and (e) participation. These picturebooks were examined with regard to power relations between groups or individuals. Dominance was expressed in the form of race differentiation and separation, gender dominance, and the limitation of others’ rights by force. Picturebooks from Sweden and the US differed with regard to individualism vs. collectivism. The picturebooks included contexts in which democratic solutions were sought and obtained; through read alouds they can present young children with models of decision making for their own lives.

Keywords

• Democratic principles
• diversity
• equity/equality
• freedom
• participation
• picturebooks, rights