Childrens Picture Books: Culture and Content

3 units

Even in our world of apps and e-readers, paging through a picture book remains a beloved pastime for children. What has allowed the picture book to persist as a cultural object for over 300 years and what can it teach us about childhood? In this course, we will examine the history of the picture book, from the earliest illustrated educational texts to John Newbery's groundbreaking delights to the socially conscious picture books of the 21st century. We will use the picture book to trace important social and educational movements given its use as a tool to impart cultural values and knowledge. We will also examine important moments in picture book publishing history, most notably, the post-war Little Golden Books phenomenon. Authors and illustrators of study will include Randolph Caldecott, Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak, Ezra Jack Keats, Bruno Munari, Jerry Pinkney, Eric Carle, Tana Hoban, Leo and Diane Dillon, and Christian Robinson. Students will engage critically with both text and image, delving into the way images communicate meaning. The course will also contemplate important contemporary issues, most notably, race and representation in picture books and the rise of picture book bans. This course is well-suited for students interested in illustration, education, publishing, and cultural studies, and is appropriate for students pursuing the children's studies minor. This course will count towards the Publishing Concentration. For the concentration this course will provide a publishing elective.