The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how preschool teachers in contemporary Sweden think and talk about intercultural education in the current context in which Sweden is rapidly becoming a more culturally diverse country. Specifically, the study applied an intersectional framework to examine how teacher’s work and talk around cultural issues and how children’s books can contribute to the broader pedagogical project of developing intercultural education in preschool. The research questions guiding this research were: How do teachers in ethnically diverse preschools work with and talk about children’s books in their daily interactions with children? How do teachers in ethnically homogenous preschools work with and talk about children’s books in their daily interactions with children? Teachers from two preschools - differing in terms of the ethnic make-up of their child population - were asked to read a pair of children’s books whose storylines had obvious links to issues related to cultural diversity. The teachers were then asked to discuss the books in focus groups. Transcripts of the focus groups were then subjected to a thematic analysis from an intersectional perspective. These analyses revealed that teachers in both preschools considered children’s age and their relative intellectual and emotional competencies to be significant barriers for using culturally sensitive children’s book to promote an intercultural education in preschool. Furthermore, the teachers oriented to other social categories, such as gender and family, in their analyses of the children’s books. These findings raise questions about if and how preschool teachers choose to engage with cultural issues in their preschools.

This thesis examines the publisher Thomas Nelson’s contribution to the juvenile publishing field in Britain in the period between 1850-1918, and studies Nelson’s development into a specialised publisher of books for children in the same period. The thesis examines the ways in which the children’s book and the juvenile publishing field developed through negotiating the demands of religious and secular education, arguing that it was through the children’s list that Nelson transitioned into a modern educational publisher. The thesis challenges assumptions that the history of children’s books is one from reading for instruction to reading solely for pleasure, thus also expanding our understanding of the types of books which were published in the “Golden Age” of children’s books. Finally, in uncovering the influence of the Nelson firm, the thesis reassesses the role of Scottish companies in British juvenile publishing. The research builds on three types of data: first and foremost information comes from the “Papers of Thomas Nelson & Sons”, a collection of the firm’s business and editorial papers. To allow comparisons with the larger publishing field and with specific publishers, data were also gathered from contemporary trade, professional, government and literary publications. Finally, the material form of selected Nelson children’s books is analysed. In chapter one, the impact that Nelson’s origin as a publisher with evangelical sympathies had on text selection and editorial methods is analysed. The reasons for the adventure tale’s dominant position on the Nelson list is the focus of chapter two, which analyses the editorial treatment of this genre and the diverse opportunities this genre afforded Nelson. Chapter three analyses the development of Nelson series, particularly the implications such diversification schemes had for the demarcations between juvenile and popular fiction. Chapter four examines the educational gift book and its relationship with Nelson’s schoolbooks, and the ways in which the conservatism and innovation of the early twentieth-century print market affected the composition of the children’s book list. The thesis concludes with a comparison of Nelson books from either end of the period studied, and uses the 1921 Newbolt Report on “The Teaching of English” to reflect on Nelson’s position in the publishing field.

Over the past 30 years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) groups have called for children’s books to include LGBTQ characters and themes to help children understand our multifaceted social world. Few LGBTQ characters have appeared in children’s literature. This qualitative study analyzes the text and images of 29 children’s books published between 1972 and 2013 that have any LGBTQ characters. Books featuring lesbian and gay characters often presented them as conforming to heteronormative standards to find fulfillment. The majority of books with gender-deviant characters focused on boys harassed by other characters for their conventionally feminine behaviors. Surprisingly few books in this inclusive sample depicted any non-white characters. This study concludes by offering recommendations for how authors of children’s books could approach this genre without reinforcing other long-standing inequalities tied to gender, race, class, and sexuality.

Problem statement: Nowadays, women have a greater place in literature, both as a writer but also the role of the book and that is why I have chosen to examine how educators reason about their use of literature in preschool to combat the stereotype of gender roles. Motivation: An earlier survey shows that women now have a greater place in the recently released children's literature and, therefore, it is interesting to see how educators see their work on countering gender patterns using picture books. It is also interesting to examine whether the female roles in the books are consistent with the research I've used. Approach: I chose to use qualitative interviews with teachers in two preschools and also examined the recently released children’s books they worked with. Results: The results of my survey shows that teachers thoughts about their work on combating gender pattern occurs on an individual plan and depend on how the teacher interprets the guidelines. My survey also shows that the gender roles in the newly released picture books are consistent with earlier research I’ve used. Conclusion: It is therefore important that educators are aware of how easily gender patterns are induced, it happens on a daily basis through words and expectations that educators have on children.

Esta dissertação possui como temática a literatura infantil que circula na escola, especialmente, analisando edições populares adaptadas de contos de fadas. Dentre as coleções encontradas nos acervos investigados em duas escolas municipais – educação infantil e ensino fundamental - de um município da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre/RS, destacou-se a presença de determinadas séries com publicações de textos adaptados muito sucintos e com pouco cuidado editorial, preferencialmente, de “contos de fadas”, ao lado dos acervos oficiais distribuídos às escolas pelo Ministério de Educação (PNBE, PNLD, PNAIC). A partir desta constatação, meu objetivo, nesta dissertação, foi o de analisar criticamente adaptações de textos considerados “clássicos da literatura infantil”, encontrados nas escolas, realizando um cotejo com os "originais" [ou versões mais conhecidas], identificando as modificações e verificando, de maneira geral, os critérios que presidiram suas modificações. Considerando que estas coleções integram o circuito pedagógico nas instituições, realizei uma análise das adaptações de dez clássicos: “O Patinho Feio”, “João e o Pé de Feijão”, “Branca de Neve”, “A Bela e a Fera”, “A Bela Adormecida”, “Cinderela”, “Chapeuzinho Vermelho”, “João e Maria”, “Os Três Porquinhos” e “O Pequeno Polegar”, tomando como referência alguns estudos sobre contos de fadas e sobre adaptação (CADEMARTORI, CECCANTINI, HUTCHEON, CARVALHO, SHAVIT, entre outros). A análise das edições adaptadas, considerando tanto o projeto gráfico dos livros quanto as permanências e modificações dos textos, em relação às obras mais tradicionais, nos permitiu evidenciar o limitado potencial literário destas obras, uma vez que não privilegiam a riqueza das narrativas originais, tampouco sustentam a recepção destas histórias pelo leitor. Tornou-se evidente que a publicação de adaptações constitui uma estratégia do mercado editorial para o largo consumo de livros que possam “ensinar algo” para as crianças. Neste sentido, a investigação é produtiva, à medida que coloca em xeque o conceito de “literatura infantil” ou “livros para crianças” no circuito escolar. / This paper focuses on children’s literature in the school, particularly analysing popular issues of fairytales. Among works found in collections investigated in two municipal children’s and primary schools in the city of Porto Alegre (RS), the presence of particular series published from very brief and poorly edited texts, especially, about ‘fairytales’, as well as official collections the Ministry of Education (PNBE, PNLD, PNAIC) distributed to schools. Thus my aim was to analyse critically adaptations of texts considered as ‘children’s literature classics’ found in schools, by comparing them with ‘originals’ (or more popular versions), identifying changes and generally verifying criteria for such changes. Considering that these collections follow pedagogical paths in institutions, I make an analysis of adaptations from ten classics: The Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Three Little Pigs, and Tom Thumb. Here we have drawn to some studies about fairytales and adaptations such as Cademartori, Ceccantini, Hutcheon, Carvalho, Shavit, among others. Analysing these adapted works, by considering both books’ graphic part and attachment or change of traditional, allow us to show that these works have limited literary potential, once they do not favour the richness of the original narratives nor sustain the readers’ reception of these stories, which shows that publication of adaptations constitutes a strategy of the publishing market for the large consumption of books that may ‘teach something’ for children. In this perspective, the investigation is useful as it challenges the concept of ‘children’s literature’ or ‘children’s books’.

The purpose of this study is to explore how young girls have been portraited in children's literature in the last 40 years. Find out how young girls are portrayed in literature for children. The reason for the focus is that we as humans are constantly influenced and shaped by external factors and by the norms that are presented, among other things, in different types of media (Abercrombie 2006:22-24). The curriculum states that the school should help students to develop their identity and give the students techniques to think critically (Skolverket 2011:12). Thus, the purpose is to find out how to work norm critical based on different types of popular children's literature. Astrid Lindgren's Madicken (1976), Pija Lindenbaum’s Gittan and the Greyhounds (2000) and Per Gustavsson's Princesses Waking At Night (2009) will be analyzed to complete the study. The different texts will be analyzed from a discourse analytical perspective and from a socio-cultural perspective. To narrow the study, three keywords will have a little more significance: gender, norms, characters and children´s books. In order for the study to not be too large, the analysis will be based on three books from different decades: The 70’s, 00’s and 10’s. The analysis will thus be from a historical contemporary perspective to pay attention to how the development of the portrayal of girls has developed by comparing the ideals that are contemporary with the books. To sum up the results, we both influence and are influenced by literature. The literature and concepts used are developing and changing in line with society's norms and values. It also turns out that the more modern the literature is, the more questioning of the prevailing gender standards it becomes. / Syftet med den här studien är att utforska hur unga tjejer har framställts i barnlitteratur under den senaste 40 åren. Anledningen till den inriktningen är att vi som människor ständigt påverkas och formas av yttre faktorer och av de normer som framställs i bland annat olika typer av media (Abercrombie 2006:22–24). I läroplanen står det att skolan ska hjälpa eleverna att utveckla sin identitet och ge eleverna tekniker för att tänka kritiskt (Skolverket 2011:12). Syftet är alltså att ta reda på hur man kan arbeta normkritiskt i undervisningen med hjälp av olika typer av populär barnlitteratur. För att genomföra studien har ett urval av litteratur skett, där Astrid Lindgrens Madicken (1976), Pija Lindenbaums Gittan och gråvargarna (2000) samt Per Gustavssons När prinsessor vaknar om natten (2009) har analyserats. De olika texterna analyserades utifrån ett diskursanalytiskt perspektiv samt ur ett sociokulturellt perspektiv. För att begränsa studien har tre nyckelord haft lite större betydelse och de nyckelorden är: genus, normer och karaktärer. För att arbetet inte ska bli för stort har analysen utgått från tre böcker från olika årtionden: 1970- talet, 2000-talet och från 2010-talet. Analysen har alltså skett ur ett historiskt perspektiv för att urskilja hur flickor framställts genom tiderna samt hur utvecklingen har sett ut Resultatet av undersökningen visar att det finns många tecken som tyder på att vi både påverkas av och kan påverka litteraturen. Det är tydligt att litteraturen och de begrepp som används utvecklas och förändras i takt med samhällets normer och värderingar.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how male and female is produced in the literary children’s literature that is found in a Municipal preschool. My issues are the following: Which sex dominates as a main character in the preschools literary books? What type of properties is attributed to the characters? What type of clothes is portrayed on the books characters? I performed a quantitative study of 136 children’s books. I used Maria Nikolajevas perceptions of stereotypical male and female properties to analyze my empirical data. My conclusions are that male characters dominates as main characters, most of the male characters in the children’s books presents stereotypical male properties while the female characters statistics presents almost equal results regarding gender-neutral properties, gender-stereotypical properties and stereotypical male properties and that both gender-stereotypical and gender-neutral clothes appears in the books.

Esta dissertação possui como temática a literatura infantil que circula na escola, especialmente, analisando edições populares adaptadas de contos de fadas. Dentre as coleções encontradas nos acervos investigados em duas escolas municipais – educação infantil e ensino fundamental - de um município da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre/RS, destacou-se a presença de determinadas séries com publicações de textos adaptados muito sucintos e com pouco cuidado editorial, preferencialmente, de “contos de fadas”, ao lado dos acervos oficiais distribuídos às escolas pelo Ministério de Educação (PNBE, PNLD, PNAIC). A partir desta constatação, meu objetivo, nesta dissertação, foi o de analisar criticamente adaptações de textos considerados “clássicos da literatura infantil”, encontrados nas escolas, realizando um cotejo com os "originais" [ou versões mais conhecidas], identificando as modificações e verificando, de maneira geral, os critérios que presidiram suas modificações. Considerando que estas coleções integram o circuito pedagógico nas instituições, realizei uma análise das adaptações de dez clássicos: “O Patinho Feio”, “João e o Pé de Feijão”, “Branca de Neve”, “A Bela e a Fera”, “A Bela Adormecida”, “Cinderela”, “Chapeuzinho Vermelho”, “João e Maria”, “Os Três Porquinhos” e “O Pequeno Polegar”, tomando como referência alguns estudos sobre contos de fadas e sobre adaptação (CADEMARTORI, CECCANTINI, HUTCHEON, CARVALHO, SHAVIT, entre outros). A análise das edições adaptadas, considerando tanto o projeto gráfico dos livros quanto as permanências e modificações dos textos, em relação às obras mais tradicionais, nos permitiu evidenciar o limitado potencial literário destas obras, uma vez que não privilegiam a riqueza das narrativas originais, tampouco sustentam a recepção destas histórias pelo leitor. Tornou-se evidente que a publicação de adaptações constitui uma estratégia do mercado editorial para o largo consumo de livros que possam “ensinar algo” para as crianças. Neste sentido, a investigação é produtiva, à medida que coloca em xeque o conceito de “literatura infantil” ou “livros para crianças” no circuito escolar. / This paper focuses on children’s literature in the school, particularly analysing popular issues of fairytales. Among works found in collections investigated in two municipal children’s and primary schools in the city of Porto Alegre (RS), the presence of particular series published from very brief and poorly edited texts, especially, about ‘fairytales’, as well as official collections the Ministry of Education (PNBE, PNLD, PNAIC) distributed to schools. Thus my aim was to analyse critically adaptations of texts considered as ‘children’s literature classics’ found in schools, by comparing them with ‘originals’ (or more popular versions), identifying changes and generally verifying criteria for such changes. Considering that these collections follow pedagogical paths in institutions, I make an analysis of adaptations from ten classics: The Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Three Little Pigs, and Tom Thumb. Here we have drawn to some studies about fairytales and adaptations such as Cademartori, Ceccantini, Hutcheon, Carvalho, Shavit, among others. Analysing these adapted works, by considering both books’ graphic part and attachment or change of traditional, allow us to show that these works have limited literary potential, once they do not favour the richness of the original narratives nor sustain the readers’ reception of these stories, which shows that publication of adaptations constitutes a strategy of the publishing market for the large consumption of books that may ‘teach something’ for children. In this perspective, the investigation is useful as it challenges the concept of ‘children’s literature’ or ‘children’s books’.

Esta dissertação possui como temática a literatura infantil que circula na escola, especialmente, analisando edições populares adaptadas de contos de fadas. Dentre as coleções encontradas nos acervos investigados em duas escolas municipais – educação infantil e ensino fundamental - de um município da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre/RS, destacou-se a presença de determinadas séries com publicações de textos adaptados muito sucintos e com pouco cuidado editorial, preferencialmente, de “contos de fadas”, ao lado dos acervos oficiais distribuídos às escolas pelo Ministério de Educação (PNBE, PNLD, PNAIC). A partir desta constatação, meu objetivo, nesta dissertação, foi o de analisar criticamente adaptações de textos considerados “clássicos da literatura infantil”, encontrados nas escolas, realizando um cotejo com os "originais" [ou versões mais conhecidas], identificando as modificações e verificando, de maneira geral, os critérios que presidiram suas modificações. Considerando que estas coleções integram o circuito pedagógico nas instituições, realizei uma análise das adaptações de dez clássicos: “O Patinho Feio”, “João e o Pé de Feijão”, “Branca de Neve”, “A Bela e a Fera”, “A Bela Adormecida”, “Cinderela”, “Chapeuzinho Vermelho”, “João e Maria”, “Os Três Porquinhos” e “O Pequeno Polegar”, tomando como referência alguns estudos sobre contos de fadas e sobre adaptação (CADEMARTORI, CECCANTINI, HUTCHEON, CARVALHO, SHAVIT, entre outros). A análise das edições adaptadas, considerando tanto o projeto gráfico dos livros quanto as permanências e modificações dos textos, em relação às obras mais tradicionais, nos permitiu evidenciar o limitado potencial literário destas obras, uma vez que não privilegiam a riqueza das narrativas originais, tampouco sustentam a recepção destas histórias pelo leitor. Tornou-se evidente que a publicação de adaptações constitui uma estratégia do mercado editorial para o largo consumo de livros que possam “ensinar algo” para as crianças. Neste sentido, a investigação é produtiva, à medida que coloca em xeque o conceito de “literatura infantil” ou “livros para crianças” no circuito escolar. / This paper focuses on children’s literature in the school, particularly analysing popular issues of fairytales. Among works found in collections investigated in two municipal children’s and primary schools in the city of Porto Alegre (RS), the presence of particular series published from very brief and poorly edited texts, especially, about ‘fairytales’, as well as official collections the Ministry of Education (PNBE, PNLD, PNAIC) distributed to schools. Thus my aim was to analyse critically adaptations of texts considered as ‘children’s literature classics’ found in schools, by comparing them with ‘originals’ (or more popular versions), identifying changes and generally verifying criteria for such changes. Considering that these collections follow pedagogical paths in institutions, I make an analysis of adaptations from ten classics: The Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Three Little Pigs, and Tom Thumb. Here we have drawn to some studies about fairytales and adaptations such as Cademartori, Ceccantini, Hutcheon, Carvalho, Shavit, among others. Analysing these adapted works, by considering both books’ graphic part and attachment or change of traditional, allow us to show that these works have limited literary potential, once they do not favour the richness of the original narratives nor sustain the readers’ reception of these stories, which shows that publication of adaptations constitutes a strategy of the publishing market for the large consumption of books that may ‘teach something’ for children. In this perspective, the investigation is useful as it challenges the concept of ‘children’s literature’ or ‘children’s books’.

This essay has examined the children’s book author Sven Nordqvist’s use of rhetorical visual stylistic figures in four of his books: Var är min syster?, Hattjakten, Pannkakstårtan and Minus och stora världen. The main focus of the essay has been investigating aspects of his visual style that may have contributed to his great success. Some of the stylistic figures that we looked into are metaphor, synecdoche and paradox. The analysis has showed that the stylistic figures reinforce and invigorate the pictures as they are creating a fruitful visual reading experience for the readers. The results indicate that the rhetoric of Nordqvist’s visual stylistic figures probably has much to do with his success, being valuable sources of imaginative reading.