Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is an exploratory study into the signification potential of contemporary, postmodern picturebooks, specifically focusing on the way in which a seemingly 'simplistic' medium has the potential to initiate a vastly complex play of meanings. Picturebooks are traditionally considered to be a medium which implies a child reader, and conveys a simple linear narrative for educational and entertainment purposes. Traditional picturebooks thus assume a clear division between an author and reader, whereby the author is a 'knowing' adult, who conveys a moral or message to a passive child reader. These assumptions are arguably unsettled by the appearance of postmodern picturebooks, broadly defined as a medium which, while retaining the traditional picturebook format, opens itself up to multiple interpretations, instead of presenting the reader with an encoded message or 'meaning'. A number of postmodern picturebook authors, such as Shaun Tan, intentionally subvert the traditional dynamic between the author and reader of picturebooks by creating complex texts which display a general absence of clear accessible 'meaning', thereby allowing the reader to actively participate in the meaning-making process. With aid of the theories of signification set out by poststructuralist Jacques Derrida, this study aims to illustrate how a purposeful absence of apparent 'meaning' in picturebooks has the potential to allow for unlimited interpretations of a single text, thus by extension widening the 'implied' audience of such picturebooks. The objective is to set postmodern picturebooks apart from other texts (in particular more traditional picturebooks), and to provide a new outlook on the ways picturebooks are created, and the way they are read. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n ondersoekende studie na die betekenispotensiaal van kontemporêre, post-moderne prenteboeke, met spesiale verwysing na die manier waarop 'n sogenaamde “simplistiese” medium die potensiaal openbaar om 'n hoogs-komplekse verskeidenheid betekenisse te ontlok. Prenteboeke word tradisioneel gesien as 'n medium van eenvoudige, liniêre vertellings gerig op die jong leser met die doel om op te voed of te vermaak. Tradisionele prenteboeke handhaaf dus 'n duidelike afbakening tussen die leser en die outeur, die sogenaamde “alwetende” volwassene, wat 'n morele les/ boodskap aan 'n passiewe, jong leser oordra. Hierdie veronderstelling word egter omvergewerp deur die verskyning van die post-moderne prenteboek wat, alhoewel in die tradisionele formaat van die prenteboek gegiet, die leser die geleentheid bied om veelvoudige interpretasies te maak in plaas van om net die beoogde geënkodeerde betekenis of boodskap van die boek te aanvaar. 'n Aantal post-moderne prenteboekskrywers soos Shaun Tan het die tradisionele dinamiek tussen prenteboekskrywer en -leser bewustelik omver kom werp deur komplekse teks te skep wat gekenmerk word aan die afwesigheid van 'n duidelik waarneembare betekenis en wat die leser dus toelaat om aktief deel te neem aan die interpretasieproses. Die doel van hierdie studie is om met behulp van die betekenispotensiaal-teorie, soos uiteengesit deur post-strukturalis Jacques Derrida, te illustreer hoe die doelbewuste weglating van 'n duidelik waarneembare betekenis of boodskap dit moontlik maak om die teks op veelvoudige maniere te interpreteer en daarmee saam ook die lesersprofiel van prenteboeke te verbreed. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie is dus om die post-moderne prenteboek te onderskei van die tradisionele prenteboek en ander tekste en om nuwe waarnemings en insigte te verskaf in die wyse waarop prenteboeke geskep en gelees word.

Critics frequently, sometimes irresponsibly, label Spenser's poetry "emblematic" because of the appearance of either striking allegorical figures or moral assertions. This thesis establishes a standard for the application of the term "emblematic": first, by defining those elements which characterize emblems; second, by examining the emblem's cultural milieu; and third, by analyzing the "emblem patterns" that appear in The Faerie Queene. The study concludes that these "emblem patterns" transform the two essential elements of emblems to a literary treatment: the emblem engraving takes the form of a poetic description of allegorical figures or scenes; the didactic poem is condensed to an explicit moral statement. These "emblem patterns," then, can be regarded as reasonable criteria for labelling Spenser's poem "emblematic."

Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka vilka möjligheter de yngsta barnen i förskolan har att ta del av bilderböcker. Genom observationer har jag studerat barn på två olika avdelningar i spontana och planerade situationer. Resultatet visar att det är vanligast med spontana situationer när det gäller de yngsta barnen i förskolan och detta sker varje dag. I de spontana situationerna utforskar barnen böcker själva och också tillsammans med pedagoger. Planerade situationer där barnen kommer i kontakt med böcker sker inte lika ofta i de yngre åldrarna, men förekommer vid några tillfällen i studien. I planerade situationer förekom till exempel dockteater tillsammans med hela barngruppen. / The purpose of this study is to examine which possibilities the youngest children in the preschool have, to take part of picture books. Through observations I have studied children in two different departments in spontaneous and planned situations. The results show that the most common situation is spontaneous reading when it comes to the youngest children in preschool, and this occurs every day. In the spontaneous situations the children discover books both by themselves and together with the pedagogues. Planned situations when the children get in contact with books doesn’t happen as often in the youngest ages but occurs in some occasions in the study. In planned situations, for example puppetry occur with the hole group of children at the same time.

This study was designed to answer the question: What are the similarities and differences between the portrayal of Mexican American females in realistic picture books published between 1998 and 2004 and such books published between 1990 and 1997? A content analysis was performed on 48 picture books published between 1998 and 2004 that feature Mexican American female characters, and the results were compared to a study of similar books published between 1990 and 1997. The study found that the portrayal of Mexican American females in the more recent time period is more authentic and less stereotypical than their portrayal in the earlier time period and that fewer Mexican American females are now depicted as submitting to gender subordination. However, the results show that the portrayal of Mexican American females in picture books does not yet fully reflect the nontraditional gender roles that these females often take on in contemporary society.

In this essay I have studied how the kid’s school start are described in picture books. The studied questions are: How the school is described in these selected picture books; what feeling does the main character have into the school start; how the teachers are described in this selected picture books and how are the power relationship described in these selected picture books? The method I have chosen for this essay is a discourse analysis of seven selected picture books with the meaning of starting school. All books studied are written during the 1990 and forward. The result of this essay is that the discourse is not so easy to establish. It seems clear about what Bergström och Boréus (2005) means about Foucault's opinion about the truth, that there is not just one truth. That we can see in this essay about the handled theme. There is a red line between most of the books but also some differences. In the analysis we have also been able to see different sides of the kid’s experience of the first day at school or by the thought of starting school. There is a majority of good thoughts from the young students and good descriptions by the end of the teacher, school building and the power relationship. But the largest difference between is how they describe different perspective and various feelings. The biggest difference is how they describe the feelings about beginning school, either very positive expectations or fear. But there is also a negative description of the same categories as above. Both the good and the negative thoughts is a part of the of the young students experience of the school start and that’s why there is not so easy to claim just one truth about the questions in this essay. Both the positive and negative illustration of the school start in the selected picture books. Like Borén (1997) says, are the school not problem-free, but there is a lot of joy too and that can we see in this essay.

In order to examine how children's literature might be translated, two different English translations of two Swedish picture books have been analyzed. The original Swedish books are Rävjakten and Pannkakstårtan by Sven Nordqvist. Rävjakten was translated as The Fox Hunt in 1988 and as The Fox Hunt in 2000. Pannkakstårtan was translated as Pancake Pie in 1985 and as The Birthday Cake in 1999. Literary translation in general, specific translation issues for children's literature, and trends in international English style have been considered. Analysis of the four texts has been made, with consideration given to the following areas: changes in illustrations, layout, or format; text changes; lexical choices; and retention, deletion, or modification of names and culturally specific references. The analysis revealed that the following tendencies were true for the later translations: foreignization of the text, word-for-word translation of the text, and a neutral international English variety.

本研究以回答「何謂好圖畫書」為主軸，透過兩階段進行探究：一為透過訪談方式，了解圖畫書文化迴路中發行者、創作者、消費者與經營者角色對「何謂好圖畫書」的見解，以及對現在台灣圖畫書市場的看法與建議，二為研究者實際進入幼兒園，以階段一的發現以及相關文獻資料的搜集，選定一本現在圖畫書較少見的題材與幼兒一同閱讀，進而探討台灣圖畫書市場有何可能的發展空間。最後，本研究共提出四個研究主張： 一、 批判媒體識讀的必要性 圖畫書的意義透過生產、消費、規制、再現與認同五個狀態彼此滲透循環而成，因此我們不應單純將圖畫書視為文字與圖畫的集合體，而是必須抱持批判的角度閱讀文本，找尋可能隱藏在文本中的真實。 二、 圖畫書多元主題的必要性 圖畫書受到商業利益考量、家長對孩子的教育觀等環境因素影響，具有「殘缺文本」的存在，即某些主題的圖畫書在市場中較為少見與處於弱勢，然而為刺激幼兒的批判閱讀能力，我們有必要提供豐富多元的文本給幼兒。 三、 不過度依賴書單的單一訊息 書單提供消費者消費的便利性，然而消費者也因此對書單過度依賴，所以閱聽人使用書單時應注意使用方式，否則容易喪失培養自我閱讀品味的機會。 四、 反對崇尚智識取向的圖畫書 台灣家長選書時，常受到「能否帶給孩子知識」的智識取向影響，然而這樣的思維容易讓孩子錯失閱讀多樣文本的機會，由於閱聽人可透過閱讀與批判的過程為文本賦予新意，因此圖畫書無好壞之分，端看讀者如何使用它。 / The purpose of this study is to answer ”What means good picture book?” and the concrete research concerns in this study include: (1) through in-depth interview with producer, author, consumer, and business operator in circuit of culture to understand how do they think about “good picture books ”, and their suggestion to Taiwan picture book industry, (2) choose one picture book which is rare in Taiwan picture books industry and study with children. There are four main findings from this study as follows: 1. The necessity developing critical thinking skills in media literacy Picture books are made through representation, regulation, consumption, production, and identity, so we can not only see picture books as a combination of words and pictures but try to find out the reality which hides in texts. 2. The necessity of providing multi-thesis picture books It exists “mutilated text” in picture book industry because of commercial profit and parents’ educational idea, but we have to provide children multi-thesis picture books to stimulate their critical thinking skills. 3. Do not rely on booklist too much We have to know that booklists make us choose picture books easier but may also make customers rely on it too much. 4. Do not advocate “knowledge-based” picture books If Taiwanese parents always choose “knowledge-based” picture books because they think those make children learn much more knowledge, children will loose their chance to meet multi-thesis picture books. In fact, texts do not really matter, but the key is how we read it with critical thinking skills in media literacy.

The aim of my thesis was to examine if educators need to be critical of what they read to the children from a gender perspective. I examined how picture books depict gender and if the books enhances or breaks perception of gender roles. I also examined educator’s perception of gender and if they think picture books can affect children’s perceptions of gender, but also what educators think about gender equality through picture books. The study is based on analysis of five picture books and interview with five educators. The results of analyzes showed that picture books are stereotyped and enhances perceptions of gender roles. The result of the interviews showed that teachers had different perceptions of gender when they selected picture books, and most of them believed that stereotypes in picture book affect children’s perceptions of gender.   The educators perceptions about equality work though picture books was different, some educators perceive it as just reading unisex picture books while other educators perceive it as reading picture books with girls in main role. My conclusion is that educators need to be critical of what they are reading from a gender perspective because books usually represent gender stereotypes. The educators also need more knowledge about how gender is represented in the picture books and what gender equality means.

本研究採行動研究法，探究以繪本運用品德教育六E教學模式進行國小二年級負責品德教學活動之可行性與實施成效。研究者以任教班級23位學生為研究對象，實施十五周的品德教學活動。分析學生作品、教學實錄、教師札記、學生回饋與家長回饋等質性資料，歸納研究重要發現如下： 一、以繪本在低年級發展負責品德教育教學具可行性。 二、結合繪本與六E教學模式在品德教學上發展之教學模式與具體方法為：品德核心價值概念與繪本分析、倫理環境營造、同儕楷模學習、多元方式引起情意關注、繪本共讀討論、繪本事件分析、解釋與澄清價值觀、行動體驗、反思期許。 三、負責品德教育課程對於學生的品德認知與理性思考的開展有明顯成效。 四、多元教學方法受到低年級學生喜愛且有助於品德認知、情意、行動之學習表現。 / This study adopts action research method to understand the feasibility and implementation effectiveness of using picture books and 6E character teaching model (6E) in the character curriculum on the theme of “responsibility” for Grade-2 elementary school students. The research participants were 23 Grade-2 elementary school students in the researcher’s class, and a 15-week curriculum was conducted. Qualitative data analysis approach was employed to analyze students’ learning worksheets, teaching records, teacher’s daily notes, students’ feedback and parents’ feedback. The results are as follows: 1.It is feasible to use picture books in the character curriculum in the low-grade elementary school students. 2.This study concludes that the practicable teaching methods of using 6E teaching model and picture books in character curriculum are: Core value analysis, picture books analysis, ethical environment building, peer role model learning, concerns arousing, picture books reading and discussing, event analysis, core values interpretation and clarification, action experience and reflective expectations. 3.The character curriculum of responsibility improves students’ moral cognition and rational thinking remarkably. 4.The low-grade elementary school students like multiple teaching activities, which contribute to their moral cognition, affect, and behavior.

"May 2003". / Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Humanities, Department of English, 2004. / Bibliography: p. 301-332. / Introduction -- The significance of Miyazawa Kenji's ideals in (post) modern Japanese children's literature -- Re-presenting Miyazawa Kenji's tales: cultural coding and discourse analysis -- Tale of "Wildcat and the acorns" (Donguri to Yamaneko): self and subjectivity in the characters and haecceitas in the organic world -- Beyond dualism in "Snow crossing" (Yukiwatan) -- Kenji's "Dekunobõ ideal in "Gõshu the cellist" (Serohiki no Gõshu) and "Kenjũ's park" (Kenjũ kõenrin) -- Beyond the realm of Asura in "The twin stars" (Futago no hoshi) and "Wild pear (Yamanashi) -- The material and immaterial in "The restaurant of many orders (Chũmon no õi ryõriten) -- Conclusion. / This thesis investigates ideologies in contemporary picture books of Miyazawa Kenji's tales from the perspective of the acculturation of children in (post)modern Japan. Miyazawa Kenji (1896-1933) was writing in the early 20'" century, yet he is currently the most prolifically published literary figure in picture book form and these pictorialisations are widely promulgated to children and throughout cultural and educational institutions in Japan. Given Kenji's prominence as a devoutly Buddhist author with a unique position within Japanese literature, the thesis operates on the premise that the picture books are working, inter aha, to decode or encode the inherent Buddhist ideologies of self, identity and subjectivity and that the picture book re-versions are attempting to be 'authentic' to these. (Unlike many other works adapted for picture books, Kenji's original words are left intact.) Such selflother interactions are important to the construction of identity because childhood itself is an ideological construction premised on assumptions about what it means to be a child and what it means to 'be'; in other words, "such fictions are premised on culturally specific ideologies of identity" (McCallum, 1999: 263). Picture books, with their two forms of narrative discourse, pictures and words, are more ideologically powerful than words alone because the pictures also carry attitudes and therefore doubly inscribe both the explicit and implicit ideologies inherent in the words. -- By utilising Miyazawa Kenji's non-humanist Buddhist ideologies as a basis, this investigation compares how different artists are (re-)inscribing these ideals in the most frequently pidorialised versions of his children's tales. It is primarily an investigation into how the artistic responses re-situate or respond to ideologies of self and subjectivity inherent in a select corpus of focused pre-existing texts. Ultimately, the thesis shows how different pictures can shape story and how the implied reader is interpellated into certain subject positions and viewpoints from which to read the texts. This involves an intertextual approach which explores how art and culture interact to imply significance. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / iv, 332, [31] p. ill. (some col.)