scholarly journals Meidän piti lähteä and the Problematics of Voicing the Refugee Experience in a Wordless Picturebook

Barnboken ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaana Pesonen
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Visual Discourse ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Gayatri Spivak ◽  
Refugee Experience

Meidän piti lähteä (We Had to Leave, 2018) is a wordless picturebook by the Finnish author Sanna Pelliccioni. It is a work of 41 pages, most of which are formed from pairs of images with matching colours produced in acrylic. It starts with images of a family enjoying their life, but shifts to images of aeroplanes bombing a city, a journey over the sea to a place where people build snowmen: the implied narrative is that of a family caught up in the recent refugee crisis seeking asylum in Finland. In this article, I examine the literary strategies in narrating the refugee experience in this wordless picturebook. The approach is pedagogical as I ask: How can a picturebook, such as Meidän piti lähteä, give voice to the refugee experience? I also ask whether picturebooks about the refugee experience can teach about empathy, without essentializing the Other. Two not controversial, but differing views related to the notion of “giving voice” frame these questions. While emphasising the pedagogical opportunities, Julia Hope (“One Day” 302), argues that the refugee experiences in children’s literature form “an ideal context for sharing the stories, feelings and fears” that children have experienced, but also expose stereotypes and media myths. On the other hand, Gayatri Spivak famously argued in “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988) that, in the context of colonial production, the subaltern has no history and cannot speak. This article situates Meidän piti lähteä, in the midst of these discourses to present wordless picturebooks as an arena for diverse narratives about refugees, which have the potential to support empathy, but which may also reinforce stereotypical and tokenistic images of refugees. The analysis suggests that the visual discourse creates an effective narrative, with space for listening. In addition, the article suggests that refugee narratives can foster critical self-reflexivity.

scholarly journals Indonesian Islamic Children’s Literature: the Lexical Choices in the Religious Teachings

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Laily Martin
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
Semantic Field ◽  
Other Hand

The study discusses Islamic religious teachings presented in the Indonesian Islamic children’s literature through the uses of the lexical choices. The discussion covers the religious concepts and practices. For the purpose, the data were taken from five sample children story books of Seri Kalimat thoyyibah which is written by and translated by an Indonesians. The lexical choices presenting the Islamic religious teachings were analyzed by implementing the corpus method and using semantic theories of semantic field and relations. The analysis was also seen from the perspective of the characters’ age by referring to the idea of children psycholinguistic development. The findings show that the lexical choices presenting the concepts of Islamic teachings are mostly unsuited the age of the children characters, as well as the children target readers. This raises concern on the stories comprehensibility. On the other hand, the verb choices describing Islamic practices are friendlier to children readers.

The Western Balkans in translated children’s literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Todorova
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Production Process ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Target Culture

Abstract This study approaches translations as framing and representation sites that can serve to either contest or promote stereotypes. Critically looking at textual and visual images of the source culture, the discussion considers how the particular location of different participants in the translation production process contributes to the presentation of violence as a predominant image of Western Balkan nations. The analysis uncovers networks of source-based production participants focusing on images of ‘nesting’ Balkanisms and self-representations centring on love and humaneness. On the other hand, networks led by editors located in the target culture often emphasise the preconceived stereotypes of dominant violence in the Western Balkans or turn towards globalising the images of violence.

scholarly journals ADULTS – CHILDREN POWER RELATIONS IN JUDY BLUME’S BLUBBER

Diksi ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-125
Author(s):  
Nandy Intan Kurnia ◽  
Widyastuti Purbani ◽  
Tri Sugiarto
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Adults And Children

(Tittle: Adults-Children Power Relations in Judy Blume’s “Blubber”). This study aims to uncover the power relations between adults and children in Judy Blume’s novel entitled Blubber. This study used a qualitative method by paying attention to the expressions used in the novel related to the topic of power relations of adults-children. Peer debriefing techniques were applied in this study in order to achieve the validity of the research results. The collected data of dialogues and narrations suggest that adults assert dominance toward children especially physically and psychologically as a consequence of the adults’ ideologies while trying to retain the image of a mentor. On the other hand, they also give spaces for children to grow and develop themselves. The research also revealed how Blubber paints a more realistic depiction of children and explores more of their human nature beyond images of innocence and naivety.             Keywords: abuse, Blubber, children’s literature, egalitarian, power relations

Developing a Children's Literature Course to Facilitate Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding of Culturally Relevant Texts

2021 ◽  
pp. 44-67
Author(s):  
Jill M. Davis ◽  
Nicole Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Culturally Relevant ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
Seminal Work ◽  
Other World

This chapter describes the development of an undergraduate course focused on exploring children's literature using a critical lens. Descriptions of course assignments and activities are provided to illustrate how pre-service teachers engaged in learning how to identify and evaluate diverse books. Additionally, reflections provide insights into the lived experiences of the students enrolled in the class and the faculty member who created the course. The course framework emphasizes the importance of providing culturally relevant texts that reflect the cultures and identities of readers ages 3-12. This framework aligns with the seminal work of Bishop's “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors” that described the importance of children accessing books that are windows into other experiences, books that mirror their own lived experiences, and sliding glass doors that children can walk into the other world created by the author.

scholarly journals Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet by S. O'Leary

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The University ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Child Readers

O’Leary, Sara.  Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet. Illustrated by Jacob Grant. Tundra Books, 2018. From first to last, the phonic examples in O’Leary’s alphabet book are disarming:                 “Aa                 Alligators think you’d like them if you got to know them.”                 “Zz                Zebras would like to be first. Just once.“ Unlike so many other authors of this genre, O’Leary rarely struggles to find simple, memorable examples of words that begin with the appropriate vowels and consonants. The sole exception in his work is the use of “Chipmunks” to illustrate the sound of the letter “C.” Child readers would have to be mature enough to recognize the digraph (ch) and be alert to its sound. That exception being noted, all of the other phonic illustrations—even the ones for the “difficult” sounds—are straight-forward, playful and engaging.                 “Qq                 Quail get quite tired of being told to be quiet.”                 “Uu                 Unicorns believe in themselves.                 “Yy                 Yaks giggle at their own jokes.” Joseph Brant’s illustrations are all that they ought to be: large, clear, colourful and, most importantly in this type of book, unambiguous. His depiction of voles for the letter “V” is particularly endearing. Those of us involved in the field of children’s literature might want this illustration and its motto on our flag:                 “Vv                 Voles always want just one more book.” In any case, we should ensure that this delightful book is on our children’s library shelves. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Leslie Aitken Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship included selection of children’s literature for school, public, special and academic libraries. She was a Curriculum Librarian for the University of Alberta.              

scholarly journals Librarians’ book talks for children: An opportunity for widening reading practices?

2020 ◽  
pp. 146879842096494
Author(s):  
Catarina Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Children's Literature ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Early Years ◽  
The Other ◽  
Reading Engagement ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Reading Practices ◽  
Printed Books

The importance of supporting children’s reading engagement and reading comprehension from the early years is widely acknowledged, particular for children growing up in areas characterized by socioeconomic challenges. This mission is collectively shared by teachers and librarians, although with differing starting points and responsibilities. This paper draws on a Swedish study of librarians’ book talks with eight-year-old students in Grade 2 and their teachers, and the views these participants express on reading and children’s literature. The methods used were observation and interview. In the analysis, different views appear regarding what reading is and might mean, such as the role that children’s literature plays in this. The results indicate two prominent narratives regarding reading, where one has a clear emphasis on being able to read and where the other stresses the pleasure of reading. Both these discourses display a narrowness regarding genres other than fiction literature, languages other than Swedish, and formats other than printed books. Further, an image of the reading child as an individual reader appears in both discourses. The results highlight the need for a broader approach that integrates functional reading with processes of reflection and active language use, drawing on the content in children’s literature, with an awareness of multilingual considerations. It is argued that children’s literature plays an important role in children developing a view of themselves as readers, and discovering that there are many ways to be a reader.

Translation of Children's Literature in Iran and the Dichotomy of Identities

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-63
Author(s):  
Shahrzad Tajeddini ◽  
Masoud Sharififar
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Literary Field ◽  
Global Identity ◽  
Domestic Production ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Frequent Type ◽  
New Concepts

As a neglected literary field in Iran, children's literature suffers a low domestic production and consequently the market is dominated by imported western books. Iranian translators have taken this opportunity to try to introduce children to new concepts from other cultures in hope of raising the level of tolerance and respect for ‘the other’ among them in a world dominated by the rhetoric of war. But young readers’ knowledge is limited; therefore they cannot be expected to comprehend the representations of other cultures which are taken for granted in adults’ literature. There emerges a conflict of norms in choosing to privilege domestication or foreignisation and thence local or global identity. In this study, four British children's books by Roald Dahl were chosen and compared with their Persian translations to find the main concerns of the translators in dealing with identity-reflecting items as classified by Helen T. Frank's research into translating for children, and thence to establish the most frequent type of identity encouraged by Persian translators for young readers. The article concludes that international understanding has been the main concern of Persian translators and global identity was more recurrently promoted by them.

scholarly journals The Dual Attitude towards the Arab Personality in the Contemporary Hebrew Children's Literature: A Critical Analysis of Ronette Gettleman's 'On Her Way

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-261
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Hate Speech ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
Hebrew Literature ◽  
Culture Of Peace ◽  
The One ◽  
Positive Outlook ◽  
Israeli Child

Having received a noticeable stature in the contemporary Hebrew children’s literature, Ronette Gettleman is one of the most renowned authors who have addressed the issue of hate speech and the culture of peace in contemporary Hebrew children’s literature. Hate speech is considered part of Zionist literature. Gettleman’s story On Her Way is a prominent piece of prose that depicts the Arabs and their image in Israeli children's minds. Hence, the story On Her Way was chosen as an attempt to identify, through selected excerpts from the story, how the Arab person is negatively portrayed in contemporary Hebrew children’s literature. The author, through some Israeli children, expresses the concepts of hostility and hatred in their conscience towards the Arab character. Like other Israeli authors, Gettleman shows that the image of Arabs in Hebrew literature raises fear, anxiety and terror whenever Israeli children hear the word "Arab". It also makes the culture of hatred and hostility a headline for the Israeli child. In contrast, the author highlights the culture of coexistence and peace among some Israeli children towards the Arab character. The story demonstrates that there are some Israeli children who are willing to coexist and live peacefully with Arabs. This story with its focus on both hatred and hostility on the one hand and coexistence and peace, on the other, shows the dual attitude of Israeli children towards Arabs. This is a new trend in contemporary Hebrew children's literature towards the Arab character and its positive outlook. Keywords: Contemporary Hebrew Children’s Literature, Hate speech, Culture of peace, Ronette Gettleman, On Her Way.

scholarly journals Några tankar om nordisk barnlitteratur och dess översättning ur ett polskt perspektiv

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-57
Author(s):  
Hanna Dymel-Trzebiatowska
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
The Other ◽  
Final Part ◽  
Book Market ◽  
Implied Reader

Abstract The article explores two aspects of translations of Nordic children’s literature, which is more and more often defined by its authors as aimed at all readerships with no respect to age (allålderslitteratur). This stance may affect the theory of translation in reference to the category of the implied reader, which will have to be reconsidered. The concept of all-age literature is presented in the article as a solution to long academic discussions about the presence of an adult implied reader of children’s literature. The other perspective shows the presence of Scandinavian picturebooks on the Polish book market which have been published within the latest decade (e.g. by Svein Nyhus, Gro Dahle, Pernilla Stalfelt, Pija Lindenbaum, and Ulf Nilsson). These books are brave, taboo-breaking and translated without purifications, which refutes Elżbieta Zarych’s (2016) observations about the rules and mechanisms which are prevalent, i.e. that translators are still expected to mitigate and omit painful moments. The final part combines two aspects - the above-mentioned translations are free of adaptations, but it is difficult to assess whether the translators have taken into account the postulates of Scandinavian authors and their ambition to create all-age literature. Answers to the questions posed at the end (e.g. if the books are created for all, should they be translated for all?) might complete the translation studies with important and future-oriented insights.

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