Death and Childrens Picture Books Maggie Jackson Teesside
Death and Children’s Picture Books Maggie Jackson Teesside University
A brief overview of death in children’s books
“when books expressly for children first appeared in English, they were often about death” Gibson and Zaidman 1991 p. 232.
How picture books work.
in the picture book “pictures are never just pictures” (Lewis 2001, 74).
• "I don't think children should be shielded from the realities of life. If they read these kind of books when they're young it empowers them to deal with the real demons later on. “ • Margaret Hamilton Publisher of ‘My Dog’ by John Hefferman • But Meg Sorensen The Herald children's book editor said: • "My feeling is that it is an infringement of childhood because it is a real issue that children can't do anything about.
Themes. • the announcement of death, • reactions , • funerals/rituals and the afterlife.
Announcement of death,
Reactions
funerals/rituals and the afterlife
• In Green’s (2008) words death is “real. But not real scary” (p. 9).
Books • • • Brown, L. K. (1986) When Dinosaurs Die. New York: Little Brown and Co. Bruna, D. Dear Grandma Bunny. London: Egmont. Burningham, J. (1984) Granpa. London: Jonathan Cape. Kerr, J. (2002) Goodbye Mog. London: Harper Collins. Parr, T. (2016) The Goodbye Book. New York: Little Brown and Co. Rohmann, E. (2011) Bone Dog. New York: The Roaring Brook Press. Rosen, M. (2002) Lovely Old Roly. London: Frances Lincoln. Rylant, C. (1995) Dog Heaven. New York: The Blue Sky Press. Simmonds, P. (2014) Fred. London: Andersen Press Ltd. Varley, S. (1984) Badger’s Parting Gifts. London: Harper Collins.
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