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Scholarship has documented concerning trends related to representation in children's literature with Asian or Asian American characters and cultural themes. Grounded in mirrors and windows pedagogy and AsianCrit theory, this study aims to identify themes in children's picture books with a female Asian or Asian American protagonist. Themes that emerged in the findings included themes of family, main character identity, culture, and book author identity. Implications for disrupting these trends in publishing and for countering problematic trends through teacher decision making are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is value in integrating social–emotional learning with academic development as a way to support children's abilities to effectively communicate ideas, collaboratively solve problems, and strengthen early literacy practices. In this article, we discuss suggestions for using picturebook read‐alouds as stepping stones for integrating social–emotional learning (SEL) competencies and core standards (ELA and SS) to address topics related to social justice, equity, and inclusion. We connect each SEL competency with a related topic for discussion and highlight lesson ideas for early grades to examine these themes, including potential prompts a teacher may use to foster curiosity and help students develop questions about each topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the difficult event of death. The audience for this article is classroom teachers, librarians/media specialists, curriculum developers, and so on. The purpose is to share points to consider when choosing quality picture books focusing on death as well as exemplars to represent these points. These points were concluded as a result of a multimodal content analysis of 100 picture books. We begin by presenting a rationale for using picture books to help children deal with the difficult topics including the topic of death. Next, we describe why we chose the topic of death. We continue by describing our inquiry and present characteristics of quality picture books that we discovered during our inquiry. For each characteristic we highlight an exemplary picture book to illustrate the characteristic. We end with final thoughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent–child reading critically affects children's learning and development, and dialog reading (DR) is a highly effective strategy for parent–child reading. This study employed the prompt, expand, evaluate, and repeat (PEER) DR strategy to develop a picture book incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology. AR information is extracted from the book using a mobile device to guide children through PEER-based reading. To determine the effectiveness of the AR picture book, a total of 56 preschool children participated in an experiment. The children were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The participants in the control group were accompanied by their parents, and they engaged in conventional parent–child reading; however, the participants in the experimental group engaged alone in AR-assisted reading. The results indicated that the experimental group achieved learning effectiveness significantly higher than that of the control group. A cycle of behavioral changes,"scanning with a mobile device → reading augmented information → answering the questions on the mobile device → scanning with a mobile device", was observed. This cycle indicates that child–mobile device–picture book interaction increased the children's learning effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative language development is one of the early literacy skills necessary for proficient reading and writing achievement. The correlation between narrative skills and later writing ability indicates that more advanced and complex narrative generation and recall is linked to later writing output. In this experimental study, 47 preschool students participated in an intervention focusing on the impact of high-quality illustrations on narrative ability. Results show a significant effect of intervention participation on narrative language measures in language complexity, narrative retelling, story comprehension, vocabulary usage, and episodic components. These findings suggest that attention to artistic devices used in illustrations paired with picture book study can increase student narrative ability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a critical examination of four open-access global digital picturebook platforms to determine the messages the books could convey to readers about specific cultural groups and what opportunities are provided for young readers to make important cross-cultural connections to strengthen their socioemotional development and prepare them to engage with diverse individuals in a global society. The sample included five books from each of the open-access platforms. Using both visual content analysis and semiotics researchers examine how cultures are illustrated—in character demographics themes color choices use of cultural symbols and any notable differences or similarities between the books in each platform. Each platform was evaluated for its ability to provide opportunities for readers to make important connections with characters in the books as well as for its potential to support the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of preserving and providing access to the world's culture and heritage. The study provides insight into how children's books in open-access platforms represent different cultures and how this in turn influences the potential for readers to make cross-cultural connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With animal studies and post-humanism we notice and value the importance of animals in our life learning to take them seriously as a significant part of our ecosystem. We also try to teach children about the importance of animals in our ecosystem and eradicate any hierarchical relationships toward them. Children's Literature (capping intentional) can aid this process since so many picturebooks novels and other texts written for children and young adults have animals as main characters or focalizers. Therefore ecocriticism complements the study of animal characters in Children's Literature. However in the case of dogs in Iran in primary sources or school textbooks published for Iranian children this is rarely possible. The problem is that based on the Islamic doctrine that dogs are "impure" if one is a faithful believer one is not supposed to keep them inside the house. So based on this hierarchical ideology books with dog characters as pets living indoors are censored. This article discusses the treatment of dogs over the centuries in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on a content analysis of 147 picturebooks published from 2016 to 2022 this article examines whose and which stories are told regarding environmental justice and how educators can honor multiple identities in their instruction advocacy and actions toward climate justice. The study begins with findings from the analysis across the larger text set of environmental texts in response to the focal questions of environmentalism and environmental justice. It continues with an analysis of three focal picturebooks spanning various global settings. This article advocates for educators caregivers and librarians to foster a critical lens with young readers as they engage with environmental texts to raise critique envision hope and promote action. We highlight the value of diverse children's literature around environmentalism and environmental justice to support children to delve into the existing breadth of experiences and narratives in known and lesser-known texts. We argue for the need to read across environmentalism picturebooks broadly to foster a more inclusive view of what environmental stewardship is and can be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim Design Methods Results Conclusions Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care Impact Patient or Public Contribution Reporting Method To assess the impact of digital picture books on preoperative anxiety, pain and sleep quality in young children undergoing cardiac catheterisation and the anxiety of their family caregivers.A randomised, single‐blinded, two‐arm, parallel‐group controlled trial.Participants are young children aged 2–7 years with congenital heart disease scheduled for cardiac catheterisation and their family caregivers. They were enrolled at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between September 2022 and July 2023. They were randomised to either a control group receiving usual care or an intervention group receiving digital picture book sessions. Anxiety and pain levels were assessed using standardised scales, and sleep quality was measured using actigraphy.The study included 64 pairs of young children and family caregivers. Digital picture books significantly reduced preoperative anxiety and bandage removal pain in children and anxiety in family caregivers. However, there was no statistical difference in sleep quality between the intervention group and the control group.Digital picture books prove to be an effective intervention for reducing anxiety and pain in paediatric cardiac catheterisation patients and anxiety of their family caregivers. The intervention did not affect sleep quality, suggesting the need for additional strategies to address this aspect of the hospital experience.This study demonstrated the effectiveness of digitally illustrated books in reducing preoperative anxiety and pain in young children and anxiety in family caregivers. Digital picture books offer a creative and engaging way to help children and their families cope with the stress and anxiety associated with medical procedures. Further research in this area may lead to the development of more innovative and effective interventions for paediatric patients and their family caregivers.The study's impact lies in its innovative approach to addressing the psychological and emotional challenges faced by young children and their family caregivers during the stressful experience of cardiac catheterisation. By demonstrating the efficacy of digital picture books in significantly reducing preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain, the research presents a non‐pharmacological, accessible and engaging intervention that can be seamlessly integrated into existing healthcare practices. The findings have the potential to transform paediatric care by offering a safe, developmentally appropriate and cost‐effective method to support the emotional well‐being of children and their families, thereby enhancing the overall patient experience and clinical outcomes. Moreover, the study's emphasis on family caregiver involvement underscores the importance of a holistic approach to care that considers the needs of both the patient and their support system.Children and their family caregivers were invited to provide valuable input which has been critical to the development of the intervention. The participant information sheet and consent form, as well as the consent/recruitment process, were reviewed by a consumer advisor advocate from the pilot study.CONSORT.Trial Registration: Chinese clinical trial registry: ChiCTR2200063973. Registered on 22 September 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=132833 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picture book reading is widely regarded as an activity that promotes multiple aspects of children’s language acquisition, including their vocabulary development. Historically, researchers interested in what underlies the link between picture book reading and vocabulary development have investigated a suite of caregiver behaviors during picture book reading that might support learning. More recently, with the advent of modern text analytic tools, researchers have begun to look at the properties of the picture books themselves and have revealed many ways in which the language in picture book text may support learning. The current study adds to this growing literature but focuses not only on how the language in picture books might support word learning but also on how its visual content supports learning. In an adaptation of the Human Simulation Paradigm applied to commonly read picture books to English-learning children, the current study involved adults (N = 96). Results showed that a word’s linguistic and visual contexts in picture books are both valuable sources of information about that word’s meaning, and that their relative contributions may vary as a function of the book’s target audience and the word in question. Moreover, the combined visuo-linguistic context may be an especially valuable source of information for word learning. The implications of this work for the mechanisms by which picture books contribute to word learning are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines gender portrayals in award-winning children's picture books from 2018 to 2022, highlighting the ongoing disparities in representation and roles for male and female characters. Topics include the historical context of gender roles in literature, the influence of children's books on gender identity formation, and the societal implications of these portrayals on career choices and leadership opportunities for women.

Contemporary non-fiction picturebooks for children are often fictionalised in one way or another. Many non-fiction picturebooks for children are thus hybrids between fiction and non-fiction but labelled as non-fiction for children and presented to children as non-fiction. Their purpose is to inform and teach, and at the same time entertain and elicit affective responses. To succeed in achieving this dual purpose, this study assumes that designed teaching can create opportunities to separate combined depictions in fictionalised non-fiction. The purpose of this study is to explore children's responses to imaginary constructs in designed reading activities, and to answer what opens up for children when combined depictions in fictionalised non-fiction are separated and made discernible. This is studied in four reading activities with a teacher and six five-year-olds in a preschool setting, reading and discussing picturebooks about dinosaurs and their extinction. The analysis shows that when combined depictions in fictionalised non-fiction are separated by contrast, and thus made discernible as established knowledge and imaginary constructs, this opens up for the children's interpretation, appreciation, and creation of imaginary constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite primarily catering to a U.S. audience for whom religion exerts a greater influence than anywhere else in the Western world, children's picture books dealing with the first landing on the moon in 1969 are reticent to conceptualise it in religious terms. Significantly, this is the same approach that NASA adopted when seeking to communicate their understanding of space exploration (Bellah, 1967; Tribbe, 2014; Wilson, 1984). The authors and illustrators of When We Walked on the Moon (Long and Kalda, 2019), Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (Shetterly and Freeman, 2018), My Little Golden Book About the First Moon Landing (Lovitt and Sims, 2019), One Giant Leap (Burleigh and Wimmer, 2014), The First Men who went to the Moon (Gowler Green and Brundage, 2019) and Where once we Stood (Riley and Impey, 2019) employ the nationalistic "rhetoric and belief and the ritual and symbolism of the American space program" and celebrate the international scientific-technical achievement which enabled its success (Wilson, 1984, p. 210). By positioning their work within the parameters of a civil religion, which by its nature is a fluid belief system, and only implying a religious dimension, the authors and illustrators avoid polarising the reading public. In the U.S. context this is a vital commercial consideration, for research has consistently shown that religious belief is associated with less positive explicit and implicit attitudes to science and lower levels of science knowledge. This has its counterpoint in a greater interest in science on the part of people from non-religious backgrounds. The analysis of these picture books is framed by four of the 'secular' tenets of civil religion identified by Anthony Squiers. The findings reveal that the authors and illustrators have used civil religion as a means of engaging with the moon landing without adopting a solely scientific or religious perspective, a strategy that enables a wide cross section of readers to derive an understanding of the landing consistent with their world view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of tourism activities in the Batur UNESCO Global Geopark has brought many tourists to visit the area. Along with increasing tourism activities, the risk of disasters in the geopark area has also increased. One thing that can be done to reduce disaster risk in the Batur UNESCO Global Geopark area is to utilize geoheritage as a learning medium for disaster risk reduction. In this study, we quantitatively described geoheritage by looking at its relationship with the priority actions of the Sendai framework. The results of the assessment of geological heritage values that have been carried out in 21 geosites of the geopark area show an interrelated relationship. Scientific, educational, tourism and degradation values of geoheritage sites have an important role in conveying information and messages related to disaster mitigation, which is in line with the objectives of Sendai's priority actions. Geological heritage sites can later be developed as an educational medium because it not only has accessibility capital, supporting facilities, good geological conditions, geological diversity, but also contains geological informationthat can be used for education and research. Developing geological disaster information within geoheritage sites in geopark areas may be in the form of geotrails and geotourism activities with the theme of disaster mitigation and earth heritage, picture books for children based on geoheritage information, especially those related to the introduction of geological disasters which are ideal to be developed. A geological information center at the Batur Volcano Museum and other educational acivities can be made within the geopark area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lack of representation of diverse families in children's books can affirm insecurities and contribute to a sense of "otherness". This study reports on the representation of family diversity in award-listed Australian children's picture books. A critical theoretical framework was employed to analyse both texts and images. This study found a lack of diverse family structures in children's books, especially LGBTIQA+, foster, step and blended families. This paper argues that to ensure inclusive and equitable literacy learning opportunities for all, educators need to go beyond award-listed books when selecting books for early literacy environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines major themes in 24 contemporary Canadian picture books to identify their potential to support children who are newcomers to Canada. Transition to a new country can be challenging for children and picture books are an effective tool for supporting their cultural and often linguistic transition. Through multimodal content analysis, the authors identify major themes that emerge from the visual and textual data in the books. Analysis identified prevailing themes related to family, food, multiculturalism, and geographic information. Each theme offers valuable insights into the diverse perspectives represented in the texts, providing a foundation for meaningful pedagogical applications for immigrant and newcomer children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In picture books, readers can obtain different emotional perceptions according to different image style attributes. Artists often use different combinations of colours, textures, materials, and other style elements in images to convey different emotions in their creations. Especially in picture books for children, there is a strong correlation between the perceived effect of the work and the accuracy and degree of emotional expression. In the process of creating picture books, various factors will affect the efficiency of artists trying to transfer styles to meet their creative needs. With the development of image style transfer technology based on a deep convolutional neural network, artists can use this technology to create works with different styles of emotional changes efficiently. In this paper, we select illustrations of picture books and use deep convolutional neural networks to transfer image styles from three aspects: colour style transfer, texture style, and material style transfer. Through sampling survey experiments, we discuss the changes in image attributes, emotional expression, and emotional perception in picture books for children. The survey results found that the most direct and evident influence on the emotional changes of picture book images is the transfer of colour style attributes, material style attributes, and texture style attributes. The results of this study can provide a valuable reference for improving the accuracy of emotional expression, the depth of meaning extension, and the height of artistic value in picture books for children during the process of an artist's creation. This research stands out by systematically analysing the distinct impact of each style attribute transfer, offering a comprehensive framework that can be utilized by artists and technologists alike to enhance the emotional and artistic quality of children's picture books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality (AR) technology can enhance picture book reading experience. The present study aimed to explore the influence of reading AR picture books on primary school students' reading comprehension, story retelling, and reading motivation. Eighty second graders, who were from two classes at a rural primary school in a coastal city in East China, were recruited through convenience sampling to participate in this quasi-experimental study. The two classes were randomly assigned to be either the experimental group (AR picture book reading) or control group (print picture book reading), and both groups read three traditional Chinese picture books during reading classes throughout three weeks. T-test analyses revealed that, before the study began, the two groups did not have significant differences in reading comprehension, story retelling, or reading motivation. However, after the three weeks of instructional intervention, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in all three aspects. Furthermore, MANCOVA analysis showed that reading AR picture books was more effective in boosting participants' performance on implicit questions during the reading comprehension tests. They also performed significantly higher on story retelling tests, especially when it came to story structures regarding settings and plots. In addition, AR picture book reading was more conducive to improving participants' level of attention and confidence in reading. This work adds to the ongoing endeavors in incorporating AR picture books into classroom settings, and will inform future development of original Chinese picture books with AR technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies Rudine Sims Bishop's multicultural framework of children's literature to environmental picturebooks. The paper provides an analysis of nearly 150 picturebooks paired with preservice teachers' responses to the texts to highlight the importance of diverse narratives and storytelling in environmentalism. The paper argues for the necessity for reading broadly and prioritizing diverse representations of which stories are told regarding environmentalism. Bishop's framework prioritizes the depth and breadth of who can be protagonists in environmentalism narratives, real and imagined, as well as how those protagonists enact responses to climate crises and the range of environmental issues that they respond to. The paper underscores the role of educators in fostering critical perspectives on environmentalism, advocating for disrupting single stories, and ensuring that a collection of texts that includes justice‐oriented and intersectional narratives is used with young readers. The article challenges dominant cultural narratives and promotes inclusivity in environmental activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on one of the most widely used resources by reading teachers during early‐emergent literacy, the high‐frequency wordlists commonly called 'sight words. Existing sight word resources available to teachers are extremely outdated and/or methodologically unsound. In this Teaching and Learning in Action article, a new research‐based list of high‐frequency words is released for teachers, the Children's Picture Book Sight Words (cpb sight words). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document discusses advancements in sensors and analyses for emotion sensing. The objective signals associated with subjective emotional states are explored, as emotional experiences are important for well-being and business success. The limitations of subjective ratings of emotion are discussed, and the need for objective measurements is emphasized. Many studies have developed emotion-sensing methods based on physical or physiological signals, such as facial expressions and autonomic nervous system activity. However, there are still limitations in current methods, and this special issue presents new articles that aim to overcome these limitations. The articles explore new sensors or measures for emotion sensing and propose new analyses to improve emotion sensing. The findings suggest that further exploration of emotion-sensing sensors and analyses is promising. [Extracted from the article]

Storytelling is one of the most important learning activities for children since reading aloud from a picture book stimulates children's curiosity, emotional development, and imagination. For effective education, the procedures for storytelling activities need to be improved according to the children's level of curiosity. However, young children are not able to complete questionnaires, making it difficult to analyze their level of interest. This paper proposes a method to estimate children's curiosity in picture book reading activities at five levels by recognizing children's behavior using acceleration and angular velocity sensors placed on their heads. We investigated the relationship between children's behaviors and their levels of curiosity, listed all observed behaviors, and clarified the behavior for estimating curiosity. Furthermore, we conducted experiments using motion sensors to estimate these behaviors and confirmed that the accuracy of estimating curiosity from sensor data is approximately 72%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood Jewish education provides an opportune moment to teach about race and Black–Jewish relations as young children grapple with concepts like justice. This article argues that picture books containing interactions between Black and Jewish characters or a Black Jewish character are a powerful pedagogical tool for this purpose. We created the first inventory of picture books that contain these characters, finding 188 of them which we believe can be invaluable in introducing the vital topic of race and racism to young children in early childhood Jewish classrooms through the historically important lenses of Black–Jewish relations and Black Jewish individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the impact of integrated Turkish and science activities on children's environmental perception in preschool education. The study found that children who participated in integrated activities with illustrated children's books showed a significant change in environmental perception compared to the control group. The use of picture books was found to contribute to children's learning of scientific concepts and early literacy skills. The study emphasizes the importance of providing diverse learning environments and integrating activities in preschool education to enhance children's development. Additionally, the article provides a list of related academic sources that can be useful for further research in this area. [Extracted from the article]

The underrepresentation of women and girls in children's picture books and the use of gender stereotypes persists, as seen in a sample of 335 books published between 2010 and 2020. Previous research showed a significant lack of female representation in children's picture books and stereotyped presentation. A pilot study was conducted to establish stereotypes for coding gender representation of characters in children's picture books. This article shows that children's picture books continue to be a significant source of gendered stereotypes, specifically that females should engage in domestic tasks and care while males should be aggressive and breadwinners. Additionally, this article identifies an ongoing disparity in numerical representation, with a female-to-male ratio of 1:1.35 in the picture books sampled. Future research should address the impact of this underrepresentation and stereotyping in picture books on a child population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we aim to explore the interconnection between Children's Literature and contemporary technologies, though not from the perspective of technology as a didactic tool or as a media to produce or reproduce literary texts. Instead, we examine how technology is present in books for children and picture books. This approach is based on the concepts of children's literature, and childhood and technologies. We also present an initial corpus of stories and picture books either about technology or in which technology structures the book or the narrative. Our conclusion is that in some texts the encounter of both worlds produces significant literary experiences. However, there is a literary core that cannot be integrated with technology. This tension is also part of the cultural representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a list of contributors to the journal ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature & Environment. The contributors come from diverse backgrounds and specialize in various areas related to literature and the environment. Their research interests include topics such as cultural imaginaries of the ocean, climate fiction, literature and politics, African literature, psychoanalytic theory, and the representation of minorities in Nordic literature. The contributors have published their work in reputable journals and have authored books on their respective fields of study. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the increase in challenges to materials in public schools and libraries in the United States, particularly in response to library programs and speakers with controversial views. It explores the complexities of including materials in library collections and the role of policies in translating values into actions. The controversy surrounding the interpretation of the ALA's meeting room policy is also discussed, as well as the concepts of endorsement and sponsorship in libraries. The article touches on the issue of platforming and the debates surrounding giving a platform to controversial viewpoints. It highlights the need for clear policies in libraries regarding displays, exhibits, and meeting rooms, and the importance of distinguishing between endorsement and sponsorship. The article concludes by emphasizing the significance of library policies in putting values into action and maintaining the unique role of libraries in serving individual information needs. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The paper shows the interpretive impact of different constructions of the point of view available to the reader/viewer in book and animated movie versions of a children's picture book, a novel for pre-adolescents/early teenagers, and a graphic novel for adolescents and adults. Design/Approach/Methods: Excerpts from book and animated movie versions of the same story are compared using multimodal analysis of interpersonal meaning to show how the reader/viewer is positioned in relation to the characters in each version, complemented by analyses of ideational meaning to show the effect of point of view on interpretive possibilities. Findings: Focusing mainly on multimodal construction of point of view, the analyses show how interpretive possibilities of ostensibly the same story are significantly reconfigured in animated adaptations compared with book versions even when the verbal narrative remains substantially unchanged. Originality/Value: The study shows that it is crucial to students' critical appreciation of, and their creative contribution to, their evolving digital literary culture that in this new era of educational technology, attention in literacy and literary education focuses on developing understandings of digital multimodal narrative art, and that animated movie adaptations are not presented pedagogically as isomorphic with, or simply adjunct to, corresponding book versions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This critical content analysis used critical literacy and critical race theory to examine eight children's picturebooks to reveal patterns in the depictions of Black-white biracial characters. Analysis attended to protagonists' skin tone, hair texture, and facial features. Findings identify a pattern in the text of the protagonists' skin tone and hair texture being referenced as part of the storyline. However, the text of the picturebooks did not discuss the protagonists' Afrocentric or Eurocentric facial features even though the illustrations depicted them. Three other trends were identified: (1) comparing Black-white biracial characters' skin and hair to food; (2) presenting only two self-concepts for the Black-white biracial protagonists–either being "just right" or "mixed up;" and (3) portraying interracial families as either contentious or idyllic. The findings highlight how power differentials and racial socialization are embedded in the picturebooks and that opportunities for Black-white biracial counterstories must be pursued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Early childhood and early elementary are key times when children develop internal and external antifat attitudes; thus, it is necessary to better understand the available children's literature around fatness.This paper aims to examine children's picture books with fat protagonists to better understand the current landscape of children's literature. Drawing on relevant literature around fat characters and the fat studies movement, this critical content analysis considers five children's books featuring fat protagonists. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses critical content analysis to analyze texts featuring fat protagonists, including two rounds of initial reading and analysis. Using lenses of critical literacy and critical multicultural analysis, the author looks for common themes, silences and absences in the texts, images and peritext. Findings: This paper identifies themes of characters initially internalizing antifatness, then pushing back against antifat bias toward existing with joy and without stigma. Several of these texts even draw on the history of fat activism, highlighting societal critique and a potential activist component of children's literature with fat protagonists. Research limitations/implications: The study has a small number of books, due to the limited number of texts that fit the study parameters. Practical implications: The paper concludes with examples of scaffolding for teachers and parents to have conversations with young children about antifat bias while also acknowledging notable absences, particularly boy protagonists. Social implications: These themes illustrate the power of young children to push back against antifat bias and critique oppressive social structures. Originality/value: There have been very few studies looking at antifatness in children's picture books. With more books with fat protagonists coming out in the 2020s, this study offers an understanding of the themes present, while also emphasizing the need for an intersectional approach to literature with fat protagonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a guest editorial that addresses the need for recognition and inclusion of fat people in classrooms and society. It emphasizes the importance of creating loving and safe spaces for fat individuals, free from judgment and exclusion. The article also highlights the intersectionality of fatness with other identities such as race, gender, sexuality, and disability. It calls for a shift in mindset and the eradication of biases surrounding fatness, advocating for a curriculum that celebrates all forms of human diversity. The article concludes by providing book recommendations for those interested in learning more about fatphobia and anti-fatness. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the concept of biophilia and its potential role in education, particularly in relation to children's literature and school gardens. The authors use personal narratives and reflections to highlight the importance of personal experiences and memories in understanding and connecting with biophilia. They emphasize the need for educators to encourage and foster biophilia connections in their students. The article also discusses the impact of certain books on readers' understanding of their environment and their evolving literate identity. It emphasizes the potential for change and reflection that reading offers. The authors highlight the diverse and multifaceted nature of the natural world and the importance of exploring and understanding it through literature. They also discuss the concept of "autobibliography" and its potential for bringing biophilia into the classroom. The article concludes by emphasizing the awe-inspiring qualities of nature and the impact of such experiences on our understanding of the natural world. The hope is that these experiences can inspire teachers in their work and encourage them to incorporate nature into their teaching. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores Italian biography for young readers focusing on the representation of women's lives that have been overshadowed in the history of the literary genre. The analysis addresses both pedagogical and literary aspects, investigating which female role models are portrayed and the evolution of biographical writing style. In tracing the development of biographies about women within Italian children's literature and its pedagogical and cultural background, five historical shifts are outlined: (1) the persistence of women's moralistic portrayals in the 1960s, (2) the conflicting impact of feminist movements on the biographies of the 1970s, (3) the emergence of biographical picturebooks and a psychologically nuanced writing style in the 1980s, (4) the emphasis on rediscovering marginalized female figures at the beginning of the new century, and (5) contemporary trends of celebrating diverse female role models and the critical debate around gender representation. The analysis points out today's challenges for biographies as hybrid nonfiction— not only interweaving different role models and styles, but also questioning their anthropocentric perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a selection of Italian picturebooks that feature representations of diversity, including Piccolo Blu e Piccolo Giallo (Lionni), as well as more contemporary works such as Piccolo Uovo: Maschio o Femmina? (Pardi and Altan) and Qual è il Segreto di Papà? (Pardi and Gucciardini). These titles form part of a corpus of texts focused on diversity, many of which are produced by the publishing houses Lo Stampatello and Settenove. This branch of Italian children's literature has often come under public scrutiny for its content around themes of diversity, thereby intersecting with and contributing to contested ideas about national identity, belonging, and Otherness. Although their narrative and aesthetic representations may contain certain limitations in the degree to which they depict diversity, the examples discussed in this article provide alternative ways of thinking about nationality, family, gender, and sexuality in an era in which conservative ideologies around these topics are prevalent in contemporary Italian cultural discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines #OwnVoices literature, a new subgenre of children's literature that emerged with the Black Lives Matter movement, situating two sample picturebooks, All Because You Matter (2020) and We Shall Overcome (2021), within the recent political context and analysing their illustrations and themes. It argues that through such texts children's literature is progressing out of its "diversity crisis". These texts have a new set of themes that emphasize Black people's struggle and resilience rather than trauma and hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of interactive electronic picture books can strengthen young children's reading comprehension skills. Interactive electronic picture books that involve interaction with sensors, with the interact ion integrated into the story, should be developed to enhance children's reading experience and improve their oral expression skills. Interactive electronic picture books that involved children manipulating stuffed animals containing sensors that provided feedback were developed for this study. Visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli can be used to create an interactive feedback system. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers, who gave their opinions regarding the curriculum of their preschool. The results indicate that the intuitiveness of the system helped improve the children's reading experience, strengthened their motivation to read, and improved their cognitive abilities. In addition, interactive electronic picture books were found to improve the children's oral expression skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informational texts present complex content using language that is simultaneously technical, abstract, dense, and authoritative. This article describes practical strategies to support teachers in using informational picture books to prepare upper elementary school students for navigating the complex language demands necessitated by expository reading. These strategies include morphological analysis, spotlighting discipline‐specific vocabulary, sentence completion, unpacking nominalizations, identifying actions and their agents, deconstructing noun phrases, paraphrasing complex sentences, and syntactic anatomy. They are designed for classroom teachers to support their implementation of authentic informational texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]