Sunday, 31 December 2017
Saturday, 30 December 2017
Digging and Cover
At this stage I am not sure whether I will be able to create a finished book that is up to the standard i would like but I am confident I can finish a set of double page spreads that give and overview of the book and demonstrate each of the ideas from my essay.
Imagination pages
This section of the book aims to explore imaginative play, combining fiction ideas with real life experiences to inform attitudes and aid development. The child is experimenting with ideas and learning about different possible outcomes through her pre existing knowledge and her imagination (imaginary friend). She makes decisions on the best course of action based on her use of this process, it informs her decisions, attitude and behaviour.
Friday, 29 December 2017
Conclusion
My conclusion will be focussed on how practitioners could make use of the research in the creative process and the possible benefits. I also want to reflect on my project and how it could have been improved or how it could be continued. I am going to continue the book I have been working on and it would be informative to create a questionnaire for participants to fill out after reading the book. I could try and find out what factors determine how different people interpret the story. Whether the outcome is positive, negative or neither. Simply, it would be good feedback to determine if I have been successful in implementing ambiguity into my work without any negative connotations. making the characters emotions and actions more realistic can also appear negative compared to the majority of children's books that are based on simplistic heroes or design to promote a clear moral message.
Thursday, 14 December 2017
Pages progress and decisions
The main decision of the story is not one with a clearly defined right answer. I wanted to include this more realistic section of the narrative, a lot of decisions in real life are much more complex than right or wrong. One thing that was very important to me was not to tell the reader that one is correct or more important than the other. I don't want the story to promote a single perspective on a moral choice but rather encourage discussion and thought process so that the reader can come to their own conclusions.
Worms page stop motion
stop motion illustration from Joe Boon on Vimeo.
This is a stop motion animation of one of the pages of my book. I wanted to demonstrate the process of transforming my roughs into finished illustrations. I have been using procreate to make my work recently and am still experimenting with processes.
This is a stop motion animation of one of the pages of my book. I wanted to demonstrate the process of transforming my roughs into finished illustrations. I have been using procreate to make my work recently and am still experimenting with processes.
Monday, 11 December 2017
Practical Work Rationale
This is my rationale for my practical work for the final crit before Christmas.
My aim is to produce a children’s book that explores and applies theories related to children’s fiction aiding emotional, intellectual and moral development. During my research I found a number of studies suggesting that activities such as parent and child discussion and imaginative play help children to assimilate lessons into their own experiences. As these theories are not directly linked to how the books are written and illustrated I have tried to explore them in the text rather than apply them. The theories I have tried to apply to the narrative are realism, complexity and ambiguity. These three storytelling practices are thought to encourage the development especially when combined with conversation and play.
I chose to use the Labours of Hercules as a basis for my story and after story boarding decided to concentrate on one of the labours, The Lernean Hydra. To make the story more realistic and appropriate the trial is no longer to kill the hydra, but for the little girl in the story to catch some worms so her dad can go fishing. Her dad jokingly says “make sure you get some really big ones”, and the girls imagination starts to imagine giant terrifying worms she with have to battle with. She sets off out on her mission helped by her imaginary friend. Together they explore possible ways they could defeat the worms. The imaginary friend suggesting outrageous fantastic mythical ideas and the little girl using logic to play out how they would work in real life (badly). My research suggests that children use imaginative play to act out possible scenarios and measure them against what they see in their real lives, the play is essentially a form of science experiment. I want to use the dialogue between the girl and her imaginary friend to explore this idea.
They eventually realise the the worms are much smaller than they thought and not at all scary. I have tried to use perspective to play with the scale throughout the book. They manage to catch a whole bucket full of worms and should be happy but the girl feels bad for the worms and doesn’t want them to be used as bait. She decides to tell her dad she lost the worms even though it means she will have failed the labour and he will be unhappy. She secretly keeps the worms in her room and feels good, until she sees her dad sat at home feeling sad that he can’t go fishing. It is unclear at the end whether she is happy or sad, or what the right decision was.
I have tried to demonstrate complexity of emotion with the little girls uncertainty, initially about the task but then about her own decisions. Complexity in the illustrations by changing perspectives and using the characters to portray the variety of emotions. I have tried to demonstrate realism through the characters interactions and range of emotions, by taking a mythical tale and making it something more mundane and easier to relate to and by using ambiguity, there is no moral message only an attempt to encourage conversation. Did she make the right choice? Is there a right choice?
My aim is to produce a children’s book that explores and applies theories related to children’s fiction aiding emotional, intellectual and moral development. During my research I found a number of studies suggesting that activities such as parent and child discussion and imaginative play help children to assimilate lessons into their own experiences. As these theories are not directly linked to how the books are written and illustrated I have tried to explore them in the text rather than apply them. The theories I have tried to apply to the narrative are realism, complexity and ambiguity. These three storytelling practices are thought to encourage the development especially when combined with conversation and play.
I chose to use the Labours of Hercules as a basis for my story and after story boarding decided to concentrate on one of the labours, The Lernean Hydra. To make the story more realistic and appropriate the trial is no longer to kill the hydra, but for the little girl in the story to catch some worms so her dad can go fishing. Her dad jokingly says “make sure you get some really big ones”, and the girls imagination starts to imagine giant terrifying worms she with have to battle with. She sets off out on her mission helped by her imaginary friend. Together they explore possible ways they could defeat the worms. The imaginary friend suggesting outrageous fantastic mythical ideas and the little girl using logic to play out how they would work in real life (badly). My research suggests that children use imaginative play to act out possible scenarios and measure them against what they see in their real lives, the play is essentially a form of science experiment. I want to use the dialogue between the girl and her imaginary friend to explore this idea.
They eventually realise the the worms are much smaller than they thought and not at all scary. I have tried to use perspective to play with the scale throughout the book. They manage to catch a whole bucket full of worms and should be happy but the girl feels bad for the worms and doesn’t want them to be used as bait. She decides to tell her dad she lost the worms even though it means she will have failed the labour and he will be unhappy. She secretly keeps the worms in her room and feels good, until she sees her dad sat at home feeling sad that he can’t go fishing. It is unclear at the end whether she is happy or sad, or what the right decision was.
I have tried to demonstrate complexity of emotion with the little girls uncertainty, initially about the task but then about her own decisions. Complexity in the illustrations by changing perspectives and using the characters to portray the variety of emotions. I have tried to demonstrate realism through the characters interactions and range of emotions, by taking a mythical tale and making it something more mundane and easier to relate to and by using ambiguity, there is no moral message only an attempt to encourage conversation. Did she make the right choice? Is there a right choice?
Friday, 8 December 2017
Ambiguity
After the draft feedback it was highlighted to me that I had left out a lot of my research into ambiguity. I had talked about it in the case studies section but it was only briefly mentioned in the main body of the essay. I have gone back over my essay nd added my research in ambiguity and its part in adding complexity to narrative fiction. This was an important part of my research as it ties in to complexity, realistic characters and events and the case studies I had chosen. My practical work also uses ambiguity. If I had missed it out or only mentioned it in passing without drawing reflecting on its relationships with the other areas of my research it would have made my project disjointed.
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
Essay draft feedback
The notes from my draft feedback have been very helpful. I can now make an action play based on the feedback and todays conversation. I am going to
- Read my essay through a couple of times and highlight changes I think need to be made.
- Edit out overcomplicated or irrelevant sections. Simplify sentence structure to make the information easier to understand.
-looke at transitions between paragraphs and topics some seem messy
- Paraphrase larger quotes wherever possible, (leave ones where the tone of voice is informative)
- Rework introduction, get rid of the question, explain what I will be doing, introduce theorists as well as complexity, ambiguity and realism ( in order they will appear in the main body
- Restructure the reflective chapter- start by laying out the aims of the project
- rising interest in children's books- why? agendas?
- back up links to theory especially in later chapters.
- clarify own opinion when reacting to research (some are unclear)
- introduce anne fine opinions to case studies section (opposing view)
- include narrative illustrations used in healthcare into either main body or case studies section. (alternative application- more specific)
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
The Heart and the Bottle
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7096916-the-heart-and-the-bottle
https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/14/oliver-jeffers-the-heart-and-the-bottle/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/apr/03/children-picturebooks-ahlberg-gravett-jeffers
https://vikkivansickle.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/a-lump-in-my-throat-the-heart-and-the-bottle/
https://www.thelittlereadingroom.com.au/book-review/the-heart-and-the-bottle/
- tackles a gritty realistic subject matter (the loss of a loved one)
- uses ambiguity to allow the reader to explore the narrative to their own level of emotional development
- is not as open to interpretation as the giving tree. It uses ambiguity within the narrative (you are never actually specifically told about the death of a loved one). The overall meaning of the book is still relatively clearly defined
https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/14/oliver-jeffers-the-heart-and-the-bottle/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/apr/03/children-picturebooks-ahlberg-gravett-jeffers
https://vikkivansickle.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/a-lump-in-my-throat-the-heart-and-the-bottle/
https://www.thelittlereadingroom.com.au/book-review/the-heart-and-the-bottle/
- tackles a gritty realistic subject matter (the loss of a loved one)
- uses ambiguity to allow the reader to explore the narrative to their own level of emotional development
- is not as open to interpretation as the giving tree. It uses ambiguity within the narrative (you are never actually specifically told about the death of a loved one). The overall meaning of the book is still relatively clearly defined
Essay review feedback
Today we had a feedback session where we swapped essays and discussed how they could be improved and if they were easily understandable from a fresh perspective. The focal points of my feedback are:
- break page ten down into smaller more concise paragraphs (clearer for the reader and makes identifying repetition easier)
- include supporting images where beneficial (not just in case study and reflective section)
- remove unnecessary information, specifically in introduction
- some terms need to be explained (Hawthorne effect)
- clarify 5 characteristics of complexity in children’s books (could include in appendix)
I found this feedback very useful. Not just changes to make but how they can be implemented effectively. I plan to apply these changes then identify a third case study. Through roughing out images for the practical section of the project I feel I could start working on the reflective practice section of the essay and add to it as my work progresses further.
- break page ten down into smaller more concise paragraphs (clearer for the reader and makes identifying repetition easier)
- include supporting images where beneficial (not just in case study and reflective section)
- remove unnecessary information, specifically in introduction
- some terms need to be explained (Hawthorne effect)
- clarify 5 characteristics of complexity in children’s books (could include in appendix)
I found this feedback very useful. Not just changes to make but how they can be implemented effectively. I plan to apply these changes then identify a third case study. Through roughing out images for the practical section of the project I feel I could start working on the reflective practice section of the essay and add to it as my work progresses further.
Monday, 20 November 2017
Scale
I want to use some complexity in the images. By this I mean the words and illustrations will work together and the images will purposefully be ambiguous on certain pages to encourage though and discussion about the ideas in the narrative.
Digging
roughing out ideas for book pages. the little girl taking on the task by dressing as a her with armour and weapons, unfortunately she is not a hero and her weapons are sports gear highlighting differences between myth and realistic scenarios and outcomes. She is accompanied on her adventure by her imaginary friend to help demonstrate the discussion of ideas to aid learning.
Scare the birds away
This is one of the first of the trials of Hercules I decided to work on. A few of the original trials involve killing animals but I though this wasn't really appropriate for children (not without addressing issues surrounding killing animals for food or sport specifically). I changed the story from killing the birds to scaring them away from the farmers freshly sown fields. This is not far away from the original story as Hercules only killed some of the birds and the rest fled. The last three images in this publication depict the simple sensible way to complete the task, I though of a few different ways i could alter the narrative to include the theories from my research:
- The girl completes the trial but it is really easy and she feels no sense of accomplishment. Mixture of emotions
- The girl comes up with outrageous ideas to scare the birds away that all fail and she resorts to the simple approach of a scarecrow
This lead me on to the idea of exploring multiple ideas through imagination (counter-factuals) then thinking about how those ideas would pan out given her own life experiences and knowledge. The ideas could be rested out in the form of a conversation with an imaginary friend.
Zeus/Farmer
I thought about depicting the parent/farmer in the narrative as Zeus to link back to the original story of Hercules. the idea was to have the adult setting the tasks dressing in a dressing gown with a big beard to resemble the Greek god. I tested the idea of having two different narrative being played out on either side of each double page spread. Half the image would be an fantastical epic adventure and the other would be a more mundane realistic version. The idea is that I could show the differences between the heroic characters and narrative of the original text and the nuanced, realistic characters and situations of my version. I could use the juxtaposition to explore complexity in narratives, ambiguous, thought provoking situations and the use of relatable scenarios.
Sunday, 19 November 2017
Back to the storyboard
I want to chose one of the trials of Hercules to concentrate on
Try to fit in the ideas and theories from my research without losing the focus of the original story
Hydra
Original story
Accompanied by nephew, charioteer
Lured the hydra from its lair with fiery arrows
Hydra helped by giant crab
When one head was chopped off two more took its place
Did not get credit for the task because he had help
Some though it was over exaggerated and the hydra was a water snake
New
‘Go and get me some worms so I can go fishing’
‘Be Careful though they can get pretty big’ joking
Kid worried thinks about the giant worms
Teams up with imaginary friend to think of ways to complete the task
Imaginary friend proposes fantastical solutions
‘Hercules’ explores how the ideas would play out (badly)
They make a choice and go to catch the worms (hydra)
Confronting fears
Lure out worms
Find out they’re tiny (kind of cute)
Conflicted about using worms for fishing?
Claims she couldn’t find any worms?
Puts worms in a tank to keep as pets (play with scale)
Failed the labour/task?
Try to fit in the ideas and theories from my research without losing the focus of the original story
Hydra
Original story
Accompanied by nephew, charioteer
Lured the hydra from its lair with fiery arrows
Hydra helped by giant crab
When one head was chopped off two more took its place
Did not get credit for the task because he had help
Some though it was over exaggerated and the hydra was a water snake
New
‘Go and get me some worms so I can go fishing’
‘Be Careful though they can get pretty big’ joking
Kid worried thinks about the giant worms
Teams up with imaginary friend to think of ways to complete the task
Imaginary friend proposes fantastical solutions
‘Hercules’ explores how the ideas would play out (badly)
They make a choice and go to catch the worms (hydra)
Confronting fears
Lure out worms
Find out they’re tiny (kind of cute)
Conflicted about using worms for fishing?
Claims she couldn’t find any worms?
Puts worms in a tank to keep as pets (play with scale)
Failed the labour/task?
Saturday, 18 November 2017
Complex book
I would like to leave the story open ended or with unanswered questions about the characters emotions to encourage further discussion and imagination. While trying to achieve this the story has begun to feel too complicated and lose its structure, I need to keep storyboarding and find a balance that works as an intriguing narrative that is easy to understand and appropriate for its target audience of children.
Thursday, 16 November 2017
Book trials and ideas
Digging the garden
“Look our for worms” - farmer
Girl starts to think about big scary worms chasing her
Gets kitted up with armour ( household objects)
Sets our on adventure to dig the garden
Finds out worms are tiny
Digs hole ( worms as spectators)
Hard work- sense of achievement
“Scare the birds away from the fields” - farmer
“What scares birds?” - little girl thinking
Sees the farm cat walk past
Idea- a giant cat robot - thought bubble of what that would look like
Start to try and build robot out of things found around the farm
Farmer “ what are you doing? You just need to put the scarecrow out”
Sulking, girl trudges out with the scarecrow
Had to clean up the mess from making the robot
Nonsense of achievement
Capture the boar/pig
Goes out with farmer to capture the pig
Fells a connection with the pig and wants him to be free
Thinks about the pigs life being free (fun activities)
Decides to leave the gate open
Feels like she did the right thing
Stealing apples
Agree to do it
Takes the apples
Feels guilty and returns them to the owner
Goes to the shop and buys more apples to give to the farmer
The farmer is happy
Girl feels like she did the right thing
Later farmer is eating an apple and noticed a sticker on it
Angry/happy?
Little girl conflicted
Sections end in questions
Promotes conversation
Keep emotions nuanced
Last pages
Conversation with parent about the trip to the farm
Comic strip?
Kid acting out her experiences
Wednesday, 15 November 2017
Practical tests
I tested out some more ideas for pages of the book. I was looking at including some elements of ancient Greek art to create more links between my reimagined story and the original Trials of Hercules. I have also been experimenting with scale used to illustrate juxtapositions between the epic mythological trials of the little girls imagination and the mundane everyday tasks that she carries out.
Essay progress- case studies
I have been working on the two case studies that I had already chosen and think i will need at least one more to complete the chapter. Through these two case studies I have explored
- ambiguity
- complexity
- realistic narratives
- conversation and play in response to children's books
- relating case studies to specific theories of complexity in children's fiction
- appropriateness if subjects for target audience
- responses to books with realistic narratives
Updated
I am going to make some additions to this section, two pieces of research that I had already looked at that I think will benefit the essay. So far I have looked at books that in one way or another demonstrate the theories related to my research but their are similarities between all three. I want to include a study I found into illustrated narratives used within healthcare to help children understand the situation. They found that the illustrated narratives were more effective that simply explaining the process. This will not be a study of a specific text but instead an application of narrative with a clear goal. The other piece of research i want to include is an interview with Anne Fine who is a well known author.
- ambiguity
- complexity
- realistic narratives
- conversation and play in response to children's books
- relating case studies to specific theories of complexity in children's fiction
- appropriateness if subjects for target audience
- responses to books with realistic narratives
Updated
I am going to make some additions to this section, two pieces of research that I had already looked at that I think will benefit the essay. So far I have looked at books that in one way or another demonstrate the theories related to my research but their are similarities between all three. I want to include a study I found into illustrated narratives used within healthcare to help children understand the situation. They found that the illustrated narratives were more effective that simply explaining the process. This will not be a study of a specific text but instead an application of narrative with a clear goal. The other piece of research i want to include is an interview with Anne Fine who is a well known author.
Essay progress- Introduction
In my original introduction I repeated the research question, I don't think this is needed and gets the essay off to a repetitive and messy start. I have also not introduced the practitioners and theorists in in my first draft, I think I should refer to them briefly as a way to introduce they to the reader and to clearly explain what they are about to read. The introduction should
- briefly introduce the reader to the aim of the essay
- introduce the reader to the practitioners and theorists that make up the research
- give an overview of the layout of the essay to make it easier to understand
- briefly introduce the reader to the aim of the essay
- introduce the reader to the practitioners and theorists that make up the research
- give an overview of the layout of the essay to make it easier to understand
Sunday, 12 November 2017
Story Plan And Links to Theory
Things to include
- visual links to original story
- complexity in achievements and reaction from parents/gods
- emotional complexity. Not happy when tasks are too easy, feelings of achievements, relationships, learning, disagreeing with parents
- open ending. Happy or sad? Try and make the story a subject for further discussion
- make the narrative relate to the life of a modern day child/ the audience
- do not preach moral lessons- attempt to stimulate important though processes and discussions
- emotions to convey fear, happiness, sadness, frustration, conflicting emotions, pride.
- themes - defiance, conflict, victory, growth, self knowledge.
- visual links to original story
- complexity in achievements and reaction from parents/gods
- emotional complexity. Not happy when tasks are too easy, feelings of achievements, relationships, learning, disagreeing with parents
- open ending. Happy or sad? Try and make the story a subject for further discussion
- make the narrative relate to the life of a modern day child/ the audience
- do not preach moral lessons- attempt to stimulate important though processes and discussions
- emotions to convey fear, happiness, sadness, frustration, conflicting emotions, pride.
- themes - defiance, conflict, victory, growth, self knowledge.
Friday, 10 November 2017
The Giving Tree
http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/18/top-100-picture-books-85-the-giving-tree-by-shel-silverstein/#_
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/books/review/the-giving-tree-tender-story-of-unconditional-love-or-disturbing-tale-of-selfishness.html
These reviews of the giving tree highlight the contrasting opinions readers have of The Giving tree. I want to use these to highlight the problems with using ambiguity within children's books. The book is still one of the best selling children's books of all time but has polarised opinion of the meaning behind its narrative. Leaving the meaning so open means that the narrative can be seen in a number of ways, in the case of this book the relationship between the characters has been seen as selfless love from parent to child and also as an abusive relationship. One of the other books I have looked at, The Heart and the Bottle also uses ambiguity but only is smaller elements of the story. It manages to keep the overall meaning clear.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/books/review/the-giving-tree-tender-story-of-unconditional-love-or-disturbing-tale-of-selfishness.html
These reviews of the giving tree highlight the contrasting opinions readers have of The Giving tree. I want to use these to highlight the problems with using ambiguity within children's books. The book is still one of the best selling children's books of all time but has polarised opinion of the meaning behind its narrative. Leaving the meaning so open means that the narrative can be seen in a number of ways, in the case of this book the relationship between the characters has been seen as selfless love from parent to child and also as an abusive relationship. One of the other books I have looked at, The Heart and the Bottle also uses ambiguity but only is smaller elements of the story. It manages to keep the overall meaning clear.
Tuesday, 7 November 2017
Progress Turtorial
Things discussed today
- work on case studies use the two already selected and find more
- analyse case studies in relation to theory
- start work on introduction - could help refine main body
- make stronger links between practical and theory
- storyboard practical ideas to gain greater understanding of what i want to do and test out ideas that work as a book
Things to do
- start writing both introduction and case studies- email to Pete on 17th
- Start roughing up storyboards for practical work
- write practical plan/brief to clarify links to theory
- work on case studies use the two already selected and find more
- analyse case studies in relation to theory
- start work on introduction - could help refine main body
- make stronger links between practical and theory
- storyboard practical ideas to gain greater understanding of what i want to do and test out ideas that work as a book
Things to do
- start writing both introduction and case studies- email to Pete on 17th
- Start roughing up storyboards for practical work
- write practical plan/brief to clarify links to theory
Monday, 6 November 2017
key essay information
I have just read back through the main body of my essay and made some notes on key points to triangulate within the essay and apply to my practical work
-Interest in moral values through fiction since the end of World War 1
- Teachers, parents and publishers - fiction "mould children's characters" (assumptions)
- Number of studies conducted between then and 1970 but all flawed in different ways
- Initial change in attitudes, no change after 2 weeks, when retested (no discussion)
- Discussion found to make attitudes even more favourable than reading alone
- Play- stories are the input and discussion/play are methods of assimilation
- Play not just assimilation- form of experiment- counterfactuals, multiple outcomes
- Children can understand complex ideas presented in books- what is appropriate
- Read aloud discussion important, improves comprehension and critical evaluation
- Importance of what we read not just how we read
- Texts that support complex interpretations, "subtle and multifaceted"
- Characteristics- 3 from Aram and 5 from Hoffman (compare)
- Structure, language and characters
- Realistic' Open to interpretation - leads to discussion- leads to play
- Parents least supportive of structural complexity
- Parents who take part in interactive reading with children more often shared views of experts
- More positive towards complexity in children's books
- More experience of the effects of complex narratives?
-Interest in moral values through fiction since the end of World War 1
- Teachers, parents and publishers - fiction "mould children's characters" (assumptions)
- Number of studies conducted between then and 1970 but all flawed in different ways
- Initial change in attitudes, no change after 2 weeks, when retested (no discussion)
- Discussion found to make attitudes even more favourable than reading alone
- Play- stories are the input and discussion/play are methods of assimilation
- Play not just assimilation- form of experiment- counterfactuals, multiple outcomes
- Children can understand complex ideas presented in books- what is appropriate
- Read aloud discussion important, improves comprehension and critical evaluation
- Importance of what we read not just how we read
- Texts that support complex interpretations, "subtle and multifaceted"
- Characteristics- 3 from Aram and 5 from Hoffman (compare)
- Structure, language and characters
- Realistic' Open to interpretation - leads to discussion- leads to play
- Parents least supportive of structural complexity
- Parents who take part in interactive reading with children more often shared views of experts
- More positive towards complexity in children's books
- More experience of the effects of complex narratives?
Thursday, 2 November 2017
1970 review
http://ascd.com/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_197011_kimmel.pdf
This review from 1970 looks at a number of studies that's purpose was to determine whether children's books can change children's values. The review states that researches have been interested in this subject since the end of the First World War but that crating an effective study into it was proving extremely difficult, the studies were "few, open to question, and sometimes contradictory".
This review is a useful insight into previous attempts to gauge the influence on children's books prior to the focal point of my research.
This review acts as a starting point for my essay, it contains a number of similar studies into the influence of children's books. The methodology of the studies have some key differences. One retested the participants to see if there was any lasting effect on their attitude toward the subject to the books and found and influence the books had was gone, another included discussion into the subject matter after reading and found that this made the subject of the books have a greater impact on the readers attitudes. It is unfortunate that there is not a study that did both as later studies highlight the importance of discussion and play based on reading in allowing readers to assimilate the subject of the book into their own views. In my essay I want to compare thee findings of these earlier studies with more recent research as well as give a basis for attitudes towards children's books. Assumptions about the influence of children's books have been made from before these early studies up to present day. I would like to look more into what determines attitudes throughout this time and how these attitudes can change the application of shared reading between parents/teachers and children.
This review from 1970 looks at a number of studies that's purpose was to determine whether children's books can change children's values. The review states that researches have been interested in this subject since the end of the First World War but that crating an effective study into it was proving extremely difficult, the studies were "few, open to question, and sometimes contradictory".
This review is a useful insight into previous attempts to gauge the influence on children's books prior to the focal point of my research.
This review acts as a starting point for my essay, it contains a number of similar studies into the influence of children's books. The methodology of the studies have some key differences. One retested the participants to see if there was any lasting effect on their attitude toward the subject to the books and found and influence the books had was gone, another included discussion into the subject matter after reading and found that this made the subject of the books have a greater impact on the readers attitudes. It is unfortunate that there is not a study that did both as later studies highlight the importance of discussion and play based on reading in allowing readers to assimilate the subject of the book into their own views. In my essay I want to compare thee findings of these earlier studies with more recent research as well as give a basis for attitudes towards children's books. Assumptions about the influence of children's books have been made from before these early studies up to present day. I would like to look more into what determines attitudes throughout this time and how these attitudes can change the application of shared reading between parents/teachers and children.
Wednesday, 1 November 2017
Peer review 1- Response
After the peer review today I have decided what I should change my research question to. It does not change the focus of my essay, it is more the question being brought back into line with where my research has taken me. I had already decided I needed to change the question but today helped me to clarify the direction of my work, what I need to refine and how my practical work relates to my essay.
Question
'What light does recent research throw on how children's emotional, intellectual and moral development is influenced by fictional children's books'
Question
'What light does recent research throw on how children's emotional, intellectual and moral development is influenced by fictional children's books'
Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Brief project Overview
I wanted to make this post to reassess the basis and direction of my essay. I feel like I have a clearer understanding now but would benefit from writing it down both to clarify it in my own mind and to be able to refer back to this post further into the project.
The basis of my project is children's fiction's influence on emotional and moral development.
This will include
- Looking at studies that investigate how children are influenced by fictional narratives
- What impact these narratives have on their real lives
- What the role of stories is in education ( development)
- How the role could change given recent studies findings
- How practitioners can make use of these findings
- Case studies of books match the findings of the studies
- Reactions to these books
- Conflicting theories, studies or opinions
The basis of my project is children's fiction's influence on emotional and moral development.
This will include
- Looking at studies that investigate how children are influenced by fictional narratives
- What impact these narratives have on their real lives
- What the role of stories is in education ( development)
- How the role could change given recent studies findings
- How practitioners can make use of these findings
- Case studies of books match the findings of the studies
- Reactions to these books
- Conflicting theories, studies or opinions
Modern Children's Fiction
Narratives of Love and Loss: Studies in Modern Children's Fiction
The second paragraph of this book looks at the titled 'Narnia: An Imaginary Land as Container of Moral and Emotional Adventure' talks about how the 'Chronicles of Narnia' uses an imaginary land and mythical creatures to reflect and embody the real emotions from the human characters and the moral choices from real life. Fiction is often used as escapism where the reader is transported to an new world, in this book the central characters escape the war by moving to the country then escape from their normal lives as they are transported to a new magical world. The reader is invited to accompany the characters on their journey of escapism, this method could help the reader to relate to the characters, feeling empathy with their situation.
The similarities between Lucy's emotions and the character of Mr Tumnus as well as his relationship with the queen explore Lucy's real life and how she feels at this point in time. The mythical characters are act as physical embodiments of human character traits, emotions and beliefs.
the book combines fictional mythical creatures and strange new worlds with dark realistic subject matter such as war and the loss/ separation from a loved one. the mythical creatures and scenarios act as a way fro the children to navigate complex emotions brought up by their circumstances. The character demonstrate complexity, for the most part they are not presented as essentially good or bad. They are battling emotions and make decisions based on these feelings. They make mistakes but are results of how they feel and what has happened to them. The interaction between the fantastical and realistic is interesting an poses some questions
Does using mythical creatures to embody emotions and moral lessons influence children's attitudes. Some of my research suggests that children do not learn moral lessons from creatures, only from characters that they see as human
If this is the case then does the inclusion of the children (who have similarities to the readers) make assimilation of the moral and emotional lessons more effective. If they actually see a character they relate to learning the lesson are the resulting attitude changes easier to predict.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9-6XnN4Df_8C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=ambiguity+in+children%27s+fiction&ots=2AF9FefB8P&sig=COY8JNR0wfYDCJ_D1M2vUEy95tU#v=onepage&q=ambiguity%20in%20children's%20fiction&f=false
Interim Evaluation
Looking back at my research I feel that I have made the wrong selection of studies to inform my work. The studies into children preferring fact based stories and the study that found children's imaginative play is a form of experimentation are clearly linked whereas the study about animals used in children's books seems to separate. I think it makes some interesting points about how our understanding of children's learning through fiction works and may be useful to refer to, however I don't think it fits as a focal point of my essay. In my research I found a study that looks into how our brains react when being told stories and why stories are a useful means to communicate information. I feel that this study I closely linked to the rest of my research and will help me to explore my essay question in more depth.
Thursday, 26 October 2017
reaction to tutorial feedback
I have got started with more practical development. The discussion raised some interesting ideas and I have decided to focus on one of the book ideas I have been working on. The story is a reworking of the 'Trials of Hercules' contrasting mythical and realistic narratives.
Things I want to concentrate on-
- Fiction acting as a starting point, leading to learning through imaginative play
- Using animals as animals in books rather than anthropomorphised characters
- Nuance and ambiguity
- The real world (not a perfect world)
- Learning through imagination ( child could think of ways to fantastic ways to complete the chores that lead to real world solutions)
Things I want to concentrate on-
- Fiction acting as a starting point, leading to learning through imaginative play
- Using animals as animals in books rather than anthropomorphised characters
- Nuance and ambiguity
- The real world (not a perfect world)
- Learning through imagination ( child could think of ways to fantastic ways to complete the chores that lead to real world solutions)
Sunday, 22 October 2017
Practical ideas
Cop practical ideas
monsters, metaphor, being shown for what they are
Realism, ambiguity
Sad stories
Stories to help deal with grief
Anthropomorphic animals still seen as animals
Open endings/ open to interpretation
Thought provoking
Narratives children can relate to/ ideas they can explore through play and conversation
Ideas
monsters, metaphor, being shown for what they are
Realism, ambiguity
Sad stories
Stories to help deal with grief
Anthropomorphic animals still seen as animals
Open endings/ open to interpretation
Thought provoking
Narratives children can relate to/ ideas they can explore through play and conversation
Ideas
Animals refusing to be made anthropomorphised, acting like animals when given human traits or clothing.
Trying to do act with the best intentions and being bad by accident.
Finding positives in bad situations.
Using humans as animal characters from classic children’s fiction
Children trying to intersect with real animals like anthropomorphised animals from fiction ( funny failed encounters)
Real life problems depicted in an educational and appropriate way in response to my research both last year and so far this year
Stories with no ending, even just a starting point to spark imagination then blank pages/ missing pages throughout the book,connect the dots.
Trying to do act with the best intentions and being bad by accident.
Finding positives in bad situations.
Using humans as animal characters from classic children’s fiction
Children trying to intersect with real animals like anthropomorphised animals from fiction ( funny failed encounters)
Real life problems depicted in an educational and appropriate way in response to my research both last year and so far this year
Stories with no ending, even just a starting point to spark imagination then blank pages/ missing pages throughout the book,connect the dots.
Interactions between flawed characters ( discovering their flaws, helping each other overcome them etc).
Depict real situations, not 'perfect' ones. Not judging the situation either way but leaving it open to interpretation.
* Update
I started out planning to write a book about animals refusing to be anthropomorphised, being dressed as human but acting like their true animal nature. This narrative was aimed to represent the way children's fiction attempts to use animals to teach moral lessens even through research suggests children do not learn moral lessons from them. Essentially in these books we are trying to force the animal characters to be something they are not and to do something they cannot achieve. I planned to depict animals in human situations but refusing to live up to their anthropomorphised nature, the narrative would have included humour but also realism and consequences. I ended up removing the study about animals in children's fiction as it was too specifically based on the animals ability to aid moral development and not the question of whether children's fiction itself was capable of achieving this. When included in the essay it looked as if I had made the assumption that fiction could and moved on from my essay question. At this point I had to find a new way to explore the theories and research through practical work.
* Update
I started out planning to write a book about animals refusing to be anthropomorphised, being dressed as human but acting like their true animal nature. This narrative was aimed to represent the way children's fiction attempts to use animals to teach moral lessens even through research suggests children do not learn moral lessons from them. Essentially in these books we are trying to force the animal characters to be something they are not and to do something they cannot achieve. I planned to depict animals in human situations but refusing to live up to their anthropomorphised nature, the narrative would have included humour but also realism and consequences. I ended up removing the study about animals in children's fiction as it was too specifically based on the animals ability to aid moral development and not the question of whether children's fiction itself was capable of achieving this. When included in the essay it looked as if I had made the assumption that fiction could and moved on from my essay question. At this point I had to find a new way to explore the theories and research through practical work.
Thursday, 19 October 2017
Thursday, 12 October 2017
storytelling theory, problems, indoctrination
https://narrativefirst.com/articles/the-science-of-storytelling
http://dramatica.com/theory/book/the-art-of-storytelling
http://www.uta.fi/yky/yhteystiedot/henkilokunta/mattikhyvarinen/index/Chapter%2026.pdf
Interesting theories about the structure of storytelling and how sections of the story can be simplified down into functional elements.
https://news.avclub.com/dan-harmon-s-universal-theory-of-storytelling-gets-an-a-1798254870
Mono-myth- simplified theory that works as a structure ‘for all stories’
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/enhancement/starter-tools/learning-through-storytelling
Article talking about how storytelling is becoming more respected and implemented as a tool in education. Contains references to some studies in to storytelling that could be useful
https://www.forbes.com/sites/giovannirodriguez/2017/07/30/eleven-things-you-should-know-about-storytelling-humanitys-greatest-but-most-dangerous-tool/#1950b4a73e14
An article from Forbes highlighting dangers involved with storytelling, most useful for my project Are the sections on stories being truth neutral (we tend to ignore information that goes against our beliefs and stories can be intentionally used to obscure facts) and the section titled ‘The Big Return’ which talks about tribal storytelling being interactive.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XIaloNelSRYC&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97&dq=storytelling+indoctrination&source=bl&ots=92-5M_os9q&sig=Sy9fbkHafRe8LfiQPZoYZoZ2f8A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXpKWw8OrWAhVKKsAKHZwoCGYQ6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q=storytelling%20indoctrination&f=false
I found a chapter in this book that explores how stories were used in China to indoctrinate people, I want to look at what kind of stories were used to compare them with open and ambiguous stories.
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/storytelling_and_the_dangers_of_disbelief
This article talks about the dangers of the ‘hero’s journey’ being used in stories and the use of simplified, sensationalised tails.
The author calls for “Authentic stories about our lives and lives similar to ours help us assess and understand what has worked, what has continued to work, and what we can improve.”
The author also talks about the danger of us becoming more and more sceptical about stories that aren’t presented as epic hero victories, not taking into account the nuance and imperfections of the people and the situation involved.
“Perversely, battling that complexity can leave us too tired to effectively communicate. As a shortcut, people often say things that they think others want to hear. We eagerly and easily consume stories that fit well-known patterns, with familiar villains and heroes. But making assumptions in comprehension can shortchange real understanding.”
http://dramatica.com/theory/book/the-art-of-storytelling
http://www.uta.fi/yky/yhteystiedot/henkilokunta/mattikhyvarinen/index/Chapter%2026.pdf
Interesting theories about the structure of storytelling and how sections of the story can be simplified down into functional elements.
https://news.avclub.com/dan-harmon-s-universal-theory-of-storytelling-gets-an-a-1798254870
Mono-myth- simplified theory that works as a structure ‘for all stories’
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/enhancement/starter-tools/learning-through-storytelling
Article talking about how storytelling is becoming more respected and implemented as a tool in education. Contains references to some studies in to storytelling that could be useful
https://www.forbes.com/sites/giovannirodriguez/2017/07/30/eleven-things-you-should-know-about-storytelling-humanitys-greatest-but-most-dangerous-tool/#1950b4a73e14
An article from Forbes highlighting dangers involved with storytelling, most useful for my project Are the sections on stories being truth neutral (we tend to ignore information that goes against our beliefs and stories can be intentionally used to obscure facts) and the section titled ‘The Big Return’ which talks about tribal storytelling being interactive.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XIaloNelSRYC&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97&dq=storytelling+indoctrination&source=bl&ots=92-5M_os9q&sig=Sy9fbkHafRe8LfiQPZoYZoZ2f8A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXpKWw8OrWAhVKKsAKHZwoCGYQ6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q=storytelling%20indoctrination&f=false
I found a chapter in this book that explores how stories were used in China to indoctrinate people, I want to look at what kind of stories were used to compare them with open and ambiguous stories.
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/storytelling_and_the_dangers_of_disbelief
This article talks about the dangers of the ‘hero’s journey’ being used in stories and the use of simplified, sensationalised tails.
The author calls for “Authentic stories about our lives and lives similar to ours help us assess and understand what has worked, what has continued to work, and what we can improve.”
The author also talks about the danger of us becoming more and more sceptical about stories that aren’t presented as epic hero victories, not taking into account the nuance and imperfections of the people and the situation involved.
“Perversely, battling that complexity can leave us too tired to effectively communicate. As a shortcut, people often say things that they think others want to hear. We eagerly and easily consume stories that fit well-known patterns, with familiar villains and heroes. But making assumptions in comprehension can shortchange real understanding.”
Individual tutorial feedback
Cop3 – progress. Date 10/10/17
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Joe Wharton
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Tutor Action
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Promoting morality through children’s fiction
How do children’s books promote morality and what implications does it have for illustrators and author’s?
Research – children tend to prefer reality presented through a story –
Adults tend to prefer fantasy
Paul Bloom
Presenting the raw data – understanding the relationship between imagery
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Student Action
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Thinking about a context for the question?
Ambiguity – as a way present ideas to children – stimulate thought and play
The Giving Tree
Questionnaire about the giving tree
Zen – maxim – allegory – fable
Presenting children with abstract ideas – story telling
Practical thoughts?
Children’s books – monster as metaphor
What do children relate to as a starting point – making sense of the world – starting point in reality
Ambiguity prevents an indoctrination – through promotion of independent thought. Political dimension education – children’s minds.
Some of the books are time specific time specific 1960s – new values
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To do:
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Research on story telling – structure and nature
Goodnight Moon
The phantom Tollbooth
Magic realism
Defining the terms you are dealing with – morality?
Putting morality stories into context with the study – examples?
Choosing some that fit your needs for the case study?
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Thursday, 5 October 2017
Rough Essay Plan
Introduction
Essay Question
Outline methodology
Possibly communicate own position and relate to research
Main body 1 (context and themes)
Demonstrate research
Studies ( factual reading, animals in fiction, stories used in healthcare, how our brains react to stories, Fiction as a starting point, encouraging play and conversation )
Practitioner and theorist interviews ( negative emotions, Anne Fine, Michael Rosen, soviet era factual)
Triangulate between the relevant theories and explain relevance to the research question
"Try to use a mixture of paraphrasing, author/date citations, and short and long quotes."
end with a small conclusion/link to the next chapter
Main body 2 (case studies)
Examples of realistic children's books ( the sad book, the giving tree, contrast between contemporary and classical examples) (around 3 examples)
Link the books to theories outlined in the previous section
Find examples that cover as wider range of the subject as possible ( positive and negative)
Could include book reviews in this section
Demonstrate ability to select, describe and analyse
End with small conclusion/link
Main body 3 (reflective practice)
Analysis of practical work and links to theory and research
Methodology, planning, materials, context.
Demonstrate reflective skills
Explain the relationship between the two ( is the practical work a reaction to the theories or an example of them.)
Does the practical work explain the question
Does it attempt to make use of the outcome of the research
What does it agree/disagree with
How has the practical work furthered knowledge/understanding of the subject
Conclusion
Should not contain any new information
Demonstrate how far you have been able to answer the research question
Explain the relevance and impact of the findings
Findings impact on-
children's fiction
education
Reading in the family unit
storytelling
communication of moral values
Practical work
I have a bit over 3 moths to complete this project so would like to layout a simple plan at this point. I would like to split my practical work into 3 sections which will give me a month to work on each with around 2 weeks left over if I encounter any problems.
Month 1
Research an idea generation
Look at books with similar subjects
Look at more studies about how we are influenced by children's fiction
Research materials and processes involved in boom publishing
* Make sure to keep open minded allowing research to inform practical work and vice versa
Month 2
Roughing
Storyboarding
Problem solving
Month 3
Work on final designs
Book layout
I need to decide if I will be able to produce an entire book in the time I have for this project, I may have to limit the outcome to a set of pages that form an overview of the book that could be used to pitch the book to a publisher or a storyboard of the entire book to communicate the findings of my research.
Small Group Presentations
This was the feedback from my presentation, the things that stand out as important for me are:
- Find Contrasting views/perspectives.
- The culture of reading in family units.
- Look at contemporary and classical examples e.g. Aesop's Fables
- Portrayals of morality in children's books
- Applications.. education and healthcare.
- Methodology, how I will create work based on the subject.. materials, processes etc
possible questions
Morality in children's fiction and how it influences our moral views
How can we promote morality through children's fiction?
How do children's stories influence our moral values and beliefs?
How do children's books communicate moral values and what are the implications for authors/illustrators?
What light does recent research throw on how children's books communicate moral values and what implications does this have for authors/illustrators?
How do children's books communicate moral values and what are the implications for authors/illustrators?
What light does recent research throw on how children's books communicate moral values and what implications does this have for authors/illustrators?
Wednesday, 4 October 2017
Monday, 25 September 2017
monsters and morals
This article talks about monsters in fiction, how they are used as a symbol of human vulnerability and negative moral views, actions or feelings. The author argues that these monster stories can prepare us for the challenges we may face in our lives, whether that be externally or battles with ourselves.
Sunday, 24 September 2017
Sad book
This book written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake deals with the grief of losing a loved one. Rosen said that the idea for the book came about when he discussed the death of his son with a group of children when they spoke to him about it in a very "matter-of-fact" way. The book talks about grief and pretending to be happy when you're sad. The text and illustrations often portray contrasting narratives to communicate complex emotions, something that takes great understanding and communication between the writer and illustrator. Reviews from The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph point our some interesting reactions that tie into previous research I have carried out.
The Guardian said "Sad Book doesn't hide the darkness. It doesn't try to pretend that suffering and sadness are easy to bear. But it does at least show that it's okay to feel bad sometimes."
The Daily Telegraph questioned whether the book was appropriate for children which is the main problem faced by writers and illustrators of these kinds of books. interestingly they go onto to say that they think parents should use the book as a stimulus for discussion and would need to explain some of the ideas in the book to their children.
The Giving Tree
'The giving tree' by Shel Silverstein is an example of a book with an ambiguous story that can be interpreted in vastly different ways. The book has a lot of recognition and praise but has also been described as the most divisive book in children's literature. The book can been seen as depicting a positive relationship between the boy and the tree with the tree giving selflessly to the boy.
The book could be seen as a abusive relationship or a relationship between parent and child.
The book could be seen as a abusive relationship or a relationship between parent and child.
Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Recap
this post is to looks at my research so far and pick out the information that will be useful going forward and to link it to my chosen subject. This process should help me to narrow down my chosen area of research and get closer to my essay question. the more I look back at my research I am being drawn towards children's books that have deal with gritty and realistic subject matter. there have been a number of recent studies suggesting traditional children's books don't have the influence we think they do. I looked at an article suggesting that by not including negative emotions and reactions in children's books we stop them from understanding and dealing with them in a healthy way. We all feel anger and jealousy at some point but by leaving them out of children's education we can make them feel like they are the only ones feeling that way leading to shame, secretiveness and insecurity.
http://ierg.ca/about-us/some-ideas-foundational-to-our-work/fantasy-and-reality-in-childrens-stories/
Another article I looked at pointed a recent study that suggests children a drawn more towards factual reading than adults. That when they are being told stories by an figure of authority they are trying do discover ne information to inform their learning and they use their imagination through play to make sense of the information they have gathered.
"If stories are a form of input, imagination and pretence may be mechanisms for elaboration and assimilation."
This could feed into stories with more complex realistic subjects and ambiguous endings, these stories can act as the start of a process not the end. If these findings are correct we should use stories to trigger a thought process and ask questions more than dictate answers. This could encourage children to develop awareness of themselves and an understanding of real world scenarios.
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/10/19/449865847/children-want-factual-stories-versus-fantasy-more-often-than-adults
this next article talks about the opinions of Anne Fine. Anne Fine is a writer that is best known fro her children's books. This is a different perspective on more realistic and ambiguous stories as she feels they offer little hope for the protagonist. She feels that realism may have gone too far and that we should be helping them to develop their aspirations. I don't think her opinion fully takes into account recent findings but it does give some good reasons for exercising caution with when dealing with realistic darker subject matter. I these subjects are not dealt with very carefully or if a child's education becomes saturated with troubling facts about the world it could have negative effects. Dealing with these subjects in a appropriate and beneficial way must be done with a great deal of skill or understanding.
http://www.jackiekemp.scot/index.php/poems/49-articles/arts/152-anne-fine-deplores-gritty-realism-of-modern-childrens-books
this next article talks the about the problems with or even the inability of fiction to influence moral codes successfully or at least in a predictable way. The article talks about fiction being a seed that may grow into something more or may not, that we cannot control how the information is received or how it is interpreted. Again this seems to back up the idea of using children's fiction as a starting point, a spark that can be moulded and deciphered through play and imagination. We may not have as much control over our message as we would like but that does not mean we cannot make work that encourages children to address important subjects and develop their own individual understanding.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/08/moral-fiction/304128/
I have found a few articles that talk about the role of illustrations in children's books, this varies from illustrator, some are just simply reiterating the words of the text but others add context and emotion the narrative through landscape and character. Some can even tell a story that seems entirely separate from the text, the two combining to complete the narrative. I have read interviews with illustrators that stress the importance of drawing what isn't there not what is. In this way illustrators can influence the messages within the story through things as simple as facial expressions, to do this the illustrator needs to have an in depth understanding of the meaning of the narrative and what it is trying to say.
http://ierg.ca/about-us/some-ideas-foundational-to-our-work/fantasy-and-reality-in-childrens-stories/
Another article I looked at pointed a recent study that suggests children a drawn more towards factual reading than adults. That when they are being told stories by an figure of authority they are trying do discover ne information to inform their learning and they use their imagination through play to make sense of the information they have gathered.
"If stories are a form of input, imagination and pretence may be mechanisms for elaboration and assimilation."
This could feed into stories with more complex realistic subjects and ambiguous endings, these stories can act as the start of a process not the end. If these findings are correct we should use stories to trigger a thought process and ask questions more than dictate answers. This could encourage children to develop awareness of themselves and an understanding of real world scenarios.
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/10/19/449865847/children-want-factual-stories-versus-fantasy-more-often-than-adults
this next article talks about the opinions of Anne Fine. Anne Fine is a writer that is best known fro her children's books. This is a different perspective on more realistic and ambiguous stories as she feels they offer little hope for the protagonist. She feels that realism may have gone too far and that we should be helping them to develop their aspirations. I don't think her opinion fully takes into account recent findings but it does give some good reasons for exercising caution with when dealing with realistic darker subject matter. I these subjects are not dealt with very carefully or if a child's education becomes saturated with troubling facts about the world it could have negative effects. Dealing with these subjects in a appropriate and beneficial way must be done with a great deal of skill or understanding.
http://www.jackiekemp.scot/index.php/poems/49-articles/arts/152-anne-fine-deplores-gritty-realism-of-modern-childrens-books
this next article talks the about the problems with or even the inability of fiction to influence moral codes successfully or at least in a predictable way. The article talks about fiction being a seed that may grow into something more or may not, that we cannot control how the information is received or how it is interpreted. Again this seems to back up the idea of using children's fiction as a starting point, a spark that can be moulded and deciphered through play and imagination. We may not have as much control over our message as we would like but that does not mean we cannot make work that encourages children to address important subjects and develop their own individual understanding.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/08/moral-fiction/304128/
I have found a few articles that talk about the role of illustrations in children's books, this varies from illustrator, some are just simply reiterating the words of the text but others add context and emotion the narrative through landscape and character. Some can even tell a story that seems entirely separate from the text, the two combining to complete the narrative. I have read interviews with illustrators that stress the importance of drawing what isn't there not what is. In this way illustrators can influence the messages within the story through things as simple as facial expressions, to do this the illustrator needs to have an in depth understanding of the meaning of the narrative and what it is trying to say.
Monday, 11 September 2017
animals in fiction
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/01/only-childrens-books-with-humans-have-moral-impact-study-finds
These articles look at studies showing that the use of animals to promote moral values does not work as well as using humans. If the reader sees the character as an animal they are unlikely to learn moral values, even anthropomorphised animals are seen as more animal than human by the majority of children reading the books.
These articles look at studies showing that the use of animals to promote moral values does not work as well as using humans. If the reader sees the character as an animal they are unlikely to learn moral values, even anthropomorphised animals are seen as more animal than human by the majority of children reading the books.
Questions?
Is it possible to successfully write and illustrate children's fiction without falling into the pitfalls highlighted in recent studies such as the 'just world fallacy'?
Is it possible to write and illustrate children's fiction that presents a balanced and accurate world view that is appropriate for the age group and achieves its goals?
Can we know that our illustrations are received and interpreted the way we intended? Should our illustrations aim to be definitive or should the act as a catalyst for individual personal development?
dilemma
All of my research so far falls into two distinct categories. One is based on how fiction influences our beliefs and has impacted on society. I have really enjoyed researching this subject but have had trouble finding studies related directly to illustration. I would like to illustrate children's books so fiction and narratives are very much related to my practice but I would like to research a subject that can inform my illustrations rather than the subjects I base my work on. The other side of my research has been based on how illustrations or images in general influence us, why they are useful and how they can be used. So far my problem with this has been that the majority of studies and professionals writing about this have been concentrating on graphic design and marketing. I have just bought a book that could be very useful as a way to bridge the gap between these two areas of research (Visualisation in Popular Fiction 1860-1960). I am hoping that this book can provide me with new avenues of research that connect illustration and narrative and what can be achieved by using the two together effectively.
Thursday, 24 August 2017
How our brains react to stories
" "Some scientists have contended that figures of speech like "a rough day" are so familiar that they are treated simply as words and no more."This means, that the frontal cortex—the area of your brain responsible to experience emotions—can't be activated with these phrases. It's something that might be worth remembering when crafting your next story. "
Sunday, 6 August 2017
Fictions Influence
An article about how an authors world view influences their work. The article also talks about how an author should show things to their audience rather than tell them. The example given is not to tell the audience a character is bored but to describe their actions, posture and expression.
The author of this article talks about the importance of not preaching your own world view but warns that through your writing your world view will inevitably come out in some capacity. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, stories tend to have a point to them or some kind of lesson that is learnt it is possible to misuse these kinds of stories to indoctrinate. This is related to some other research suggesting that the use of ambiguity prevents indoctrination by having no clearly defined outcome. The reader is encouraged to draw their own conclusions reacting to the narrative with their knowledge from their own experiences.
The point about showing rather than telling is a useful lesson for my practice but doesn't really fit my essay. The second point gives another perspective on the use of ambiguity and why i could not only be useful to stimulate a thought process but also to remove the authors specific world view from the narrative.
The author of this article talks about the importance of not preaching your own world view but warns that through your writing your world view will inevitably come out in some capacity. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, stories tend to have a point to them or some kind of lesson that is learnt it is possible to misuse these kinds of stories to indoctrinate. This is related to some other research suggesting that the use of ambiguity prevents indoctrination by having no clearly defined outcome. The reader is encouraged to draw their own conclusions reacting to the narrative with their knowledge from their own experiences.
The point about showing rather than telling is a useful lesson for my practice but doesn't really fit my essay. The second point gives another perspective on the use of ambiguity and why i could not only be useful to stimulate a thought process but also to remove the authors specific world view from the narrative.
"Research on the real-life benefits of fiction isn't new. In 2013, researchers showed that reading fiction could help boost people's theory of mind. Several months later, a study came out suggesting that couples could use movies as discussion points to better understand their own problems."
This article is interesting but more focussed on adults, I have found a number of studies that are focussed on the influence fiction can have on childrens attitudes and intellectual and emotional development. I don't think this study offer anything new to add to the essay and is not specific enough to my chosen subject. I need to make sure I make the best use of research selection in my essay to keep it concise and focussed. My research needs to be separated into core theories that form the core of the essay and supporting evidence related to theories or that give context to theorists opinions and perspectives.
Saturday, 5 August 2017
Myths and morals
I found lists of fairytales and myths that have moral meanings and life lessons central to their narrative. I would like to create a book where a child meets the characters and mythical creature and questions them about their purpose, forcing them to admit their true nature. One of the links is to an article from a catholic education website that tackles the idea of morals in fairytales and their importance for encouraging moral behaviour.
Morals in fiction
In this article Mary Gordon argues against fiction being able to influence moral codes. She talks about authors not having the control of knowing how their work will be received or what kind of lasting impression it will leave on the reader. As the subtitle says her argument is that fiction can present us with moral complexity not moral certainty.
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Links
This article the benefits of fantasy stories for children and tackles the negative view of fantasy fiction. The author of the article quotes a variety of practitioners and theorists that discuss varying view points of the relationship between fantasy and reality in this context. I would like to look more at the work of these researchers.
Factual Learning
An article about a study suggesting children chose factual stories over fiction more often that adults. The authors of the study suggest that when children are being told stories by older children and adults they are learning new things about the world from a source with greater knowledge and the stories are a form of research about the world they live in.
healthcare
Some interesting ideas about how illustrated narratives can be used within healthcare to tell the stories of everyone involved, from patients and family members to health care professionals. These stories have been found to be have positive effects both physically and mentally. This research highlights the benefits of using illustrated narratives to communicate stories to help people understand a situation from different perspectives. The researchers found that the narratives were more beneficial than using simply communicating raw data. This is an interesting practical use for illustrated narratives that goes beyond educational benefits
Friday, 28 July 2017
Thursday, 27 July 2017
fantasy vs reality
I found this essay about the pro's and con's of fantasy and reality in children's stories. There are a lot of theories from a wide range of sources. A lot of the theories contradict one another arguing the benefits of each method of educating children through stories.
Wednesday, 26 July 2017
Sunday, 23 July 2017
Anne Fine
Anne fine sees modern gritty children's books as having abandoned the hopeful messages of fifties books. The article puts forward contrasting points of view and gives examples of stories and authors I need to research more. Authors that talk about a balance and the use of open endings to keep meanings ambiguous.
Could the use of ambiguity help authors and illustrators to demonstrate the complexities of the world we live in? To allow the reader to develop their own opinions and illustrate how the choices we make are not always clear cut in terms of good and bad. This could lead to problems of stories having no real message at all or being interpreted in negative ways that are not intended. is there a way to show that people are not perfect but that they can have good intentions that don't always work out?
Could the use of ambiguity help authors and illustrators to demonstrate the complexities of the world we live in? To allow the reader to develop their own opinions and illustrate how the choices we make are not always clear cut in terms of good and bad. This could lead to problems of stories having no real message at all or being interpreted in negative ways that are not intended. is there a way to show that people are not perfect but that they can have good intentions that don't always work out?
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