Are Children Gaining a Sense of Place from Canadian Historical Picture Books?

  • Marilynne V. Black University of British Columbia
  • Ronald Jobe University of British Columbia

Abstract

How do Canadian children come to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of Canada and of their Canadian-ness in the books they read? Young people must see themselves reflected in what they read and view so as to develop a sense of identity. Familiar emotions, activities, families, and surroundings are sensed through the depiction of the characters and story settings. To evolve a national identity, youngsters need to develop a sense of place, a feeling of 'This is where I belong'. It is crucial, therefore, that they see their communities, regions and country reflected accurately and authentically in literature. This study observes that many recent Canadian children's books lacked specific geographic content and place names. It suggests that only by increasing the number of cultural markers that Canadian children will be able to better identify their national landscapes and develop a sense of belonging to that landscape.

Author Biographies

Marilynne V. Black, University of British Columbia
Marilynne Black was a teacher librarian for 25 years. Upon retirement she enrolled in the Master of Art in Children's Literature program at UBC. Her graduating thesis was Canadian Historical Picture Books as Purveyors of Canadian History and Identity.
Ronald Jobe, University of British Columbia
Dr. Ronald Jobe is a professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education in the Faculty of Education at UBC. He is a former president of the International Board on Books for Young People and is the founder of Canada's Children's Literature Roundtables.
Published
2007-12-11
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 3 (2005)
Section
Picture Window
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