What do they want us to believe about the world? What kinds of behavior does the book present at normal?

Other by Geoffrey

Analysis of a Children’s Book

100 points – 25% of overall grade

General Guidelines

 

Select one children’s book, which is developmentally appropriate for children ages three to six years. You will analyze the text’s cultural relevance, as well as it’s developmental fit based upon four early childhood developmental characteristics.

Original guidelines required you to link to 4 developmental characteristics. Revised guidelines only require you to link to 2 developmental characteristics.  They may be from two different developmental domains (physical, cognitive or psychosocial), or from within the same developmental domain (i.e. both from the cognitive domain).

Your essay will be about 4.5 to 6 pages in length (including title page and reference page) and will be comprised of the following sections:

Required Sections

 

Title Page

Include a color of the children’s book, a title, your name, school, course number, term

Introduction

1/2 – 2/3 page.

Briefly describe the book (title, number of pages, content, illustrations, font size, language – examples of vocabulary and average length of sentences, etc.). Explicitly discuss how the book is meant for preschoolers, providing specific examples of the above-mentioned aspects.

Critical Analysis of Diversity

¾ – 1¼ pages.

If you have selected a book that centers characters from non-marginalized backgrounds, address each of the following questions.

  • Who authored & illustrated this? (this will require you to research the author/illustrator)
  • What do they want us to believe about the world? What kinds of behavior does the book present at normal?
  • What assumptions does the book make about age, gender, race, class, sexuality, disability status and culture (including the age, gender, race, class, sexuality, disability status and culture of the reader)?
  • Whose voice(s) is missing or minoritized AND what might the story be like from that missing perspective?

If you have selected a book that centers characters from historically marginalized backgrounds (race, sexuality, disability status, etc.) address each of the following questions

  • Who authored & illustrated this? (this will require you to research the author/illustrator)
  • What do they want us to believe about the world? What kinds of behavior does the book present at normal?
  • How might this story differ if told from the dominant (non-marginalized) perspective?
  • Whose voice(s) might still be missing or minoritized AND what might the story be like from that missing perspective?

Feeling stuck or intimidated by his section? You might find this Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books helpful.