Research boundaries

Continuing with my research for my dissertation for Ba (Hons) Illustration l am now looking in more detail at possible sources l can use which are relevant to my studies and focussing on key words and phrases so l don't go off track.  I am finding that there is substantial information out there in terms of academic sources as well as many wordless picture book examples which l can use as examples in my essay.

I am interested in finding out to what extent and in what ways people can benefit educationally and emotionally from ‘reading’ wordless picture books.

I already know that wordless picture books are a useful reseaource in crossing language barriers and can thus be used by people from all backgrounds in a variety of settings.  Many wordless picture books also tackle issues which are sensitive or ‘difficult’ and also allow the reader to create the story themselves and apply it in a way which is personal to them.  They are also useful for developing the imagination, especially in children as well as their understanding of how to read a book in the physical sense (e.g. left to right, top to bottom, in our culture).  I have sourced a number of wordless picture books and will be looking at these in my research to use as examples to back up references from academic sources.

The aims of my research are to provide me with a broad academic overview of the ways in which wordless picture books can be used to enhance people’s lives and experiences as well as developing emotional and learning skills.

The main elements l find interesting about this topic are: the theme is directly related to the genre of illustration which l plan to work in; that is the genre of wordless picture books.  It also has a lot of scope to explore difficult and sensitive issues which are of great interest to me.  l would like to inject personal experience and emotional understanding into my work so that others can relate to it on a deeper level and thus empathise / sympathise with the main characters who will be the underdog / scapegoat / the outsider.  I want to give to protagonist the voice he / she has never had and for the reader to see that being different, for example, is not a bad thing.

Key words (and variations):

Wordless [picture books] (no text, picture book, wordless graphic novel)

Emotion (empathy, sympathy, feelings, psychological, psycho-analytical)

Education (learning, tuition, instruction, development, literacy)

Development (growth, progress, expansion)

Additional research interests:

Cross-cultural, linguistic, cross-generational, sensitive themes, psychological development

Possible academic sources l can use in my investigation for this essay:

Arizpe, E., 2014, Wordless picturebooks: critical and educational perspectives on meaning-making [online article] Available at: http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/76005/1/76005.pdf [Accessed 04 July 2016]

Evans, J., 1998, What’s in the Picture?  Responding to illustrations in Picture books.  London:  Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.

Louie, B., & Siershinski, J., Enhancing English Learners' Language Development Using Wordless Picture Books, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 69, issue 1, July / August 2015, pp 103-111.

Lysaker, J., & Hopper, G., 2015, A Kindergartner's Emergent Strategy Use During Wordless Picture Book Reading, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 68, pages 649–657.

Nikolajeva, M., 2013, Picturebooks and Emotional Literacy, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 67, Issue 4, December 2013 / January 2014, pp. 249-254.

Richey, V.H., & Puckett, K.E., 1992, Wordless/almost wordless picture books: A guide. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

Salisbury, M. & Styles, M., 2012, Children’s Picturebooks:  The Art of Visual Storytelling.  London:  Lawrence King Publishing.

Serafini, F., 2014, Exploring Wordless Picture Books, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 68, Issue 1, September 2014, pp. 24-26.

Osbourne Williams, D., 1994, Every Picture Tells a Story:  The Magic of Wordless Books, School Library Journal, Vol: 40, Issue 8, August 1994, p. 38.

Possible wordless picture book examples for reference:

Baker, J, 2010, Mirror, London:  Walker Books.

Briggs, R., 2013, The Snowman, London: Puffin Books.

Camcam, P., 2014, Fox’s Garden, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

Cole, H., 2012, Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad, NY: Scholastic Press.

Frazee, M., 2014, The farmer and the Clown, NY: Beach Lane Books.

Garoche, C., 2015, The Snow Rabbit, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

Kim, P., & Sanchez, S., 2014, Here l am, London: Curious Fox.

Lawson, J, Smith, S., 2016, Footpath Flowers, London:  Walker Books.

Lehman, B., 2007, Rainstorm, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Pinkney, J., 2011, The Lion and the Mouse, London: Walker Books Ltd.

Tan, S., 2014, The Arrival, Sydney:  Lothian Books.

Villa, A, 2013, Flood, London:  Curious Fox.

Weisner, D., 1988, Free Fall, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.