Maps in Children’s Books: From Playworld and Childhood Geography to Comic Fantasy and Picturebook Art

• Authors: Sundmark Björn

Abstracts

EN

This article is concerned with maps in children’s books. It is noted that maps are more common in children’s books than in books for adults, and that maps are common across different children’s literature genres. They are, moreover, directed at both preliterate children and adolescents. In the article, the argument is made that there seems to be a greater readiness in children’s literature to combine verbal and visual elements. After all, the child’s experience of picturebooks and illustrated books, make the inclusion of maps quite unobtrusive and natural, whereas in a book for adults, a map is a distinctive generic marker (fantasy or travel book). The article goes on to specifically analyze how humorous and playful maps are used in children’s books – a mode of mapping largely missing in adult literature. A number of examples are marshalled and analyzed. It is shown that some maps produce comedy in the low-mimetic mode, others may be highly abstract but at the same time aesthetically pleasing. Some maps also clearly make use of parody and satire in their use of maps. And while fantasy maps for adults tend to promote verisimilitude and suspension of disbelief, fantasy maps in children’s books are often intentionally incredible and unrealistic.

Keywords

EN

Maps in children’s books; cartography; playworld; comic fantasy; childhood geography; Captain Bluebear; Walter Moers; Winnie-the-Pooh; Sara Fanelli

• Publisher: Oficyna Wydawnicza ATUT – Wrocławskie Wydawnictwo Oświatowe
• Journal: Filoteknos
• Year: 2019
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 123–137

Contributors

author

Sundmark Björn

• Malmö University

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