PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Over the past decades, children’s literature has been subject to significant development, both as a sociocultural and an educational medium. However, this development may not have fully reached its target audience yet. Children’s books are primarily being used for the enculturation of the younger readership, even though the definition of children’s literature has grown to address a wider audience – from very young children, to teenagers, to even adults (cf. Hunt 2001). This overlooking of more advanced audiences becomes more puzzling when one considers that children’s literature has a long tradition in negotiating political upheaval and societal change. As Botelho and Rudman opine, children’s literature often becomes “a door to engage children in social practices” that (de‑ and re‑)construct modern sociocultural ideas and sociopolitical awareness (2009: 1). Picturebooks, in particular when considered from a strong “analytical and meta‑perspective” (Alter 2017: 84), can be a suitable medium for advanced learners because their multidimensional gestalt allows for space for thought, questioning and reflection. This article will explore the ways in which a university seminar in Canada uses picturebooks – in particular, The Composition by Antonio Skármeta (2003) – to negotiate social justice topics such as class and race with high school student teachers. Moreover, it will focus on the practical and critical literacy-centered steps and methods taken and used in the classroom, in order to underline the importance of using picturebooks with advanced learners to promote social justice.