Teaching Children’s Literature: An Overview

This article is an overview of the study of children’s literature from an international perspective. The study of writing for children can reveal much about a culture since the constructs of culture, national identity and values are embedded in writing for children, no matter where it originates. The stories we tell and how they are told formulate and shape the reader whether the authorial intention is to imbibe or critique a particular perspective. The study of children’s literature deconstructs the text and reconstructs an argument bringing a deeper understanding of cultures societies and wider concerns. The child is the future of any nation, culture or society; what they read when young shapes the next generation both nationally and internationally.