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Lecture 4 Patrons of Children's Literature

The lecture discusses the various patrons of children's literature, including authors, illustrators, editors, booksellers, teachers, parents, and librarians, highlighting their roles in selecting and influencing children's books. It emphasizes the importance of understanding children's perspectives and the need for quality storytelling, appropriate content, and engaging illustrations. Additionally, it outlines criteria for evaluating children's literature, such as plot, characterization, style, and format.

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5 views4 pages

Lecture 4 Patrons of Children's Literature

The lecture discusses the various patrons of children's literature, including authors, illustrators, editors, booksellers, teachers, parents, and librarians, highlighting their roles in selecting and influencing children's books. It emphasizes the importance of understanding children's perspectives and the need for quality storytelling, appropriate content, and engaging illustrations. Additionally, it outlines criteria for evaluating children's literature, such as plot, characterization, style, and format.

Uploaded by

gaddemmit02
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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LECTURE 4

PATRONS OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

By the end of the lecture, the learner should be able to


i) State the patrons of children’s literature
ii) Discuss the influence of patrons on children’s literature
iii) Discuss the role of patrons as selectors of books for their children

Introduction: Patrons of children's literature refer to the people who are


involved in selecting, writing and publishing children's books. They include:
- the Author
- the Publisher /Editor
- the Illustrator (Artist)
- Book sellers
- the Teacher
- the Parent
- the Librarian
(a) The Author
- How does the author come to write for the child? The author belongs to the
society and so draws values from that society. He/she tries to pass these
values to the child. The interest of the author is to pass on these values in an
interesting way.
- Some do it rather well; others badly. Even though the author's interest is
important, it doesn't matter unless he does it convincingly for the child.
- The author should be able to bring himself/herself to the level of the child
and try to relive his childhood memories. He should try to see things from the
child's point of view.

- A good author has the experience, the interest, but he must also have the
imagination and skill.

(b) The Artist (Illustrator)


- Like the author, he belongs to the society and bases his/his work on his/her
experiences (or the children's).
- Some artists are good in colour while others are good in landscape.
- The artist should be one who is able to handle the author's material skillfully
(research on the role of illustrations in children's books).
- The illustrations should be pertinent to the message.

(c)The Editor
-He/her is also part and parcel of the society. However, his/her aim is whether
the book will be bought or not. He/her is guided by the prevailing social
interests. -This should not however be the criteria because the moment the
issues get out of interest, the book is ignored.
The book should be one that will be useful even many years to come.

-Some of the editors do not have the experience - their work should be more
than merely checking on the spellings. They should be able to decide on the
suitability
of the material for children.

(d) Book Sellers


- Some book sellers do not know how to interact with children.

- Some have the books displayed too high for the children. They have forgotten
having been children.

(c) The Teacher


- He/she encourages children on what to read. He/she tries to create interest in
the child reader.

(f) The Parent


- Many do not know what the child needs.
- Most of them expect children to read only material from class texts.

- Since they want their children to develop in certain aspects, they look for books
they consider 'serious' and impart only the values they want for their children.

- A story, though interesting, should be read under favourable conditions. The


child should be comfortable. A child may prefer reading her book in a sofa,
lying down, under a tree, etc. There is no point restricting him/her.

Summary
Some Reminders on Choosing Books for Children (Cass, 1967: 81-84)

(i) Plot
- Does the book tell a good story?
- Is it one that is possible to believe in at either the imaginative or
reality level?
- Is there action and suspense, however simple?
- Is it plausible and credible without relying on coincidence and
contrivance?
ii)Content and Theme
- Is the story appropriate for the age and stage of development for
which it has been written?
- Is the story worth telling?
- Does it avoid moralizing and yet help to give children a sense of
values and purpose?
- Do truth and justice prevail?
(ii) Characterization
- Are characters real and convincing?
- Can one see both their strengths and weaknesses, particularly in the story for
the older child who can see people as not cither wholly good or wholly bad?

- Has the author avoided stereotypes?


- Do the characters develop and grow?

(iii) Style
- Does the style fit the story and the subject matter?
- Is it clear and understandable, with dialogue suitable to the! characters?

- Is there an exciting and imaginative use of words and a richness of


expression? |

(iv) Format
- Is the appearance of the book attractive?
- Is it durable, with print appropriate to the age for which it is planned and
paper of good quality?
- Do the illustrations add to its attraction, echoing and enhancing the story
and stimulating children's imaginations and curiosity?
- If it is meant to provide children with real information, is it accurate in
text and illustration?

Activities
1. Discuss the role of parents as selectors of books for their children.
2. Assume that a publisher has sent you a manuscript of children's stories to
assess their suitability to be published for 9 - 11-year olds. Show the
criteria you would use in your assessment

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