Reading picture books including animal matters: making space for discussing anthropocentrism with young children

ABSTRACT

This study provides an opportunity for young children to express their thoughts about all matters affecting them based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Accordingly, 20 five-year-old children attending a preschool in Korea participated in this study, reading picture books, including animal matters. I recorded and transcribed our book reading process, analyzing educational meaning focusing on young children’s stories. The participants in this study were responsive and attentive to the text in the picture books about animal matters. While reading these picture books, the children talked about life and extinction, confronted human-centered thinking, connected text with social issues surrounding them, identified problems, and suggested solutions. This reveals a flaw in the notion of human exceptionalism, opens up avenues for a new narrative regarding the coexistence with other species, and provides children living in the Anthropocene Epoch an opportunity to discuss coexistence and ethics.

KEYWORDS:

• Picture books
• animal matters
• young children’s stories
• early childhood education
• UNCRC
• anthropocentrism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).