Why picture books?
Picture books combine written text and visual imagery, allowing complex ideas such as identity, memory, and connection to be communicated in accessible ways for young readers.
About the Study
Understanding Cultural Identity and Resilience Through Picture Books
This study explores how Indigenous children’s picture books published in Canada since 2000 represent cultural identity and resilience. It focuses on how stories and illustrations work together to communicate meaning and support children’s understanding of belonging, relationships, and culture.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to better understand how contemporary Indigenous picture books represent cultural identity and resilience in ways that are meaningful for children. Picture books are often one of the first ways children encounter stories about culture, relationships, and belonging, making them an important site for learning and identity development.
Why this topic matters
Understanding how cultural identity and resilience are represented in children’s literature can help educators, caregivers, and communities choose books that support meaningful and respectful learning experiences.
Research Focus
This study was guided by the following question:
How do Indigenous children’s picture books published in Canada since 2000 represent cultural
identity and resilience through their themes, narratives, characters, and illustrations?
How the Study Was Conducted
The study used a qualitative approach to analyze a selection of fifteen Indigenous children’s picture books. Both written text and visual elements were examined to understand how meaning is communicated.
Document analysis
Each book was carefully read and reviewed as a document, including its narrative, images, and additional elements such as author notes.
Thematic analysis
Patterns and themes were identified across the books through an iterative process, allowing key ideas about identity, relationships, and resilience to emerge.