Picturebooks
Re-conceptualising picturebook theory in the digital age.
On 20, Dec 2015 | In Picturebooks | By Chris Vitale
Al- Yaqout, Ghada and Maria Nikolajeva. “Re-conceptualising picturebook theory in the digital age.” Nordic Journal for ChildLit Aesthetics 6, (2015).
Referrer: Chris Vitale
Categories: digital picturebooks, picturebooks, visual storytelling, digitization, layout, child readers
Annotation:
The digital age has altered the way we read and study the picture book. Al-Yaqout and Nikolajeva maintain the need to expand the theory beyond the multimodal text and image understanding of visual and verbal understandings to include the new elements of multimodal picture books: “auditory, tactile, and performative dimensions.” The article looks at both digital stories as well as apps which are shaping the way visual texts are delivered and interacted with. The immateriality of this new way of digital texts is brought forth for consideration. Interesting points such as the impact of the exploitation of interactivity, the destabilization of the confines of layout and space found in printed texts, and the performance of reading, being read to, or following along. Books that are now available in both print and augmented digital formats, like The Cat in the Hat and Goodnight Moon, are juxtaposed and discussed. Digital children’s literature commands a need for a reevaluation of picture book theory.
