A progressive visual literacy framework to guide educators in appraising picture books for young readers

For my research, I focus on visual literacy in children’s picture books. As a child, I loved reading picture books, appreciating the visuals that gave refreshing vibrancy to the stories read. Today, with the vast diversity of children’s picture books, it is fascinating to explore the different types of visuals that children have always been especially attracted to. Picture books are not only appealing but also educational. It is impossible to deny the benefits they offer to young readers in kindergarten and primary school.

While I acknowledge that the interactions between visuals and texts in picture books are undeniably significant, this small research project is unable to accommodate a focus on both aspects, hence I have decided to focus mainly on the visual. As a future primary school English teacher, I am interested to explore visual literacy in children’s picture books in detail, in the hope that with the knowledge gained, I may be able to utilise these books better in my future teaching.