Globalization and the Picture Book

Abstract

Children’s books have long been considered vehicles that both embody and transmit the culture of a society. Usually the cultural aspects represented in a picture book are those of a country’s dominant cultural group, which is perceived as synonymous with the national culture. The writer of this article suggests that a national literature for children no longer exists, if it ever did. Further, following cultural theorist Stuart Hall’s lead, the writer suggests that globalization of the children’s book industry has prompted the emergence of both global and local literatures in place of a national literature. Information on some publishers’ practices, together with salient examples of picture books from several countries, demonstrate the emergence of a new global culture in picture books that are intended to move seamlessly across national borders. This global culture cannot be found anywhere on the globe, although it does include many of the characteristics of mainstream American culture, which not coincidentally represents a large market for book publishers. Simultaneously to the appearance of these global books is the appearance of children’s picture books that embody the cultures of non-mainstream groups within a given country, the presence of which challenges rather than reinforces the national identity of that country’s literature for children.