EA300B: Children’s Literature (II)

EA300B: Children’s Literature (II)
TMA: Semester 2, 2015 - 2016

TMA: 20 points
Cut-off date: week 11
April 25th, 2016
Length: 2000 words


“Illustrations are literature in their own right, and whether used by themselves or integrated with written texts, they sharpen the perception of children, stimulate their imagination and increase their sense of observation. The overall development of children can be aided by good illustrations” (Mabel Segun).

To what extent is this statement true for the picturebooks you studied in the course or any other picturebooks you are familiar with?
Student Notes:

This assignment provides you with a chance to think about the importance and the function of illustrations in picturebooks. You can focus on the two picturebooks assigned in the course: Voices in the Park and The Tale of Peter Rabbit. We encourage you to examine other picturebooks and bring material outside the course to support your argument.

In the course of your essay, you are expected to engage with the critical materials provided for the module, explaining where you are adopting critics’ views, and where you are refining them or challenging them. You are likely to find it helpful to contrast critical viewpoints, as well as to experiment with how far they can be aligned.
When it comes to planning your essay, you may find it helpful to set up an outline structure of points you wish to make, and then choose some good examples to support your argument and to flesh out your points.
Students may find the critical works in their Reader: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends helpful for writing their TMAs. We recommend that they consult some of the critical works below. But we advise you to do more research to write a substantial essay.
1. B. Kiefer, The Potential of Picture Books: From Visual Literacy to Aesthetic Understanding.
2. D. Lewis, Reading Contemporary Picturebooks: Picturing Text.
3. J. Doonan, Looking at Pictures in Picturebooks.
4. N. Mirzoeff, An Introduction to Visual Culture.
5. Perry Nodelman, Picture Books and Illustrations.
6. W.J.T Mitchell, Iconology: Image, Text, Ideology.



A thesis statement and a proper logical presentation of ideas are necessary.
To do this TMA, you will need to do the following steps:

1. Plan your essay ahead of time by writing a plan highlighting the main points you intend to cover.
2. Write a thesis statement stating your argument to be included in the first page of your essay.
3. Refer to the works discussed and select your examples carefully. State what these examples say and add to your own comments and interpretation.
4. Your analytical comments should follow every time you quote from critical material you refer to.
5. Reference to critical material related to this topic is a must. (You should refer to at least 3 critical works).
6. You should refer and quote from the course’s audiovisual material whenever possible. The audiovisual material should be well integrated in your essay.
7. At this stage, you are expected to know how to paraphrase and synthesize the material you read, using your own words as much as possible. You still have to quote and use quotation marks in the right annotation methods you learned from your tutors.
8. Make sure you ask your tutors in class and during their office hours for further clarifications.