An Evaluation of Preschool Children’s Books with Respect to the Principle of Appropriateness for Children

Abstract

This study aims to determine the suitability of the books to the principle of appropriateness for children. The research database, modelled in the form of case study, one of the qualitative methods, consists of a selection of 60 books that were randomly selected among the most read preschool children’s books, targeting an audience aged 0 to 6 years. The data, which were organized using descriptive analysis, underwent a thorough examination through content analysis. Educational messages in the books presented explicitly and implicitly were also identified using the document analysis method, analyzed through the descriptive analysis method, and evaluated in terms of children’s education and development. The cases in which the texts of pre-school children’s books can be characterized as conflicting with the principle of appropriateness for children can be categorized as follows: errors in language and expression (spelling and punctuation mistakes; non-adherence to textuality criteria; inadequate attention to consistency; selection of words unsuited to children’s cognitive development; and translation errors), errors related to images (image-text mismatch, or inconsistency between images), and errors concerning children’s universe of meaning (explicit and implicit messages that diverge from values-oriented education). The results of the study were discussed in detail, supported by the relevant literature. As a result, to mitigate the potential adverse effects arising from errors in children’s books, it becomes essential to follow the basic principles of children’s literature as to the communication of explicit and implicit messages, to review books in detail before they are presented to children, and to organize the content accordingly.