What is Science for the Japanese Children in Informal Science Communication Media? – A Survey of the J-SLA Outstanding Science Trade Books. (8th January 2015) - Miyake, Shiho
Abstract: In this study, the authors investigate the characteristics of outstanding science picturebooks as selected by the Japan School Library Association [J-SLA] since 1977. The characteristics of these picturebooks are analysed in terms of four points—subject, aim, content, and scheme—based on an inspection of the picturebooks themselves and of the J-SLA reviewers' comments on them. The J-SLA selected 235 picturebooks as outstanding picturebooks from the years up to 2012. Among them, 31 were nominated in the category of 'knowledge and science picturebooks'. The results are indicated as follows. The most popular subject in the science picturebooks was biology/ecology; accordingly, many books also had content related to living things and the issue of natural environment. This fact suggests that the picturebooks can be expected to foster tender feeling and positive attitudes in children as well as to promote an objective scientific attitude. There are also some science picturebooks that include interesting topics like the history of the Japanese nation, the Japanese Constitution, and issues related to the wars. Thus, the books contained a wide range of historical and political knowledge as well as knowledge of natural environment. Furthermore, many books adopted photographs. This means that photographs may be thought as a direct form to convey the real facts. As well as these, a considerable number of the books contained character-based dialogue, while others adopted narration or report in an explanatory tone. The pictures and the texts tend to exist enhancing each other. These techniques should make the books to become far more approachable by children and lead them to relate to scientific enquiry.