Abstract
This project examines how children’s picture books can teach young readers about environmental awareness, and how incorporating ancient and contemporary eco-centered philosophies can assist in reconceiving the relationship between children and the environment. Children’s literature has the potential to cultivate an organic and sustainable relationship with the planet, yet despite this, the presence of the natural world within children’s books has diminished over time. Considering the challenges we face in what many scientists are referring to as the “Anthropocene”, it is crucial that human practices move towards sustainability and preserving the ecosystems we coexist within. My research process included reviewing more recent environmentally conscious children’s books and their treatment of the environment in both imagery and narrative. The research has also led me to explore perspectivism as portrayed in the ancient Chinese Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi’s thought experiment, “The Butterfly Dream” where he disrupts the notion of selfhood and conceives of himself as a butterfly’s dream. Additionally, I reviewed contemporary eco-centered perspectives to provide the groundwork for the project, such as Marilyn Frye’s concept of moving from a dominating eye to a loving eye. These ideas are what provided the inspiration for the theme of this project, where the child understands the world through the eyes of a Butterfly, helping to nurture an ecological and interconnected consciousness.
Research Project
Research Process Summary
Presentation
Paintings
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