A Case Study on Picture Book Application for Children as Semiotic Technology in Representing Asian Identities

Abstract

Digital book applications have emerged as new formats of picture books, with an integration of digitally mediated resources to construct meaning. These picture book apps are written artefacts that contain cultural messages and values about the world that children live in. Dually, as semiotic artefacts, they consist of meaning potentials through the concept of interactivity along with other technologically created multimodal resources. These resources form the semiotic surfaces of picture book apps and thus the picture book app is classified as Semiotic Technology. Picture book apps as semiotic technology are instrumental in changing the way in which current young readers engage with stories. The multimodal aspect is amplified in this digital text by the concept of interactivity. In recognition of the impact of these semiotic artefacts on users, this case study proposes a model based on a semiotic technology approach (media dimension) and the concept of interactivity, to interpret meaning making in digital picture book apps for children. Through a qualitative approach that has employed purposeful sampling, a digital picture book app, Green Riding Hood, has been selected as a case study for this article to illustrate how Asian identities are represented through interactive features. It is found that, through semiotic meaning-making captured in interactivity defining features, South Asian (Indian) identity markers like ethnicity, religion, age, and gender have been represented as multicultural or diversity awareness conduits to users. Through main values like unity (friendship) and health and fitness (including environmentalism), this digitized children’s literature thus is an ideal mirror, window, and door to society. This approach on digitized picture books is deemed important to be understood and recognized because types of messages from children’s literatures that get across through lenses of children can impact their path of identity realization and understanding