Reading Radiantly: Embracing the Power of Picturebooks to Cultivate the Social Imagination

Abstract

Drawing on collaborative inquiries with four elementary teachers in the United States who intentionally incorporated diverse picturebooks into their teaching, the following article reveals the potential for cultivating social imagination and creating space for agency and activism. The importance of picturebooks for today's readers is emphasized to attune not only to the beauty in the world but also to relationships to others and responsibilities in light of social inequalities.