Abstract
In this contribution, we explore something rarely reported on in research on children’s literature: how an old children’s book is re-appropriated and altered in ongoing teaching practice. The material consists of the book used in instruction, a Swedish translation of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (Tant Mittiprick), and transcribed audio recordings collected throughout six weeks of teaching. Participants include a librarian, who conducted the lion’s share of the discussions based on the books, two teachers, and two groups of Grade 3 students. The analysis is conducted based on Langer’s theory of building literary envisionments and the concept of the “third space”. The findings show that the students’ initial reception of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, playfully articulated in the classroom discussions, is shaped by literary stereotypes of old women and connections to everyday experiences. This reception is partly acknowledged by the adults. Thus, this shows the potential of the meaning making process through join negotiation of the third space—connecting prior knowledge and experience to the book. However, the librarian’s evaluations of student responses reinforce a particular didactic reading of the character as someone firm and knowledgeable, playing down the whimsical and silly characteristics of the protagonist. In reading the book aloud, the librarian made significant alterations to the text. With respect to literary language, the librarian provided numerous paraphrases and elaborations which served to support the students in making meaning of the book. More drastic alterations of the text served to avoid reinforcing outdated values, for example antiquated gender roles and references to physical punishment. While the paraphrases of literary terms created opportunities for negotiating the third space and learning about literary language, the sanitised reading of the book with respect to values failed to capitalise on opportunities for contextualising the book and making intertextual connections.
Highlights
Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Society, Malmö University
We found that responses and alterations oriented themselves towards literary language, stereotypes of old people in children’s books, and the negotiation of discomfort in relation to outdated values
The findings have shown that the librarian, in the read-aloud, made substantial alterations to facilitate comprehensions of literary language, mitigate antiquated perspectives on gender and parenting and promote a specific pedagogical agenda
Summary
Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Society, Malmö University. His research interests range from children’s literature to creative writing His latest article on the Indonesian translation of Jabberwocky will be published as a part of Through Many Mirrors: Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’ book (2021). Had the publisher not intervened—by changing and adjusting them in their new editions—these series might not remain popular today This practice of revising children’s books, as Philip Nel (2017) wrote, is deemed more acceptable because on a deep level people still believe in the innocent child and our responsibility as adults to preserving this very idea. There are a lack of studies focusing on how the users—without the publisher’s intervention—attempt to bring old children’s texts back from obscurity and make them more appropriate and linguistically accessible for current young readers Our study addresses this existing gap by reporting on classroom research on the reading aloud of an American book, Betty MacDonald’s Mrs Piggle-Wiggle, in Sweden
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