View in EDS

Representing Tradition: The Construction of Culturally-Specific Visual Narratives in Chinese Picture Books and Hand Scroll Paintings

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Representing Tradition: The Construction of Culturally-Specific Visual Narratives in Chinese Picture Books and Hand Scroll Paintings
Language: English
Authors: Fenfen Qi (ORCID 0000-0002-8160-1726), Tetriana Ahmed Fauzi, Siti Rohaya Yahaya
Source: Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. 2025 25(3):607-636.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Picture Books, Painting (Visual Arts), Pictorial Stimuli, Illustrations, Ideology, Cultural Awareness, Cultural Maintenance, Visual Aids, Story Telling, Asian Culture
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1177/14687984231182263
ISSN: 1468-7984
1741-2919
Abstract: The picture book plays a fundamental role in the intellectual and social development of young children. While the simplest of picture books offer an accessible entry-point into basic literacy through the combination of printed word and an image of its referent, picture books in narrative form constitute a significant instrument of socialisation, as a source of both overt and covert 'ideological' messages about the world and about social values. This study establishes a referenceable method and framework for identifying the extent to which a given picture book produced for consumption within the Chinese market utilizes pictorial and narratological strategies that are understood to be historically accurate within - and emblematic of -- Chinese society's ideologies and cultural traditions. Ten recently-published picture books for children, each produced by ethnically Chinese authors and widely distributed in the Chinese market are scrutinized using quantitative, qualitative, semiotic and media analysis methodologies. Historic Chinese hand scroll paintings are presented as a useful point of comparison with these picture books, insofar as they provide an enduring example of culturally-specific pictorial conventions of composition, character depictions and interrelations, narrative context and the interplay of text and image. Drawing upon influential work on visual narratives by Painter, Martin and Unsworth, and the Multimodal Discourse Analysis approach, a basic grammar of Chinese visual narratives is established, with conclusions drawn regarding how these inform contemporary picture books for Chinese children.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1478903
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1478903
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Representing Tradition: The Construction of Culturally-Specific Visual Narratives in Chinese Picture Books and Hand Scroll Paintings
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fenfen+Qi%22">Fenfen Qi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8160-1726">0000-0002-8160-1726</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tetriana+Ahmed+Fauzi%22">Tetriana Ahmed Fauzi</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Siti+Rohaya+Yahaya%22">Siti Rohaya Yahaya</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Early+Childhood+Literacy%22"><i>Journal of Early Childhood Literacy</i></searchLink>. 2025 25(3):607-636.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 30
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Picture+Books%22">Picture Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Painting+%28Visual+Arts%29%22">Painting (Visual Arts)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pictorial+Stimuli%22">Pictorial Stimuli</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Illustrations%22">Illustrations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ideology%22">Ideology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Awareness%22">Cultural Awareness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Maintenance%22">Cultural Maintenance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Visual+Aids%22">Visual Aids</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Story+Telling%22">Story Telling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asian+Culture%22">Asian Culture</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/14687984231182263
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1468-7984<br />1741-2919
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The picture book plays a fundamental role in the intellectual and social development of young children. While the simplest of picture books offer an accessible entry-point into basic literacy through the combination of printed word and an image of its referent, picture books in narrative form constitute a significant instrument of socialisation, as a source of both overt and covert 'ideological' messages about the world and about social values. This study establishes a referenceable method and framework for identifying the extent to which a given picture book produced for consumption within the Chinese market utilizes pictorial and narratological strategies that are understood to be historically accurate within - and emblematic of -- Chinese society's ideologies and cultural traditions. Ten recently-published picture books for children, each produced by ethnically Chinese authors and widely distributed in the Chinese market are scrutinized using quantitative, qualitative, semiotic and media analysis methodologies. Historic Chinese hand scroll paintings are presented as a useful point of comparison with these picture books, insofar as they provide an enduring example of culturally-specific pictorial conventions of composition, character depictions and interrelations, narrative context and the interplay of text and image. Drawing upon influential work on visual narratives by Painter, Martin and Unsworth, and the Multimodal Discourse Analysis approach, a basic grammar of Chinese visual narratives is established, with conclusions drawn regarding how these inform contemporary picture books for Chinese children.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1478903
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1478903
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/14687984231182263
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 30
        StartPage: 607
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Picture Books
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Painting (Visual Arts)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pictorial Stimuli
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Illustrations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ideology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Awareness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Maintenance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Visual Aids
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Story Telling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Asian Culture
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Representing Tradition: The Construction of Culturally-Specific Visual Narratives in Chinese Picture Books and Hand Scroll Paintings
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Fenfen Qi
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Tetriana Ahmed Fauzi
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Siti Rohaya Yahaya
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1468-7984
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1741-2919
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 25
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Early Childhood Literacy
              Type: main
ResultId 1