Creativity, imagination and play in children’s picture books : the importance of creative problem-solving

Abstract

This practice-based study sets out to identify creative triggers found in contemporary children’s picture books that encourage playful approaches in readers with a view to them applying their imaginations as they navigate their way through the books’ spreads. Through the lenses of narratology, psychology and phenomenology, the study unpacks postmodern narrative devices found in contemporary picture books with reference to the work of Martin Salisbury, Perry Nodelman and Donald Winnicott. Winnicott’s theories regarding the ‘True Self’, ‘true play’, the ‘transitional object’ and ‘transitional space’ played a key role in this study. Eleven creative triggers were identified and used to examine contemporary children’s picture books. These were then put into practice to create a series of books for my art practice under the title Cautionary tales for Grown Ups from Children/Cautionary tales for children from Grown Ups.