Picturebooks and aesthetic literacy in early childhood education

Children today are immersed in a visually rich environment, engaging with images long before they acquire the ability to read. This early exposure to visual stimuli shapes their understanding of the world, as their reliance on images often surpasses the role of words in their learning processes. Within this framework, children’s literature, particularly picturebooks, emerges as a vital medium for developing both visual competence and critical aesthetic literacy. By intertwining historical, critical, and visual approaches, this chapter explores how picturebooks can contribute to children’s educational experiences, fostering a deeper engagement with visual narratives. The chapter positions aesthetic literacy as a cornerstone of early education, examining how picturebooks combine textual and visual elements to evoke sophisticated aesthetic responses in young readers. It draws upon historical and critical insights from children’s literature to trace the evolution of visual storytelling and its pedagogical potential. The chapter also reflects on the role of educators in promoting a nuanced understanding of visual and aesthetic narratives, emphasizing the need for expertise in guiding young learners through the layered complexities of picturebooks. To illustrate these points, the chapter is divided into five sections. The first addresses the historical bias against visual narratives in educational contexts and advocates for their inclusion. The second presents a study conducted with nursery school children aged 27 to 39 months, showcasing the transformative role of aesthetic literacy initiatives grounded in material culture and book-objects. The third proposes an educational framework for cultivating aesthetic sensitivity in early childhood through the use of visually and textually compelling picturebooks. The fourth examines a case study, demonstrating how picturebooks designed for slightly older children can bridge visual literacy and critical engagement. Finally, the chapter underscores the necessity for educators to develop skills that support the critical and aesthetic education of young readers. By positioning picturebooks as historically and pedagogically significant artifacts, this chapter bridges the fields of children’s literature and critical visual literacy. It highlights how the semantic and aesthetic complexity of picturebooks can inspire educational practices that are not only visually engaging but also intellectually and emotionally enriching.