Abstract
Children’s literature about the ocean is a valuable learning tool for increasing ocean literacy in formal education. This instruction is, nonetheless, reliant on teachers’ capacity to explore, appreciate and understand the different ways in which elements of picture books convey ocean concepts. As researchers who work collaboratively in marine science education and children’s literature, we analysed a targeted sample of picture books about a largely unknown temperate reef system on the southern coastline of Australia, the Great Southern Reef. Our exploration of these picture books' verbal and visual strategies showed how they can be used as model examples of scientifically accurate educational resources to deliver ocean concepts, increase awareness of a local marine environment, and promote positive attitudes towards science. The portrayal of scientists, particularly female scientists in these texts can also expand children’s perceptions and beliefs about who scientists are and how they work, and ultimately impact young people’s career choices. We argue that the analysis modelled in this article can be adapted to different selections of ocean-themed picture books. Therefore, we provide recommendations for educators in other regions of the world choosing picture books to improve ocean education in the context of other local marine environments.
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Introduction
If children are to become the environmental stewards of the future (Heggen et al., 2019, p. 388), then ocean education must start from an early age (Santoro et al., 2022, p. 24). Recent studies have shown that the main barriers for the inclusion of ocean literacy in primary schools are teachers’ lack of knowledge of ocean concepts and the limited availability of educational resources (Freitas et al., 2022; Joyce et al., 2019). One approach to tackling these challenges involves using children’s literature. Children’s picture books have a positive impact as a means to educate young students about the ocean, rivers and waterways in formal education (Aurélio et al., 2021; Barracosa et al., 2019). The benefits for teachers of using children’s picture books to increase ocean literacy in schools are twofold. Firstly, children’s picture books can enhance teachers’ understanding of marine science concepts, and secondly, they can help to build teachers’ confidence and familiarity with this educational tool (Freitas et al., 2022; Sackes et al., 2009).
A recent review of ocean-themed fiction and nonfiction picture books suggested 91 titles that could be used to teach marine science concepts (hereafter ocean education) in Australian primary (elementary) schools due to their alignment with the science standard curriculum (Francis et al., 2021, p. 8). This review is a stepping-stone for Australian educators wanting to increase ocean education in their teaching practices. However, it is also necessary to provide teachers with the skills to explore, appreciate and understand how the different elements of picture books communicate ocean concepts and create opportunities to effectively mediate this knowledge to their students. With this in mind, and using the list of ocean-themed picture books suggested by Francis et al. (2021) as a starting point, we analysed a sample of nonfiction children’s picture books that represent a relatively unknown reef system on the southern coastline of Australia, the Great Southern Reef (GSR; Bennett et al., 2016, p. 48).
The Great Southern Reef is a rocky and shallow reef system that is interconnected through oceanic processes across 8000 km, from New South Wales to Kalbarri in Western Australia (Bennett et al., 2016). Even though 67% of the Australian population live within 50km of this reef system, and despite its significant role in Australia’s economy and culture, the level of public awareness of the reef is still low. In fact, the GSR was only defined as an entity and given a name in 2016 (Bennett et al., 2016, p. 48). Thus, it remains relatively underrepresented in children’s picture books (Francis et al., 2021, p. 15). As a result, the majority of texts selected for this analysis were published after the GSR was recognized as an entity: The Hidden Forest, by Jeannie Baker (2005), Rock Pool Secrets by Narelle Oliver (2017), The Underwater Forest by Rebecca Morris and Matt Howorth (2020), The Way of the Weedy Seadragon by Anne Morgan and Lois Bury (2021), With a Little Kelp From Our Friends by Mathew Bate and Liz Rowland (2021), and The Great Southern Reef, by Prue Francis, Paul Venzo and Cate James (2022).
The existing evidence indicates that informational and nonfiction books represent only a small portion of the books chosen by teachers for use in formal education at the primary school level. The majority of the literature used in classroom ranges from fictional stories to narratives that incorporate factual information and fantasy (Duke, 2000; Ganea et al., 2014; Pentimonti et al., 2011; Yopp & Yopp, 2006). Nonfiction should not be seen as a form of literature that authoritatively presents facts, but rather fosters inquiry and critical reflection (Sanders, 2018) to encourage wonder and instigate curiosity (Merveldt, 2018). The picture books chosen for this analysis can be defined as nonfiction by their use of specialist language, descriptions of natural phenomena based on scientific accuracy, and paratextual materials such as indexes, author’s notes, glossaries, diagrams, and maps. These texts are aimed at early childhood audiences to raise children’s knowledge, awareness, and connection with the ocean, particularly in relation to the GSR.
Following the tradition of close visual and textual study in children’s literature influenced by Lawrence Sipe (1998), Perry Nodelman (2004) and others, we aim to describe the different ways in which ocean concepts along ecological, social and ethical themes are communicated through verbal and visual strategies in these picture books, using the GSR as a case study. We also explore how these books represent science and scientists for children. We then discuss sources of misconceptions about ocean life, and the ways anthropomorphism can affect children’s perceptions of marine organisms. Lastly, we provide recommendations for educators choosing picture books to increase ocean education in their classes.
Picturing Ocean Education
Scholars have observed that where picture books used in classroom settings are concerned, written text continues to receive more consideration than visual elements or the combination of both (Kress, 2003, 2009; Youngs, 2012). And yet, the visual component is an essential part of picture book narration. Nodelman and Reimer (2003, p. 277) remind us that “pictures are inherently different from words and communicate different sorts of information in different ways.” Shifting this practice and conducting a close reading of the illustrations and the relationship between the text and the pictures adds complexity to the story, helping children to construct meaning and improving visual literacy (Serafini, 2014). According to Arizpe and Styles (2003, p. 249) “children can become more visually literate and operate at a much higher level [of analysis] if they are taught to look.” In this article we discuss the way that illustrators choose and change elements of a picture such as colour, borders, shape, and line; their effect on how the reader experiences the book, and how they promote ocean literacy and education.
We start by looking at the marine habitats in the books used for this analysis. Kelp, a group of large brown seaweeds that need cold water to thrive (Freitas et al., 2023), are the foundation of GSR ecosystems (Bennett et al., 2016). This is reflected in our sample of analysed books, where a temperate ecosystem is partially visualised by the prevalence of cool colours. Although vivid, the visual images in these books are not oversaturated and there is low contrast between objects in the picture, contrary to illustrations representing tropical reefs with a wide array of colours, highly saturated images and strong contrast between different elements (see for example, The Great Barrier Thief, 2018, by Dr Sue Pillans). The saturated warm colours in tropical reefs signal the higher temperatures and clarity of the water in these environments, in contrast to the less vibrant colours and more turbid waters of the cool temperate reefs.
Changes in colour also convey messages about ocean processes, as specific colours are linked to real objects or settings in which these colours occur. For example, in With a Little Kelp From Our Friends, the water released from factories and farms is coloured dark brown, normally associated with pollution (42–43). Once it is filtered by seaweed the colour changes to a light brown and green, before finally being released into the ocean, at which point the water is depicted as blue, a colour conventionally associated with the lack of impurities or contaminants. The example above provides educators with an opportunity to develop their students’ knowledge about the ecological benefits provided by seaweed, such as water purification and restoration of natural ecosystems. This may lead to a better understanding of the importance of protecting and conserving temperate marine habitats.
The GSR is mostly distinguished by its remarkable level of diversity and endemism (Martínez et al., 2018, p. 1351), i.e. species that are not found anywhere else on Earth. In these picture books, layout is used to draw attention to some local marine species and their interaction with the surrounding environment. For instance, in several pages of The Way of the Weedy Seadragon, the weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is placed away from the other elements in the picture, often against a white background, giving it more emphasis. Making the weedy seadragon the focal point of the illustration seems to imply some level of significance and invites close inspection, directing readers’ attention to their distinct characteristics. The weedy seadragon is one of the most charismatic and iconic species of the GSR and is endemic to the reef. Due to its high vulnerability to habitat degradation and recent population decline (Klanten et al., 2020, p. 12), the weedy seadragon is now a protected species. It was selected as the marine emblem of the State of Victoria to raise awareness of this species’ ecological status. A different perspective is offered in other pages, where the weedy seadragon is hidden between the seaweed fronds and the seagrass leaves, making it more difficult for the reader to find. Illustrators use overlapping of objects in a picture to suggest the relationship between them (Nodelman & Reimer, 2003), and in The Way of The Weedy Seadragon, it implies that these animals disguise their appearance by blending in with their surroundings. These different pictorial strategies involving the position of the weedy seadragon invite critical thinking regarding the complex relationship between this species and the physical elements of its habitat. This provides an opportunity for teachers to explore the concept of camouflage and how it benefits these animals by allowing them to hide from predators and hunt for food (Klanten et al., 2020).
The shape of the elements in the illustrations can also provide clues regarding the biology of the marine animals of the GSR. According to Coats (2018), rounded shapes make us feel safe, while pointed shapes such as the spines of the sea urchins, the claw of the decorator crab, the globefish spines, and the stingray tail in The Great Southern Reef can generate some anxiety and be associated with threats. This is particularly relevant when teaching children about defense mechanisms, as these animals use their spines, spikes, and claws to protect themselves; either by attacking, delivering pain or by releasing poison.
A close observation of the lines used in these pictures books informs us about marine science phenomena of particular importance for the GSR ecosystem. Horizontal lines may generate a sense of stability, while vertical lines are associated with energy and power (O’Neil, 2011). When these vertical lines are transformed into diagonals, the reader gets the impression of movement. Across all the books analysed, movement of the seaweed underwater is mostly conveyed by the diagonal lines and round shapes of the seaweed fronds, which gives an opportunity to explore ocean currents. Ocean currents are responsible for the movement of water, nutrients, and organisms on the Great Southern Reef, which is critical for the connectivity and diversity of the complex three-dimensional habitat-forming kelp (Coleman et al., 2013). Kelp can be found growing as deep as 50m below the surface (Marzinelli et al., 2015, p. 15) and, just like trees on land, this seaweed forms underwater forests by growing and covering large areas of the ocean floor, providing a home for a great diversity of marine species (Marzinelli et al., 2016). In The Hidden Forest, the vastness of kelp forests is portrayed by the absence of borders and the expansion of the kelp fronds outside of the double page spreads. The reader is placed in the world where the story is happening, without visible borders, an accurate representation of the real world.
The text often describes and indicates what we should look for in the illustrations; and the illustrations not only provide a visual image of what is described in the text but enhance the experience by expanding and constructing more explicit meaning for the reader (Kümmerling-Meibauer & Meibauer, 2021; Sipe, 2011). For instance, the words “time” and “tide,” combined with the flaps to be lifted in Rock Pool Secrets, are of great significance to understanding the existence of a temporal and causal relationship between them. Lifting the flaps represents a passage in time between the reader seeing the illustrations and discovering what happens to marine animals when the tide changes. During high tide, the anemones are underwater, and their tentacles are out to grasp food from the water. However, when the reader lifts the flap a new scenario is depicted, as it shows a low tide scene, where these anemones are now exposed to the air and their tentacles are closed to protect themselves from drying out. This strategy positions readers much like scientists in the real world, as ecologists who need to pay close attention to details, speculate, formulate hypotheses, and infer what might have happened between low and high tide and how it determines the structural, physiological, and behavioral adaptations of the marine life in intertidal areas.
Shaping Young Learners as “Ocean Stewards”
Social constructions of values and beliefs regarding the environment begin to develop in childhood (Chawla, 2020, p. 620). Embedded in ideology, children’s books reflect how we think about the environment and how we see our relationship with it. In this regard, children’s literature plays an important role in shaping how young people understand the natural world around them and can model positive perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours towards the environment (Babb et al., 2017; Massey, 2014; McKnight, 2010). Similarly, the picture books in this analysis convey more than just scientific concepts about the ocean; they carry pro-environmental ideological messages. Readers are positioned to feel or think in a certain way that encourages empathy, respect, and accountability towards the ocean, reinforcing the ideology that the next generation can and are expected to become ocean stewards. For example, in The Hidden Forest a young boy called Ben is in a boat in a bay, trying to catch a big fish, and whenever the trap captures small sea animals, he “empties them out in disgust to let them die.” However, after exploring the underwater kelp forest “Ben sees things differently.” He returns the animals he captured to the water, as he now believes that they are “wonderful” and that this is where they belong. Ben acts as an agent of change and through him children are positioned to recognize that they can build and strengthen a relationship with the ocean and marine life.
According to previous studies, “working on small, place-based, and cognitively accessible environmental problems at the local level is the most appropriate way to foster a child’s sense of agency, which has been shown to be an important element in motivating individuals’ commitment to environmental behavior” (Strife, 2012, p. 51). Picture books have the potential to promote environmental agency in children by providing problem-based knowledge as well as action-based knowledge in the text. The narratives in our picture book sample focus on real environmental relationships between the marine environment and the associated fauna and flora through engaging and enjoyable reading that promotes environmental empathy. References to environmental threats such as pollution and climate change come with an easy-to-understand explanation of the causes, the effects on the environment, what is already being done by scientists and environmentalists, and what readers might do to address those issues. It is this balance between problem-based and action-based knowledge that provides opportunities to children to become ocean stewards and take effective action. For example, characters Sam and Frankie in The Great Southern Reef show children can advocate for change by simply collecting rubbish on their local beach. Moreover, a close reading of the illustrations shows details that model a pro-environmental knowledge and attitude. Firstly, the garbage bags feature a recycle icon, which gives educators a chance to explore the concept of recycling; secondly, the characters are depicted collecting the rubbish in a safe way, i.e., removing rubbish under adult supervision, wearing gloves, and having closed-toe shoes, thereby promoting the best practices to adopt during a beach cleanup. In addition, Professor Seaweed, a marine scientist character in the book, says: “We can help keep the ocean healthy by picking up rubbish from the beach.” These elements convey a message of hope that may inspire ocean stewardship and assist with countering feelings of powerlessness in the face of environmental threats.
Another example of this equal balance of knowledge is achieved without the use of a protagonist in the picture book, With a Little Kelp From Our Friends. Here, the author starts by explaining the origin and importance of seaweed for a healthy ocean and how it benefits people nutritionally, culturally, and ecologically. Towards the end of the book environmental issues are presented to the reader such as ocean acidification. The text explains how changes in ocean acidity affect marine life, causing organisms' shells made of calcium carbonate to dissolve. The author then proceeds to explain how protecting and growing seaweed forests could help absorb the carbon dioxide which in turn should reduce ocean acidity. Finally, the author’s note includes some suggestions of what the reader can do, as an individual and as part of a community, to help protect the environment.
The texts described above are model examples of how stories can deliver problem-based knowledge and action-based knowledge and do so in tandem to initiate positive attitudes towards the ocean. We recommend that educators seek to find a similar balance of the two knowledges when adopting picture books as a method to learn about the natural environment. Failing to do so may result in a phenomenon known as ecophobia (McKnight, 2010). Ecophobia is defined as a feeling of hopelessness and disempowerment towards an adverse environmental change, which may lead children to show fear, melancholy, and anger when addressing and discussing topics such as pollution and the loss of habitats and biodiversity (McKnight, 2010; Strife, 2012). In this regard, McKnight (2010) emphasizes the importance of developing children’s environmental empathy through picture books that engage their interest to provide an important foundation for connection and concern for the natural environment. The most effective picture books will thus explain the problem, provoke empathy and concern, but empower the readers to be solution-focused agents of change.
Representation of Science and Scientists
According to Laura Kelly, “science trade books have a growing and important role in both elementary literacy instruction and inquiry-based science learning, and they can affect students’ views of science and scientists” (2018, p. 1190). A study conducted by Chambers (1983) showed more limited understanding of the role of a scientist by fourth and fifth graders (whose drawings included stereotypical images of scientists, such as males conducting dangerous experiments in laboratories) than drawings made by children in grades 1 and 2. In 2002, a non-exhaustive review conducted by Finson revealed that students and teachers from different age groups and grade levels maintained these stereotypical perceptions of science and scientists over decades. The picture books in this analysis can be used to broaden children’s views and beliefs about who scientists are and how they work. One such example is The Underwater Forest, in which a female lead scientist is depicted investigating why a booming population of sea urchins has cleared out the kelp forests, leaving reefs barren in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. This character works with her team of marine scientists to restore the kelp forests. She is portrayed diving and planting kelp in a bare reef, to bring back the forest that was once there. This picture book offers numerous opportunities to show children how scientists work on problems: from observation to questioning, collaborating, thinking, experimenting, and establishing new knowledge. Furthermore, it shows that science does not only happen inside a laboratory, and that scientific methods often begin with observation of the surrounding environment.
Science picture books also convey messages about gender. Picture books are often the first medium through which children are introduced to science (Trundle et al., 2008); therefore, the portrayal of women is imperative if we are to encourage young girls to pursue a career in science. This is particularly important in a world in which science is still perceived as a male domain, with the capacity to influence future career choices of young girls (Makarova et al., 2019). The representation of a strong female senior scientist in The Great Southern Reef encourages readers, especially girls, to identify with their capacity to become scientists themselves. These messages are not only conveyed by the narrative, but also through the illustrations. For most of the time, the child characters in this book are depicted looking up to the female Professor Seaweed. When the reader is placed from a low angle, looking up to a character, this transmits a sense of authority and expertise (Painter, 2007).
Coats (2018, p. 152) reminds us that “children need to see themselves in books.” Not only is the infrequent representation of female scientists in children’s literature concerning, but also the limited portrayal of characters from diverse racial backgrounds. Rawson and McCool (2014, p. 14) found that more than 75% of the pictures in their sample of 104 children’s books showed white scientists. Representations of characters with diverse racial backgrounds are especially important when teaching children about the ocean in Australia as, for generations, Indigenous Peoples have maintained strong relationships with their land and the marine environment, by means of traditional knowledges and practices. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and histories are now included in the Australian science curriculum. This is a positive move forward to provide a broader perspective than the Western mindset and enhance science education. With a Little Kelp From Our Friends can be used in the classroom to introduce students to the ways Indigenous People in Australia have traditionally used seaweed for food and items such as shoes, ropes and bandages. Another such example is Sea Country (2021), written by Aunty Patsy Cameron and illustrated by Lisa Kennedy. This book portrays Aboriginal knowledge and traditions in a unique way through the lens of the Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway clan, located in the southern region of the GSR. This is a story about identity and place, in which the adults are Aboriginal People who encourage children to pay attention to their environment and learn about Aboriginal seasons, weather patterns and natural processes that connect the sea, the land, the sky, and the people. Picture books can play a significant role in children’s ability to understand and develop empathy and respect for cultural differences. It also helps children to understand the science behind Aboriginal culture—where Aboriginal Peoples have had to solve challenges in the different climate zones of Australia and use the environment and resources to their benefit. If picture books help children make sense of the world around them, then representation of culture, in the context of science, is key to children’s ability to feel part of the reality in which they are expected to perform.
Addressing Misconceptions and Anthropomorphism
According to Sackes et al. (2009), misconceptions in children’s literature are barriers in introducing scientific concepts to young children. Ford (2006) and Sackes et al. (2009) suggest that science picture books authored by a person with a limited understanding of the nature of science may lead to misconceptions embedded in written and visual narration. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the author’s background plays a key role in the production of scientifically accurate books for children (Beaumont et al., 2017). Regarding the picture books in this analysis, The Way of the Weedy Seadragon and The Great Southern Reef were produced by a science publisher. Both picture books were authored by experts in children’s literature and the latter was co-authored with a marine science expert. The author of With a Little Kelp From Our Friends is a writer passionate about seaweed and currently pursuing his degree in regenerative agriculture (Thames & Hudson, 2021). Author biographies are lacking in The Underwater Forest and in the Rock Pools Secrets picture books. However, an online search reveals that Rebecca Morris is a marine scientist and Narelle Oliver was a dedicated environmentalist and a lecturer in Language and Children’s Literature (Morris, n.d.; Oliver, n.d.). Lastly, Jeannie Baker is a children’s picture book author and artist and the information provided in the end pages of The Hidden Forest informs the reader about her snorkeling and scuba diving trips to Tasmania to explore underwater kelp forests and find inspiration for her artwork. Arguably, authors with expertise in the subject area of their nonfiction picture books are likely to communicate scientific ideas more effectively than those who do not possess such expertise. If such expertise is referred to in the text, this may also affect the degree to which child readers, and teachers, perceive the accuracy of this kind of picture book.
Children tend to believe that the facts and information in nonfiction books are reliable and unchangeable (Panaou & Yannicopoulou, 2021). This is in part due to the use of specialist language characteristic of nonfiction picture books, that may convey the idea of accuracy and truth, positioning the reader to trust in the information provided (Daly, 2021). According to Panaou and Yannicopoulou (2021, p .57), some words, such as perhaps, it seems, to a certain extent can indicate that the information in the text may be subject to change. In the context of science, our understanding and acquisition of scientific information can change over time and the use of words to indicate potential for change is often adopted in science communication such as picture books. For example, in The Great Southern Reef, Professor Seaweed says that “Perhaps people will create farms in the ocean around the reef” and in With a Little Kelp From Our Friends, the author says that “It could become the way we harvest seafood and seaweeds in the future,” when referring to farming in the sea (emphasis not in the original). Both picture books suggest that the authors have an interest in projecting a future where farms of seaweed in the ocean are created. Ocean farming in Australia is a relatively new concept (Kelly, 2020, p. 6), with increasing scientific consideration, and the environmental impacts and risks, for instance, are not yet well studied. Therefore, it is important to understand that the information provided by nonfiction picture books can be questioned and/or updated and that texts are created in times that reflect the reality of when they were written.
Misconceptions in picture books often arise from the attribution of human characteristics to animals, known as anthropomorphism (Ganea et al., 2014). A recent review of 100 ocean-themed picture books conducted by Venzo et al (in press) showed that 58% of the sample included anthropomorphised characters. One such example is Margaret Wild’s (2010) Leo, the Littlest Seahorse where seahorses are depicted providing parental care for their babies after they are born. While this may project an idealized representation of parenthood in human terms, such behaviour does not occur in the real world. Beaumont et al. (2017) suggested that, when finding misconceptions in the narrative or illustrations, children can be encouraged to ask questions and compare the information with other books on the same subject, particularly nonfiction picture books. However, there are instances when scholars argue that child readers should be encouraged to critically engage with anthropomorphic representations, in order to promote factual reasoning and develop empathy in the child reader by establishing a connection with the animal character (Chawla, 2009; Geerdts et al., 2016a; Gomez-Zweip & Straits, 2006; Pringle & Lamme, 2005).
Previous research showed that subtle anthropomorphism in children’s books may increase children’s ecological knowledge and empathy of a species (McCabe et al., 2019). In With a Little Kelp From Our Friends, seaweed is represented with human-like facial expressions that convey sadness towards the environmental issue of climate change (46–47). Despite the important ecological roles of seaweed for marine ecosystems, particularly in the GSR, many children tend to think about seaweed as “slimy” and “stinky” plant-like organisms, often washed up on the beach. This perception makes it difficult to establish an empathetic connection with these organisms and consequently care for their conservation. By giving seaweed this human emotion, a positive connection and attitude towards these organisms may be ignited in the child reader. It is worth noting here that With a Little Kelp From Our Friends is an informational book. It does not tell a story: instead, it offers a table of contents section at the beginning orienting the reader to the topics addressed on each page, indicating the secondary role of the written narrative in the book. These features imply an older child reader who understands the difference between fantasy and reality, and/or a reader who is guided by an adult who may encourage questioning and critical thinking. This guidance is of particular importance, as anthropomorphism can limit children’s understanding of the biological and psychological processes of animal behavior (Ganea et al., 2011, 2014; Geerdts et al., 2016b; Marriott, 2002; Merchie et al., 2018; Waxman et al., 2014).
Overall, the nonfiction examples we examined convey key features of marine organisms and the marine habitat with accuracy, without mimicking photography or detailed scientific drawing, making the subject more familiar and approachable for children. In particular, the illustrations of the kelp forests in The Hidden Forest were created from collages of natural and artificial materials such as pressed seaweed, that resemble natural phenomena. These illustrations appeal to the senses of children through the mix of textures, while also conveying a realistic representation of the marine habitat. Similarly, they may extend perceptions of two- and three-dimensional space. Moreover, the paratextual materials in some of the picture books provide further facts and figures about the marine species. For instance, in The Great Southern Reef, the authors included the scientific names of the marine creatures, and at the end of Rock Pool Secrets one double spread of paratextual information is included with additional information about the sea animals portrayed in the book, offering readers reassurance that the information supplied is accurate.
Conclusion
The texts analysed in this article represent a sample of scientifically accurate picture books that offer engaging and educational learning experiences for young readers. We have explored how the texts can be used to effectively enhance ocean literacy through access to localised knowledge pertaining to Australia’s Great Southern Reef. What these books do so well is to combine access to knowledge about a local marine environment while introducing children to scientific and geographical vocabulary and to marine science concepts and processes. They may shape teachers’ and students’ beliefs and perceptions about science and what it means to be a scientist. In addition, through the characters’ experiences and the values and beliefs embedded in the narratives, the child reader is positioned to learn, to care and to develop an environmental identity and become an ocean steward.
As future custodians of the ocean, it is expected that children develop both problem-based and action-based knowledges so that they can take effective action to recognize environmental threats, formulate solutions, face challenges, accept obstacles, and adopt pro-environmental behaviors (Sobel, 2007). In this respect, these texts provide children with an opportunity to not only become aware of the main threats placing increased stress on the GSR, but also to envision a present-day and a future where these issues are being tackled. In addition, children can learn from environmental success stories of conservation, restoration, and protection of the natural world. This approach may prevent frightening children about the future, and instead help them to develop environmental empathy and ultimately avoid ecophobia.
Considering the increasing effort to promote ocean literacy in schools (Santoro et al., 2022), linked with the growing evidence of using picture books as an effective educational method (Aurélio et al., 2021; Barracosa et al., 2019; Francis et al., 2021), we recommend that teachers check for clarity and accuracy of the information provided and consider the expertise of authors to write on these topics, when selecting ocean picture books for children. Teachers who can identify misconceptions or inaccurate representations of scientific concepts will be better prepared to decide whether to use the books in a classroom context. However, we acknowledge that identifying misconceptions in picture books can be difficult for educators who lack content knowledge about science. Therefore, and following the recommendations of Schussler (2008), we hope that this analysis provides educators, particularly in Australia, with a range of scientifically accurate picture books as a way to motivate them to increase ocean education in their lessons. Although this study is focused on picture books that represent a particular local marine environment in Australia, we argue that the approach to analysis modelled in this paper can be adapted and used by educators in other regions of the world, with a different selection of children’s literature, to promote place-based ocean literacy in school curricula.
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List of Children’s Literature
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Pillans, Dr Sue. (2018). The Great Barrier Thief. London: Little Steps Publishing.
Venzo, Paul, Francis, Prue, and James, Cate. (2022). The Great Southern Reef. Clayton South: CSIRO Publishing.
Wild, Margaret, and Denton, Terry. (2012). Leo, the Littlest Seahorse. Camberwell, VIC: Penguin Group Australia.
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Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions. This work was funded by Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Higher Degree by Research funds (2022).
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PV, PF and CF contributed to the study conception and design. Analysis was performed by CF and PV. The first draft of the manuscript was written by CF and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors contributed to manuscript revision, and read and approved the submitted version.
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The authors Prue Francis and Paul Venzo declare they have no financial interests. Authors Prue Francis and Paul Venzo are the authors of the picture book entitled “The Great Southern Reef”, part of this analysis.
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Cátia Freitas is a Ph.D. candidate at Deakin University, investigating marine science teaching practices in the Australian formal education system and exploring how children’s picture books can be used in schools to educate the young about the marine environment.
Prue Francis Ph.D. is a lecturer in science professional practice at Deakin University, Australia. Prue's marine education background and expertise translates into her research interest that focuses on the extent to which ocean literacy is being taught in schools across Australia and exploring innovative methods to promote ocean literacy through research, education, and engagement. She is the co-author of the marine science picture book The Great Southern Reef (CSIRO Children’s Publishing 2022).
Alecia Bellgrove Ph.D. is Senior Lecturer in marine biology and ecology at Deakin University, leading the Deakin Seaweed Research Group that is driving research in conservation and sustainable exploitation of Australian seaweeds. Alecia has worked with various primary schools, promoting STEM education. She is a passionate advocate for translating scientific research for multiple audiences and empowering children to pursue science careers.
Paul Venzo Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer in writing, literature, and culture at Deakin University. He is a poet and creative writer, and his research involves interdisciplinary approaches to literature for young people, poetry and poetics, and translation. He is the co-author of the marine science picture book The Great Southern Reef (CSIRO Children’s Publishing 2022).
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Freitas, C., Francis, P., Bellgrove, A. et al. Adopting Ocean-Themed Picture Books to Promote Ocean Literacy in Primary Education. Child Lit Educ (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-023-09534-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-023-09534-y