Do Not Go Around the Edges : Poems
Broome
:
Magabala Books
,
1990
Z232069
1990
selected work
poetry
autobiography
children's
(taught in 3 units)
Contains poems and the life story of Daisy Utemorrah at Kunmunya Mission and her later work as a kindergarten teacher, writer and linguist.
Ziba Came on a Boat
Robert Ingpen
(illustrator),
Camberwell
:
Penguin
,
2007
Z1380909
2007
single work
picture book
children's
(taught in 2 units)
'A picture book about a little (Afghan) girl whose family has lost everything and their brave journey across the sea to make a new life.' (Source: QUT Library Catalogue)
The Rabbits
Shaun Tan
(illustrator),
Port Melbourne
:
Lothian
,
1998
Z139449
1998
single work
picture book
children's
(taught in 11 units)
"The rabbits came many grandparents ago.
They build houses, made roads, had children.
They cut down trees.
A whole continent of rabbits..." (back cover)
An allegorical story using rabbits, an introduced species, to represent the arrival of Europeans in Australia and the subsequent widespread environmental destruction.
Seven Little Australians
London
Melbourne
:
Ward, Lock and Bowden
,
1894
Z863667
1894
single work
children's fiction
children's
(taught in 25 units)
'Without doubt Judy was the worst of the seven, probably because she was the cleverest.'
'Her father, Captain Woolcot, found his vivacious, cheeky daughter impossible – but seven children were really too much for him and most of the time they ran wild at their rambling riverside home, Misrule.
'Step inside and meet them all – dreamy Meg, and Pip, daring Judy, naughty Bunty, Nell, Baby and the youngest, 'the General'. Come and share in their lives, their laughter and their tears.' (From the publisher's website.)
My Girragundji
St Leonards
:
Allen and Unwin
,
1998
Z834922
1998
single work
children's fiction
children's
humour
(taught in 8 units)
'Alive with humour, this is the vivid story of a boy growing up between two worlds. With Girragundji, the little green tree frog, he finds the courage to face the Hairyman, the bullies at school, and also learns the lessons of manhood that his father teaches him.
A young boy growing up in a large family and caught between Koori and white worlds, finds his attachment to a little tree frog gives him the courage to face his fears.' Source: Libraries Australia.
Hitler's Daughter
Pymble
:
HarperCollins Australia
,
1999
Z15341
1999
single work
children's fiction
children's
(taught in 2 units)
After hearing a fictional tale about Hitler's daughter, Mark wonders what it would be like if someone he loved and trusted turned out to be evil.
Objectives
On successfully completing the course, students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of the range of current children's literature and to engage in informed discussion of:
- fundamental linguistic and literary properties of literature written for children
- the inter-relationship of text and illustration in "picture books"
- the presentation of cultural variation, human relationships and social tensions in forms accessible to children
- the role of fantasy and imagination in children's literature
Content
The course will cover a range of topics relating to current children's literature, including:
- Social and cognitive contexts of children's literature: fantasy and realism; constructions of the child; innocence and experience; censorship; entertainment and education
- The role of illustrations in children's books
- Themes in current children's literature: growing up in Australia; multicultural backgrounds; humour and imagination; human relationships; social issues
*Essay of 2000 words = 40%
Attendance at seminars is compulsory.
