Book Review: Picture Books, Pedagogy and Philosophy, Joanna Haynes & Karin Murris

Abstract

The aim of this book is to justify why the exploration of philosophical ideas through dialogue with others challenges current ideas of curriculum and policy: an enquiry based approach to teaching and learning offers a more progressive and individualistic approach to education, running counter to traditional methods assuming the important role of the teacher must be to transmit content to learners. The authors state clearly that if teachers believe their usual role is to “deliver†knowledge then they will struggle to use picture books and contemporary children’s literature as stimuli to engage children in freedom of thought and expression.

In the introduction, the authors Joanna Haynes and Karin Murris, set out their concerns that teachers are anxious when tackling controversial issues with children. This anxiety leads...