In this course, students will work on a full range of children’s stories from board books to middle grade readers. Using both your own childhood experience and considering children’s emotional development, we will dive deeply into all aspects of the craft, including sound, lyricism, plot, personification, metaphor, imagery, rhythm, emotion, and humour. We will explore the history of representation and diversity in children’s literature as well as how to represent a full and complex world without relying on plodding, didactic texts. Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, fairy tales, and fantasy will be explored at each stage of child development. Come prepared to rediscover your love for children’s literature and fart jokes.
Readings
- Jon Klassen’s This is Not My Hat,
- Sharon Creech’s Love that Dog
- Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish
- Andrea Wan’s Watercress
- Ezra Jack Keat’s The Snowy Day
- Asma Mobin-Uddin’s A Party in Ramadan
- Matt de la Pena’s Last Stop on Market Street
- Doreen Cronin’s Click Clack Moo Cows that Type,
- Moe Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series
- Cynthia Rylant’s Mr Putter series
- Rebecca Stead’s Goodbye Stranger
- Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series
Assessment
- Presentation (20%)
- Workshop (30%)
- Final portfolio (30%)
- Letter to author (20%)
**Assessments subject to change**
Prerequisites
- Level 2 or above
OR
- CWRI 100/3.0
Additional information
To find more detailed information for each section please click on "more information" under each section in the box on the right.
