Baby Bear or Mrs Bear? Young English Bengali-speaking children’s responses to narrative picture books at school

摘要

This article presents findings from a one-year study of\udseveral Bengali-speaking children aged 5–6 years, in\udtheir first year of the English school system. The\udinvestigation centres on exploration of the children’s\udresponses, principally to the visual text, of a selection\udof narrative picture books used in their school. The aim\udwas to collect children’s responses to characters and\udvisual features, and to see what narratives the children\udmade from the picture books. The children, some of\udwhom were relatively experienced viewers and narrators\udof picture-book stories, produced varied responses\udto character and décor. The article suggests that the\udbooks formed a bridge between the known and the\udculturally unfamiliar, giving the children access to an\udunderstanding of scenes from types of homes other\udthan their own. The author asserts the need to welcome\udchildren’s versions of stories and their interpretation of\udpictures, and to allow them the opportunity to re-read\udpicture books many times.