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Showing posts from April, 2017

Interpretation of text by the illustrator: contradictory positioning

Illustrations of Ernst’s assertive female characters by Dorothy Ashley do not offer the same perspective. Fang (1996) suggested that “whether intended or not, illustrations sometimes tell a slightly different or even contradictory story than the text” (p. 134). Many of the illustrations in  Fairy tales from the land of the wattle  by Ashley exemplify female figures in maternal, spiritual, or nurturing roles.Suggesting that illustrations are also cultural symbols that transmit meaning as effectively as written symbols, Meganck (2010) researched the portrayal of female images in children’s literature between 2000 and 2010 and applied the categories devised by Goffman (1978) in his analysis of non-verbal images of women in advertising to her study of picture book illustrations. These categories included relative size (in relation to the male), the feminine touch (caressing, nurturing), ranking and subordination.  This suggests that the illustration may communicate more about the artist

Reprinting early Australian fairy tales.

Should we reprint them? Or does their appeal remain fixed in the era they were written? Hart (1950) made the point that, ‘books flourish when they answer a need and die when they do not’ (285) and it is worth considering for example the fairytales of Tarella Quin whose fairy tale books were reprinted numerous times. Quin (aka Quin Daskein), published her first fairy tale,  Gum Tree Brownie  in 1907[1] with enlargements and variations appearing with regularity in 1918, 1925, 1934 and 1983. Her publisher was still publishing one hundred years after her first book which allowed the opportunity for re-publishing it.  It was believed that public taste indicated this book could become popular again. However, when Gum Tree Brownie was republished as  The Other Side of Nowhere: Fairy Stories of the Never Never  (1983) two stories that did not suit the current socio-cultural environment were omitted. Cruelty and death are not seen as suitable topics for children’s books today - or at least

Here's an Aussie fairy king with a slouch hat and a stock whip wand.

Some children assert that there are no fairies in Australia. Wait until you read this story, and then you shall judge for yourself.  It was summer; there had been no rain for many months; hardly a blade of grass was to be seen; the little left was of the colour of stubble. The once full-flowing creek was a chain of water-holes, very muddy, and harrowed with hoof-prints. The cattle and horses made tracks through the puddles night and morning. These thirsty half-starved animals came long, weary marches over the plains to drink, plodding through the water to the other bank in their weary search for grass or anything to feed upon. The only water for miles around was the turbid and scanty supply in the creek-already fast drying up. Settlers brought their tanks on drays, sometimes a distance of ten or twelve miles, taking a whole day to travel thither and back. By day the sun was blazing, and sank to rest in the evening a fiery-red veiled in a smoky shroud. Even the moon when it shone at ni

Ein Kohl-Palmen-Hute und eine Peitsche als Zauberstab: Australische Märchen

Ein Kohl-Palmen-Hute und eine Peitsche als Zauberstab: Australische Märchen  Australian Folklore 12th Konferenz April 13 2017.  Diese Konferenz war eine große Chance für mich, meine Forschung zu präsentieren.  Frühe australische Märchen haben australische Tiere und australische Feen, die in 'The Bush' leben. Kolonialkinder wollten ihre eigenen Märchen. Gumsucker (Sarah Rowland): Sollte die Geschichte gerne durch die Leutenlein, für die geschrieben ist es gelesen werdenm Absicht ist zu veröffentlichen viele Geschichte, so dass die fröhlichen Kinder können Märchen schwelgen in Traumen ihrer.   (Ballarat, 1870) The Conference was organised by the Australian Folklore Network, the National Library of Australia, the National Folk Festival and the Australia-Asia-Pacific Institute, Curtin University.