Play Spirit Facilitating Cultural Transmission: Three Chinese Picture Books
Abstract
This study explores the manifestation of play spirit in Chinese picture books. It uses three picture books with Chinese characteristics, namely Happy Chinese New Year, Chinese Mythological Stories, and Traditional Chinese Festival Stories. Through in-depth analyses of these picture books, the study will focus on the impact of play activities on children's creativity and imagination and their understanding and perception of Chinese culture. By studying these picture books, we can better understand how Chinese culture is conveyed through play and how Chinese picture books work to stimulate children's learning interests and creativity. This paper has explored the influence of play elements in these picture books on children's understanding and perception of Chinese culture. These picture books often cover elements of traditional Chinese culture, such as traditional festivals, arts and crafts, and mythological stories. Through playful presentations, children can gain a deeper understanding of the connotations of Chinese culture. By analyzing these picture books, we can understand how the play elements help children build up their knowledge and feelings about Chinese cultural traditions through storylines, illustrations, and interactions.
Downloads
References
Bergen, D., & Fromberg, D. P. (2020). The role of play in developing social and emotional skills. International Journal of Play, 9(3), 287–302. https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2020.1825127
Bian, X. (2023). Play spirit in Chinese picture books: L's cultural and developmental perspective. Li & H. Chen (Eds.), Play and Literacy in Early Childhood: Research and Practice (pp.112–130). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45676-7_6
Chuang, T.-Y., & Chang, H.-Y. (2018). Play elements in children’s picture books: A framework for analyzing interactive and educational design. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 32(4), 456–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2018.1494685
Dowdall, N., Murray, L., Sarti, A., Falahpour, N., De Pascalis, L., & Cooper, P. J. (2020). Shared picture book reading interventions for child language development: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Development, 91(2), e383–e399. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13225
Edirisinghe, S., Weerasinghe, R., & Edirisinghe, C. (2018). The role of picture books in enhancing receptive language skills in early childhood. Journal of Child Language Acquisition and Development, 12(4),45–62. https://doi.org/10.1017/S030500091800045X
Fisher, W. R. (1987). Human communication as narration: Toward a philosophy of reason, value, and action. University of South Carolina Press.
Fung, K. T., & Chung, K. K. (2022). Cultural gaps in Chinese children’s literature: A systematic review of playfulness and learning outcomes. Early Education and Development, 33(8), 1456–1475. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2022.2056151
Ghazanfar, A. A. (2019). Multisensory integration for timing and learning. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 28, 16–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.01.005
Gonzalez, N., Moll, L. C., & Amanti, C. (2021). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Routledge.
Guo, S., & Li, K. (2020). Multilingualism and multicultural identity in Chinese children’s literature. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 41(10), 873–888. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2019.1673471
Hooykaas, A., McKenzie, D., & Hooykaas, M. (2022). Beyond words: Vocabulary development and visual literacy in children’s picture books. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 24(3), 301–325. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687984221075711
Hu, L., & Zhang, T. (2021). Playful pedagogy: How game elements in Chinese picture books build cross-cultural competence. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(5), 901–913. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01216-y
Hu, Y., & Wang, L. (2021). Gamifying tradition: Interactive picture books and children’s engagement with Chinese Lunar New Year customs. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 21(3), 356–378. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798420960389
Hyson, M., & Taylor, J. L. (2020). Promoting emotional competence through storybooks: Strategies for diverse learners. Early Education and Development, 31(5), 699–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1712201
Jia, L. (2022). Authenticity verification in cultural picture books: A curator’s perspective. Journal of Children’s Media, 16(3), 291–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2021.2007221
Kang, H., & Choi, J. (2021). The role of illustrations in fostering creativity and imaginative play in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(5), 879–891. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01109-6
Kuo, F.-R., & Lai, C.-H. (2020). Storytelling's role in developing children's emotional intelligence: A case study of Chinese cultural narratives. Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 8(2), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.5539/jeri.v8n2p45
Lam, S. Y., & Wong, C. K. (2017). Designing interactive children’s picture books: Impacts on engagement and cognitive development. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 17(3), 324–346. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798416634578
Lee, J., & Kuo, L. (2019). Cultural play in Chinese children’s literature: A lens for understanding diversity. International Journal of Early Childhood, 51(3), 327–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-019-00256-1
Li, J., & Tardif, T. (2019). Chinese picture books as tools for teaching conflict resolution and cooperation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(4), 641–656. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000311
Li, C. (2020). Stories of Chinese Traditional Festivals for children[给孩子看的中国传统节日故事]. China Overseas Chinese Press.
Liu, X., Chen, Y., & Zhang, M. (2021). Picture books in 21st-century education: A tool for fostering creativity and interconnected thinking. Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1593–1612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09635-4
Marsh, J. (2017). Play, creativity, and digital cultures. In L. Brooker, M. Blaise, & S. Edwards (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of play and learning in early childhood (pp. 329–341). Sage.
Nie, X., & Cheng, L. (2020). Bridging play and culture: A study of game-based learning in Chinese bilingual picture books. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(8), 1022–1040. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1752154
Qise Wangguo. (2018). Happy Chinese New Year [欢乐中国年]. Anhui Juvenile and Children's Publishing House.
Reese, E., Cox, A., Harte, D., & McAnally, H. (2021). Children’s engagement with interactive features in print and digital picture books. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 55, 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.11.003
Rogoff, B. (2003). The cultural nature of human development. Oxford University Press.
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method, and research. Sage.
Strouse, G. A., Nyhout, A., & Ganea, P. A. (2018). The role of book features in young children’s transfer of information from picture books to real-world contexts. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 50. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00050
Ullan, A. M., & Belver, M. H. (2019). Playfulness in children’s literature: A cross-cultural analysis of Chinese and Spanish picture books. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 2318. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02318
Wang, J., Zhou, M., & Liu, R. (2022). Innovation in children’s publishing: Playful design and cultural narratives in Chinese picture books. Publishing Research Quarterly, 38(4), 678–697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-022-09912-2
Wang, Q., & Stringaris, A. (2020). Cultural values and moral education: Cooperative problem-solving in Chinese children’s picture books. Early Education and Development, 31(5), 718–736. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1693387
Wang, X. (2019). Lunar New Year stories and social-emotional learning in Chinese children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(6), 747–756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00964-2
Zhang, H. M. (2021). Stories of Chinese Myths [中国神话故事]. China Children's Press.
Zhang, Y. (2020). Designing for empathy: Emotional learning through interactive Chinese picture books. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 25, Article 100201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2020.100201
