Art detectives: young children's behaviour in finding and interpreting art elements within picture books

Picture book illustrations can provide the opportunity for critical examination of a work of art. There is a growing body of research focusing on how we can respond creatively to the illustrations in picture books as art objects. This study aimed to reveal how children interpret art elements based on various artistic techniques within picture books and how children use these elements when interpreting their own stories. In line with this aim, three picture books for preschool children were examined together along with a study group of four children attending summer school in a private kindergarten in the province of Ankara, Turkey. The research observations were recorded via photographs, audio-video recordings, and written notes. Qualitative data related to the children's interpretations of art elements in the picture book illustrations were analysed descriptively. The results showed that the children paid closest attention to the elements of colour and shape within picture books, and that these art elements were also those that they placed the strongest emphasis on in their own work.