In my thesis, I will explore some problems (in the following text I will employ the word “problem” because it appears to me that the word “problem” is less biased and more realistic than the word “taboo”) concerning literature for children in pre-school and school age.
I will explore problematic topics in children’s literature, focusing on diversity and on children with special needs. In the empirical part, I am interested in finding out some authors’ point of view on these problematic topics and in particular on the topic of diversity. I will focus particularly on two authors, Helena Koncut Kraljič and Igor Saksida. I will analyse what Helena Koncut Kraljič thinks about diversity employing an interview, on the other hand I will examine Saksida’s interpretation using his articles and the seven factors of the reception label. In addition, after several meetings, I will meet a person affected by Down’s syndrome. The name of this person is Blaž, whom I will meet several times at the Faculty of Education during some lectures under the guidance of dr. Milena Mileva Blažić and I will also interview him. So, in addition to literature, I will be able to offer a concrete example based on a personal contact with an adolescent who is affected by Down’s sydrome.
The thesis is a two-part work. In the first or theoretical part I will illustrate children’s literature and all its characteristics, problematic topics, picture book and the themes of diversity and special needs. As a special need I will argue about mental disabilities (in particular Down’s syndrome).
In the second or empirical part I will present two interviews. The first is about the author of the picture book “Imam downo sindrom”, by Helena Koncut Kraljič. The second is about Blaž, who is the main actor of the puppet show “Kit na plaži” under the direction of Vinko Möderndorfer.
At the end I will present a table with factors of Igor Saksida’s reception label and a comparison between the picture book and the novel.
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