This diploma thesis discusses the motif of migration and the search for a new home in Slovenian picture books. The purpose of the thesis is to determine how this topic is presented in selected picture books. The study aims to explore how experiences of migration, loss of home, cultural adaptation, and the search for acceptance in a new environment are represented.
As migration has become an important topic both globally and in Slovenia in recent years, it is increasingly discussed in everyday life as well as in educational institutions. This forms the basis of the main research question of the thesis: how Slovenian picture books represent migration and the search for a new home.
The diploma thesis is divided into two parts: a theoretical and an empirical part.
In the theoretical part, I focus on children’s and young adult literature and its definition. I then define the concept of migration, its historical development, and contemporary causes. I explain the distinction between voluntary and forced migration, with a particular emphasis on refugees as one of the most prominent forms of migration. Furthermore, I discuss how migration affects children, how they experience these changes, and what challenges they face when integrating into a new environment. Within this framework, I also address the role of identity, the sense of home, and belonging. In addition, I define the picture book genre, its history, and its characteristics.
The empirical part of the thesis includes a detailed qualitative analysis of the selected picture books My Two Blankets, Frog and the Stranger, and Niko the Rhinoceros Is Not a Monster. The analysis focuses on how migration is represented, how literary characters are portrayed, and which emotional experiences children go through while searching for a new home. I also examined how children understand the concept of migration. The analysis of the picture books was conducted according to the method of Marjana Kobe (2000), while the work with children was based on a qualitative descriptive method. The research was carried out in four groups of Jarše Kindergarten and included discussions about migration-related concepts, reading picture books, and conversations about their content, during which children’s responses were recorded. The collected data were organized according to the following categories: literary character, setting, time, plot, and message.
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