Competence and citizenship in picturebooks: a reading of Lisa Aisato's Fugl (Bird)

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the picturebook market has been flooded with books about children's emotions and psychological reactions to traumatic events. This psychological turn has been connected with the notion of the competent child. The Nordic countries in particular have become famous for viewing the child as a competent actor, a view that is substantially integrated into early years education legislation and curriculums for early childhood education. This article discusses the idea of the competent child in relation to an ever-growing discourse on children's citizenship. A thorough analysis of Lisa Aisato's picturebook Fugl (Bird 2013) will lie at the center of this discussion.