The picture book is a specific literary genre, composed of text and images in a complementary manner. It can be a valid means of approaching reading at an early age and educating in values in Early Childhood Education. The aim of this study is discover which teachers use picture books in their daily lives and their potential for educating in values. In order to prepare this article, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 practicing teachers. After analyzing the qualitative data collected, it can be observed that all the interviewees use picture books and consider them to be a fundamental teaching material at this education stage. The participants explained different ways of using it (before, during and after reading), activities carried out, relevant titles for educating in values, possibilities and difficulties. The conclusions endorse and expand on the results of previous studies on the subject, highlighting a wide range of possibilities for picture books in the Early Childhood Education stage: the genre pleases and satisfies teachers and pupils, allows for emotional education and education in values and generates varied and relevant learning dynamics.
Article Details
How to Cite
Gutiérrez-García, R., & Álvarez-Álvarez, C. (2025). Working with illustrated albums in early childhood education and educating in values. Ocnos. Journal of reading research, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.18239/ocnos_2025.24.2.564
Gutiérrez García and Álvarez-Álvarez: Working with picture books in early childhood education and educating in values
Introduction
Picture books are artistic-literary works that bring the reader closer to a story
narrated with a harmonious dual language: text and images (, ). They have a great educational value, and attract students, families, and educators
(; ; ). This is due to the importance acquired by the image, the illustration, and the
graphical arts in the creation of the story (). Thus, there is a need to know how teachers can utilize them in Early Childhood
Education classrooms.
This genre has become an essential way to connect children to literature, as it creates
a nexus between the text and the illustrations that stimulates all the senses and
allows establishing genuine connections between fiction and the real world (; ). Thus, it can be used by those who have not yet learned to read, becoming a useful
and interesting medium in the Early Childhood Education stage (). While an adult person reads, the child can follow the narration with the images,
with work being simultaneously performed on reading and visual literacy (; ).
As of today, picture books have become education materials in Early Childhood Education
that allow children to learn, have fun, acquire vocabulary, empathize with the characters,
recognize and manage emotions, and express what they think and feel (; ; ; ), aside from acquiring civic values (). Educating in values is the objective of Early Childhood Education so that moral
behavior is constructed simultaneously with the rest of the subjects that are learned
(; ; ; ; ).
The present work aims to specifically review the values of (1) cultural diversity,
(2) coexistence, and (3) equality. Given that immigration has increased in education
centers, together with bullying and discrimination, it is necessary to work on these
values to favor respect and intercultural and equal coexistence (; ; ; ; ), and to create an environment that leaves negative attitudes and prejudices behind
(; ).
created a proposal about the use of picture books to educate in values. The first
task performed was to investigate what picture books are appropriate to encourage
children to reflect. Picture books were found that were based on respect, kindness,
dignity, and even on the construction of personality. Then, sixty-six titles were
selected. suggested that after reading a picture book in the classroom, debates should be started
to analyze the different situations that the children may have also experienced that
are similar to the story. This allows for the transfer of information between the
world of fiction and reality ().
The study by García and aimed to discover what values are transmitted by children’s picture books, and demonstrated
that the complexity and number of values that appeared in the picture books increased
along with the age of the children. On the other hand, conducted a study on intercultural work through picture books, using six books that
came from different cultures and told stories about diversity and respect. Using these
books, different in-classroom activities were performed, concluding that picture books
are good resources for working on cultural diversity. Nevertheless, although picture
books may ignore the treatment of diversity and reinforce hegemonic views of gender,
ethnicity, and disability, diversity can be considered in the analysis by the mediating
adults to not transmit stereotypes (; ).
Other relevant studies include Díaz-Seoane et al. (2021) and , about the production of picture books that break away from gender roles, to promote
equality between men and women, and inclusion. More specifically, in the work by , an analysis was conducted of the picture book Monstruo Rosa, which is centered on diversity and equality, and concluded that children can be
reached through colors and the components of the illustrations, to work on inclusion
and diversity, as the picture book shows differences as strengths. analyzed the picture book Me and You by Anthony Browne, from a gender perspective, revealing the importance of working
on diversity. It is a new version of the traditional story of Goldilocks, which reflects the current gender conflicts, thereby allowing for discussing the
situation experienced by the characters of the story. In addition, also affirmed that both stories, Me and You and Goldilocks, can be read in the classroom, to then talk about their differences with the help
from questions centered on values, and perform activities about gender roles.
Therefore, picture books are powerful resources to study in Early Childhood Education:
they can achieve growth and a relevant symbolic, literary, linguistic, and conceptual
transfer in children, at the same time that they help them read and develop values
and ethical codes of behavior (; ).
Based on the above, the main aim of the present article is to discover how teachers
work with picture books in Early Childhood Education, and to explore how they address
education in values. The specific objectives are: (1) to design a semi-structured
interview that allow us to gain an in-depth understanding of how a small group of
Early Childhood Education teachers work with picture books in their classrooms: how
they use them, their aims, their evaluation, and possibilities and difficulties, among
others; (2) to discover which picture books they use in Early Childhood Education,
and how they use them for educating in values (coexisting, cultural diversity, and
equality): relevant titles, activities used, values addressed, etc.
Method
To achieve these objectives, the qualitative research method was chosen. Given that
the present article will analyze the classroom practices of teachers with picture
books, it is necessary to ask open-ended questions about it. The instrument designed
to collect the information was a semi-structured interview, in order to have a prior
script, and also to be able to delve into relevant aspects (; ). The instrument contains background questions to discover the teaching experience
in Early Childhood Education of the person interviewed, and questions oriented towards
the work in the classroom with picture books in order to discover if they use them,
which of them are used to work on values, and how this is performed.
An invitation was sent to different public and concerted centers in Cantabria (Spain)
to ask for their collaboration in this study, which resulted in the collaboration
of 22 people, a varied collection of teachers. Table 1 shows what grades were taught/tutored by each participant throughout their professional
career, the age range, sex, type of center where they taught, and the code used to
identify each participant.
Table 1Characterization of the participants
Grades tutored
Age
Sex
Type of center
Identification code
2, 3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Female
Public
FemTeacher1,41-50P
0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old
Older than 50
Female
Public and Concerted
FemTeacher2,+50PandC
3, 4 and 5 years old
Older than 50
Female
Public
FemTeacher3,+50P
2, 3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 31 and 40
Female
Public
FemTeacher4,31-40P
2, 3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Female
Public and Concerted
FemTeacher5,41-50PandC
3, 4 and 5 years old
Older than 50
Female
Public
FemTeacher6,+50P
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Female
Public
FemTeacher7,41-50P
2, 3, 4 and 5 years old and 1st and 2nd of primary school
Between 41 and 50
Male
Public
MaleTeacher8,41-50P
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 31 and 40
Male
Concerted
MaleTeacher9,31-40C
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 31 and 40
Male
Public
MaleTeacher10,31-40P
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Female
Public
FemTeacher11,41-50P
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old
Older than 50
Female
Public
FemTeacher12,+50P
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Male
Public
MaleTeacher13,41-50P
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Female
Concerted
FemTeacher14,41-50C
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Female
Concerted
FemTeacher15,41-50C
2, 3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 31 and 40
Female
Public
FemTeacher16,31-40P
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Female
Concerted
FemTeacher17,41-50C
3, 4 and 5 years old
Older than 50
Female
Concerted
FemTeacher18,+50C
3 and 4 years old
Younger than 30
Female
Concerted
FemTeacher19,-30C
3, 4 and 5 years old
Younger than 30
Female
Concerted
FemTeacher20,-30C
3, 4 and 5 years old
Between 41 and 50
Male
Concerted
MaleTeacher21,41-50C
3, 4 and 5 years old
Older than 50
Female
Concerted
FemTeacher22,+50C
To have access to the sample, the teachers from the different centers were met in
person, to provide them with an explanation of the aims of the work, and they provided
contact information for other teachers (snowball sampling). A variety of people was
always sought, with respect to sex, age, and type of center.
The categories of the object of analysis of the study were the following:
1.
Use of picture books
2.
Format of the picture books
3.
Aims of the use of picture books
4.
Satisfaction of the students and teachers
5.
Ways to read the picture book in the classroom
6.
Education in values through the picture book
7.
Relevant picture books to work on values
8.
Values addressed by the picture books
9.
Activities performed before, during, and after reading the picture book
10.
Notable picture books to work on the values of cultural diversity, coexisting, and
equality
11.
Activities performed after the reading of the picture book to put emphasize the values
12.
Possibilities found when using the picture books with the students
13.
Difficulties found when using the picture books with the students
To inquire about them, the following interview script was designed, with 13 questions
about the 13 analysis categories:
Table 2Interview questions
Background questions. To learn about the interviewee's experience in early childhood
education.
1. 1. What grades have you taught throughout your teaching experience?
All of them / Only one: which one? / Many: indicate which ones
2. Age
Younger than 30 / Between 31 and 40 / Between 41 and 50 / Older than 50
3. Sex
Male / Female
4. Type of center
Public / Private/Concerted
Questions about working with picture books in the classroom. To find out if they use
them, which ones they use to teach values, and how they do it.
1. Do you regularly use picture books in the classroom?
2. In paper or digital format?
3. What it the aim or aims of using picture books?
4. Do you like them? Do the children?
5. How do you read the picture books to the pupils?
6. Do you work on values with the Early Childhood Education pupils through the use
of picture books?
7. Could you highlight some picture books that you think are good for working on values?
8. What values do each of these picture books address/ do you work on with each of
these picture books?
9. What activities do you perform before, during, and after reading each picture book?
10. What picture books do you underline as relevant for working on the values of cultural
diversity, coexistence, and equality?
11. What other activities related with the picture book do you perform after the reading?
12. What possibilities do you find when using picture books with the children?
13. What difficulties do you find after using picture books with the children?
To begin with the data collection, an informed consent form was created, which indicated
the aim of the work and the data protection policy, and the participants signed it
to show their agreement. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and all the
information was organized and treated in an Excel file.
To analyze the data, the Excel matrix was divided into categories and variables. For
this, the information was distributed into: background variables, which are the grades
tutored by the interviewee, age, sex, type of center, and identification code, and
the categories of the study on the picture books in Early Childhood Education.
To address the results section, which is organized around these categories, a content
analysis was performed of the answers provided by the collaborators to the different
questions (). The testimonies were first grouped according to subjects and then given their affinity
(common responses and discrepancies), and the specificities that some of them noted
were also taken into account. In addition, some testimonies were selected, by choosing
key and original answers of the participants to show how they saw the subjects addressed,
and presented in the results section.
To ensure that the study was conducted with the maximum guarantees, the present work
passed the evaluation proposed by the University Ethics Committee, and the anonymity
and confidentiality of the collaborators were maintained, alluding at all times to
the testimonies of the interviewees through pseudonyms (). For each of the participants, an identification code was created, which shows the
sex, age, and type of center. Example: FemTeacher1,41-50P (Female teacher 1, 41-50
age range, public school.
Results
This section presents a descriptive summary of the answers obtained in the interviews.
It is organized around the categories described in the methods section, and provides
the testimonies of the participants that illustrate the most notable results. There
are 11 categories, with two variables grouped into two categories (there were 13 previously):
a)
Use and format of picture books in the classroom (two variables: use and format)
b)
Aims of the use of picture books in the classrooms
c)
Satisfaction of the students and teachers with the picture books
d)
Ways to read the picture book with the students
e)
Education in values through picture books
f)
Notable picture books to work on values and values they address
g)
Activities performed before, during, and after reading the picture book
h)
Notable picture books to work on the values of cultural diversity, coexisting, and
equality (two variables: picture books used and values addressed)
i)
Activities performed after the reading of the picture book work on the values
j)
Possibilities found when using picture books with the children
k)
Difficulties found when using the picture books with the students
a) Use and format of picture books in the classroom
All the individuals interviewed affirmed using picture books in their classrooms.
They noted the importance of using this genre with their students. As one female collaborator
stated:
“I read one picture book every day, and sometimes even two or three. If they ask me
to read a story, or they come with one and want me to read it to them, I stop what
we are doing and always read it, because I love them. I always have the story books
available in some corner of my classroom, and they freely get them and enjoy them,
and I read them whenever they want” (FemTeacher5,41-50PandC).
As for the format, almost all of them mentioned using both paper and digital formats,
although they prioritize paper. As one female collaborator says:
Generally in paper format, but it is true that sometimes we want to work on some emotion
or some type of diversity or whatever, and we don’t have it, and then we resort to
the digital format (FemTeacher19,-30C).
However, some collaborators reject the digital format.
I always read the physical book, I don’t like the digital ones. Always the physical
book, that they can touch, that they can envision (FemTeacher5,41-50PandC).
b) Aims of the use of picture books in classrooms
Most of the individuals interviewed mentioned that they used picture books to address
some type of content, whether a value (such as friendship or equality), the start
of a project, reading and writing, or graphomotor skills. That is, the use picture
books as support that precedes a lesson, giving them an educational focus.
Especially to transmit values and to address the management of emotions, to deal with
topics that emerged in the classroom, and some of them are used to work on the content
of a given project (FemTeacher15,41-50C).
In addition, they state that when a situation of conflict has been experienced in
the classroom, the picture book is a very useful resource to address it or to manage
the emotions derived from it.
However, two of the participants manifested using the picture book mainly for enjoyment,
“mainly so that the children become interested in reading, that they like the topic
of reading” (MaleTeacher21,41-50C). They especially underlined the importance of the
children understanding reading time as a moment of pleasure.
c) Satisfaction of the students and teachers with the picture books
All the participants demonstrated their love for picture books. “Yes, yes, I like
them a lot. In fact, my house is filled with picture books” (MaleTeacher13,41-50P).
Even more so, all the collaborators affirmed that students love this genre. All of
them coincided that picture books are successful and awaken their interest. In addition,
one of the participants stated that “it is very satisfying to see their faces when
you are telling the story. It gives you feedback” (FemTeacher6,+50P).
On the other hand, some collaborators stated that the fact that the children liked
the picture book or not was dependent on them, how they tell the story, and how they
transmit it. “It is important for you to like them for them to like them” (MaleTeacher10,31-40P).
d) Ways to read the picture book in the classroom
The picture books can be read in many different ways. Most of the participants affirmed
reading it in the morning assembly, all together and in front of the children. The
teacher shows the cover so that the children imagine what the content of the story
could be, and reads it while continuously showing the images; “we generally sit during
the morning assembly, and I turn the book so that everyone can see it while I tell
the story” (FemTeacher16,31-40P) while also making gestures “I get myself down to
their level, I’m very theatrical, I act silly and change the intonation and the voices,
and that’s very attractive to them” (FemTeacher12,+50P). The teachers show the pictures
while they tell the story, pointing to the text with their fingers, so that they “establish
the connection between the written code and what I’m saying” (FemTeacher6,+50P).
But, with respect to the ways of reading the book, we also find singular practices:
for example, some have a ritual: they light a candle, ring a bell, or sing a song
that tells the children how they must behave during the story. A collaborator says
“to tell them the story at story time, during my schedule, I perform a story ritual”
(FemTeacher5,41-50PandC).
In addition, on some occasions, when the students already know the story, the teachers
invite them to tell it, not reading the literal text, but adapting it as a function
of the students. In this way “sometimes when there are some early readers, especially
in the five years-old class, where some of the can already read, they can each read
a page” (FemTeacher3,+50P).
On the other hand, some teachers prefer to know the story and to have the book ready
to tell it to the students “I try to have the story prepared beforehand, and tell
it to them instead of reading it” (FemTeacher7,41-50P), but others want to be surprised
by the story “a thing I do with the book is that I never read it beforehand. I discover
the book at the same time as the children” (FemTeacher6,+50P).
Lastly, one male interviewer expressed that picture books unite the person who tells
it and the child, and the reading time is intimate and creates an emotional bond.
So, what I have at school is a moment of closeness, in which the child finds a strong
emotional closeness with me through the story (MaleTeacher8,41-50P).
e) Education in values through picture books
Most of the individuals interviewed used picture books with the aim of educating in
values. “It is much easier to bring them close a value through a story that they are
attracted to, they feel as part of the story” (FemTeacher18,+50C).
However, two participants indicate that they do not use the picture books for this.
They are aware that they have many implicit values and that the reading transmits
them, but they do not read it with that objective.
All the picture books obviously have some underlying value, it is a reality, but the
picture books are rarely used at the service of values, not many times (MaleTeacher13,41-50P).
f) Notable picture books to work on values and values they address
All the participants highlighted a great variety of titles they use. Tables 3 to 6 show the picture books organized by the topics indicated by the collaborators.
Table 3Picture books about friendship, respect, self-esteem, courage, perseverance, conflict
resolution, compassion, and empathy
Title
Author
Publisher
Nos tratamos bien
Lucía Serrano
Beascoa
The rainbow fish
Marcus Pfister
NorthSouth
Butterfly ears
Luisa Aguilar
HarperCollins
The little white rabbit
Xosé Ballesteros
HarperCollins
The lamb who came for dinner
Steve Smallman
HarperCollins
Camilla the zebra
Marisa Núñez
Kalandraka
Los tres bandidos
Tomi Ungerer
Kalandraka
The crocodile who came for dinner
Steve Smallman
Little tiger
Blue monster
Olga de Dios Ruiz
HarperCollins
The story of the little mole who knew it was none of his business
Werner Holzwarth
HarperCollins
Tu cuerpo es tuyo
Lucía Serrano
NubeOcho
La joya interior
Anna Llenas
Lumen
Table 4Picture books about emotions
Title
Author
Publisher
The colour monster
Anna Llenas
Templar Books
Emotionary: Say what you feel
Cristina Núñez y Rafael R. Valcárcel
HarperCollins
How are you peeling? foods with moods
Saxton Freymann
Turtleback
Alitas de pollo y el calendario de las emociones
Juan José Izquierdo Prieto
Instituto Calasanz de las Ciencias de la Educación
Sometimes mom has thunder in her head
Beatriz Taboada
Bromera
In my heart
Jo Witek
Abrams Books
Table 5Picture books about equality and diversity
Title
Author
Publisher
Azules y rosas, ya ves tú que cosas
Belén Gaudes y Pablo Macías
Cuatro tuercas
I love my colorful nails
Alicia Acosta y Luis Amavisca
HarperCollins
Modernita se pregunta: ¿Qué es lo normal?
Moderna de pueblo
Zenith
¡Hombre de color!
Jérôme Ruillier
Juventud
The black book of colors
Menena Cottin
WordUnited
Table 6Picture books about teamwork
Title
Author
Publisher
A taste of the moon
Michael Grejniec
HarperCollins
La suma de todos juntos
Borja Gómez
Babidi-bú
Moon is sad
Guido Van Genechten
Independent Pub Group
On this respect, a collaborator insisted on the importance of how it is told.
The respect the teacher shows when telling a story and how it is told gives greater
meaning to the work of values education than to the actual content of the album. The
greatest impact of all this work depends on the person telling the story. (MaleTeacher8,41-50P).
g) Activities performed before, during, and after reading the picture book
Before reading the book, many of the interviewees affirm inviting the students to
describe the cover, talk about the title, about the authors, to make a hypothesis
about what the story is about. “Normally, we show them the cover so that they see
the image and say what the story is about” (FemTeacher20,-30C), and then they sing
the start of the story song, which varies depending on the taste of the participant.
During the reading, the interviewees exert the reading model, exemplify and dramatizing
the scenes, and are careful with the intonation “during (the reading), I’m careful
with the intonation, the pauses” (FemTeacher11,41-50P).
After the reading, the participants generally talk with the children and make comments
about the story. Thus, they verify if the hypotheses are confirmed, make comments
about what happened in the story, make questions about the degree of comprehension,
work on written expression through the title, make a new cover, re-write the story
with another ending, etc.
Sometimes we work on the title, or maybe we want to work on written expression, or
with the cover, by drawing an alternative, or with the older children, we even re-write
the story and look for another ending, or we change the story (FemTeacher3,+50P).
When the students produce a manual creation, they show values, because it includes
the characteristics of the characters, or the actions captured by the story “to highlight
the positive or negative behaviors of some character” (FemTeacher11,41-50P).
h) Notable picture books to work on the values of cultural diversity, coexisting,
and equality
The collaborators underlined a series of titles of specific and relevant picture books
to work on cultural diversity, equality, and coexisting, as these values were prioritized
in the present study.
Table 7 Picture books on cultural diversity
Title
Author
Publisher
Modernita se pregunta: ¿Qué es lo normal?
Moderna de pueblo
Zenith
Pink monster
Olga de Dios
HarperCollins
El cazo de Lorenzo
Isabelle Carrier
Juventud
Elmer
David McKee
Thienemann
Un bicho extraño
Mon Daporta
Kalandraka
Por cuatro esquinitas de nada
Jérôme Ruillier
Juventud
Butterfly ears
Luisa Aguilar
HarperCollins
Los diferentosos
Margarita Blanco y Daniel Morillas
Círculo Rojo
¡Hombre de color!
Jérôme Ruillier
Juventud
A paso de tortuga
Boniface Ofogo y Rebeca Luciani
Kalandraka
Little blue and little yellow
Leo Lionni
WordUnited
Color carne
Desirée Bela-Lobedde
Penguin Kids
The cow that laid an egg
Andy Cutbill
HarperCollins
Cirilo, el cocodrilo
Almudena Taboada
SM
La reina trotamundos
Montse Ganges
Combel
Table 8Picture books on equality
Title
Author
Publisher
El niño que no quería ser azul y la niña que no quería ser rosa
Patricia Fitti
Destino
Azules y rosas, ya ves tú que cosas
Belén Gaudes y Pablo Macías
Cuatro Tuercas
I love my colorful nails
Alicia Acosta y Luis Amavisca
HarperCollins
Princesses fart too
Ilan Brenman
Bromera
Pink monster
Olga de Dios
HarperCollins
Candy Pink
Adela Turín
HarperCollins
Giraffes can´t dance
Giles Andreae
Orchard Books
Arthur and Clementine
Adela Turín
Writers and Readers Ltd
Yo voy conmigo
Raquel Díaz Reguera
Thule
La peluca de Luca
Helena Berenguer
La Naturadora
Daniela the pirate
Susanna Isern
NubeOcho
Perro azul
Nadja
Corimbo
Table 9Picture books on coexisting
Title
Author
Publisher
Nos tratamos bien
Lucía Serrano
Beascoa
A taste of the moon
Michael Grejniec
HarperCollins
The rainbow fish
Marcus Pfister
NorthSouth
The three billy goats
Olalla González
HarperCollins
Un monstruo muy especial
Ángela McAllister
Elfos
Swimmy
Leo Lionni
Dragonfly Books
Good little wolf
Nadia Shireen
Alfred a Knopf
Coco y Pío
Alexis Deacon
Ekaré
There was one collaborator who at the start, did not know what to answer, and stated:
I don’t know what to tell at this very moment, but I know what I look for: working
always on the traditional stereotypes, I to reject it or at least I offer an alternative
(MaleTeacher8,41-50P).
Another teacher highlights:
I always stress diversity, so that they value, appreciate, and enjoy it. We are very
diverse, and this is good, we have to know how to understand each other and know how
to coexist with very different people (FemTeacher7,41-50P).
i) Activities performed after the reading of the picture book work on the values
Almost all the interviewees affirmed working on values, in one way or another, after
the reading of the picture book. They underlined: the importance of oral expression
to see who understood it, making drawings, the dramatization of the scenes from the
story, the association of the fictitious story with reality, the search of situations
experienced related with the story, etc.
We have to try, every day, when conflict arise, to tell them: do you remember about
the day we read the story? Do you remember what happened? What did we have to do?
It’s like we are always re-living it. It’s not only about reading it and doing an
activity (FemTeacher1,41-50P).
A female collaborator insists that it is fundamental to talk in the classroom about
how it feels when one experiences what it occurs in the picture book and to look for
solutions, as well as to ask them to make a drawing that shows their mood to learn
how to identify emotions.
If there is a situation of anger in the story, for example, after reading a story,
we talk about how everyone feels when they are angry, what we can do to correct it,
and they make a drawing alluding to mood. For example, if it was a situation of anger,
they are asked to draw something that calms them (FemTeacher2,+50PandC).
The words from a collaborator must be underlined, who mentioned not doing specific
activities after reading the story:
If it comes from them, then yes, but on my part, I close the book and the story ends,
that’s it. In addition, as it is something that they like to listen to over and over,
we’ll use the story again (MaleTeacher13,41-50P).
j) Possibilities found when using picture books with the children
All the participants affirmed finding infinite possibilities. They explained that
they work on many aspects, from the reading of pictograms, the support of a project,
motivation for reading and writing, or the stimulation for the creation of their own
stories, to the identification of emotions, the transmission of values, enjoying children’s
literature, or fostering creativity. As one female interviewee says: “I think that
it has many possibilities, because it offers a considerable scope in every area of
the curriculum” (FemTeacher3,+50P).
At the same time, the collaborators coincided in that it is an essential instrument
in the Early Childhood Education stage, ensuring that it is a versatile material that
must be used daily. “It should be a systematic resource and of daily use for everything,
as there is always a story for everything” (FemTeacher6,+50P).
A female teacher highlighted that it is a resource for “returning to calmness” when
the class becomes rowdy, which works if the reading of the story occurs in a calm
environment, and the teacher also points out that the possibilities of a picture book
also depends on the manner in which it is used by the person. “There are as many versions
as voices, as many possibilities as the ability of the person who is with children”
(MaleTeacher8,41-50P).
k) Difficulties found when using the picture books with the students
Most of the people interviewed did not find difficulties when using picture books,
“on the contrary, a book always offers many possibilities” (MaleTeacher10,31-40P).
In turn, there were some participants who mentioned some, but they explained that
these are implicit difficulties that appear during the reading, due to different circumstances.
You can find difficulties when the group is large. During the reading, you obviously
have to continuously get their attention so that they do not leave the reading (FemTeacher1,41-50P);
The main difficulty is the different levels. There are children whose attention can
be easily captured, but others who due to SEN (Special Education Needs), cannot stay
quiet for so long (FemTeacher14,41-50C).
Lastly, two collaborators mentioned finding difficulties related with themselves,
explaining that depending if they liked the book or not, they will know how to work
with it and to transmit the content in a different manner. “I can find some difficulties
if the story is imposed, and because I don’t like it, I will not transmit it well”
(FemTeacher7,41-50P).
Conclusions and discussion
The present study, conducted through semi-structured interviews given to Early Childhood
Education teachers, allows us to draw conclusions and discuss some previous studies.
We can underline, in first place, the great educational value given to picture books
as a genre, by Early Childhood Education teachers (; ; ; ). The teachers habitually use them and advocate for their use, as they help students
learn to read, and enable the simultaneous development of reading and visual literacy,
creating connections between fiction and the real world, coinciding with the results
from previous studies (; ; ; ; ; ). In future studies, it would be interesting to perform observations in the classrooms
on the different uses of picture books, in both paper (widely use) and digital (not
as widely use) formats.
Likewise, the teachers verify that picture books are an important resource to recognize
and manage emotions, express feelings and emotions, and to acquire civic values in
Early Childhood Education, in agreement with previous studies (; ; ; ; ). Thus, picture books fulfill a dual objective: they educate in values while simultaneously
developing multiple important school lessons (; ; ). On the other hand, the diversity of titles used by the teachers every day indicates
that picture books address values that favor respect and intercultural and equal coexistence,
and create school contexts free of negative attitudes and prejudices (; ; ; ; ). The interviewees revealed that picture books allow them to address matters related
with diversity, coexistence, and equality. However, it is necessary to further delve,
in future studies, into how this education is values takes place. It is necessary
to inquire about hegemonic values and the stereotypes that can be taught with respect
to equality, ethnicity, plurality, disability, etc. in Early Childhood Education classrooms,
and the positive or negative impact of the picture books in this process (; ). Therefore, it would be important to conduct ethnographic studies in the classrooms
when working with picture books to identify the hegemonic values and the possible
stereotypes transmitted daily in the classrooms of Early Childhood Education. The
question must be asked whether or not the students who work with picture books have
a broader view of human diversity, civic coexistence, and equality among people. Likewise,
in the future, it would be necessary to perform specific studies on education in each
of these values, and even other values and/or counter-values, using picture books.
Likewise, the teachers verified that picture books offer many methodological possibilities
in classrooms. They underline the relevance of creating discussion groups after reading
to comment on similar stories and situations experienced (). On the other hand, it was verified that teachers see much potential in the picture
books, which show numerous and complex values that are important in the Early Childhood
Education stage (; ; ; ). The present study has allowed for the identification of a corpus of readings that
can help any teacher, either experienced or novel, to approach picture books for their
use in Early Childhood Education classrooms. Given the breadth of the featured titles,
each teacher can articulate specific didactic proposals of education in values with
some or all of these titles (; ; ). It would be interesting to also collect the point of view of the students with
respect to the reading of picture books in the classrooms, and how they act upon their
lives, comparing the values that are taught and those that become established.
In the future, it would be desirable to replicate this exploratory study in different
national or international contexts with a larger number of teachers and the application
of both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Likewise, specific studies could
be conducted on some of the highlighted topics (digital reading of picture books,
the specific transmission of values such as diversity or equality). It would be desirable
to perform ethnographic studies, with the coexistence of teachers, researchers, and
students in the classroom, especially listening to the voice of the students, and
observing/analyzing their behaviors/values in the classroom and outside of it.
In any case, the article allows us to affirm that picture books are versatile, relevant,
necessary, and current resources, as well as valid, to address values such as coexistence,
diversity, and equality in Early Childhood Education, as revealed by the words of
the teachers interviewed.
Contributions of the authors
Raquel Gutiérrez-García: Formal analysis; Conceptualization; Data curation; Writing - original draft; Writing
- review and editing; Research; Methodology; Resources; Software; Validation; Visualization.
Carmen Álvarez-Álvarez: Project administration; Formal analysis; Conceptualization; Writing - review and
editing; Methodology; Resources; Software; Supervision; Validation; Visualization.
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