CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AS A MODEL FOR LEARNING ABOUT LIFE FOR CHILDREN, BUT ALSO FOR ADULTS

Abstract

Abstract: As a product of the imagination of Sonja Stanković and Bojan Stanković, M.A., as well as their desire to give a gift to all children who begin their school days, the book “Zebrichka” was published in 2019. In addition to joining the ranks of other works in the field of children’s literature, the authors have every intention of the work having the ability to reach not only those to whom it is dedicated, but also adults, parents and teachers. Starting from the very dedication of the book, an important question arises for the audience (readers) of children’s literature and its correct use: is it strictly intended for children? Do adults play a role in children’s literature beyond its creation? What does children’s literature give to adults, and how can they give back to it? How does the reading experience differ between an adult and a child? What is the interpretive power that an adult possesses and what is the adult’s duty in deciphering the universal messages and advice that are characteristic of children’s literature? “Zebrichka” is an appropriate work for analysis if we strive to answer questions of this kind. In this story, the perception of characters and events opens up the potential for drastic differences in the interpretive aspect among children and adults. Although children are the audience of children’s literature, adults are the ones who build on and complete it because they are the ones who use it as a tool to fill an important part of the period of children’s growth and development.
Key words: children’s literature, gender stereotypes, first love.