Kindergarten Children’s Aesthetic Preferences for Picture Books Choose the Book Through the Cover

(Nadia Ahmed Ibrahim Al Jadidi and Dalia Abd El-Wahed Mohamed)

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Abstract

Children can be lured to interact with books based on the attractive images on its covers. This work aims to describe and explain the nature of aesthetic preferences of kindergarten children for picture books, and their ability to choose books by judging their cover. The work adopted descriptive analytical approach. Books and stories of kindergarten children were surveyed then twelve books were selected according to specific criteria. The selected books fell in three categories, i.e., traditional, representational, and the holograms. Individual interview method was used to record and analyze children’s responses. During the interview, child was asked questions designed to encourage dialogue and free expression. The research was conducted on a sample of 297 kindergarten children from the age group (3-6) years, enrolled in the first, second, and third kindergarten level. Research findings indicated that children prefer stories with bright colors and distinctive prints that can be touched. They were attracted to saturated colors book covers, which contains a representational view or familiar images. All children preferred books with holograms, either traditional or representational. The work came out with a product containing the preferred specifications of children stories. These stories were designed based on the aesthetic standards of children. The work recommended that a children book must have aesthetic experience beside its intellectual experience. Children should be allowed to get a variety of their favorite aesthetic books, not adult favorite books, to be attracted to a book, to read and write, in addition to raising the slogan ‘No to ugly books’. Key Words: Book cover, Book design, Picture Books.
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