Visuality and Therapeutic Effects in Ukrainian Picturebooks about War

• In Event: Contemporary Ukrainian Children’s Literature and Picturebooks: Adapting the Lessons of the Past, Facing the Challenges of the Present

Abstract

This paper discusses the interplay between visuality and emotions in contemporary Ukrainian picturebooks that appeared in wartime (since 2014 and especially since 2022) and deal with war experience. It is remarkable how often the picturebook genre has been used for writing about war. At the same time, several Ukrainian authors have emphasized the intended therapeutic effect of their books, aiming to alleviate children’s fears and sufferings. This paper will first identify images with emotional semantics: particular colors, shapes, visual symbols, and graphic motifs. Second, it will analyze how emotional narratives emerge through visual composition in its interaction with text. The focus will be on two major narratives: overcoming fears and gaining a sense of being loved and protected by other people or magic powers.

Author

• Svetlana Efimova, Ludwig-Maximilians-U Munich (Germany)