Ecocritical Perspectives in Children's Literature
Summary
Ecocritical perspectives in children’s literature examine how narratives shape and reflect notions of nature, nonhuman agency and environmental ethics. By analysing textual strategies that invite young readers to engage with ecological themes—ranging from anthropomorphised flora and fauna to climate activism scenarios—scholars reveal the ways in which stories foster environmental literacy, ethical reflection and modes of care. Recent scholarship has broadened its scope beyond pastoral idylls to include critical plant studies, holistic ecology and posthuman entanglements, emphasising the role of literature in cultivating a sense of interconnectedness across species and systems. This field engages a diverse array of global contexts, emphasising practical applications in educator training, curriculum development and community outreach. Such work underscores the potential of children’s texts to both mirror and shape emerging environmental worldviews in the Anthropocene.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have applied a Deleuzian framework to young adult liminal fantasy, coining the term ‘outlandish creatures’ for nonhuman characters that inhabit the everyday worlds of young protagonists. This analysis highlights how genre crossover and deterritorialisation of boundaries between species serve as narrative devices for reflecting ecological anxieties in the Anthropocene. By blending fantasy tropes with environmental enquiry, these narratives foster ethical orientation and identity formation that foreground relational understandings of human–nature entanglement.
Ecocritical Perspectives in Children's Literature publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in ecocritical perspectives in children's literature across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ecocriticism: critical approach that examines the relationships between literature and the physical environment, emphasising ecological themes and nonhuman agency.
Anthropocene: proposed geological era characterised by significant human impact on Earth’s ecosystems and geology, often invoked in environmental humanities.
Deterritorialisation: concept from Deleuze indicating the breakdown of established boundaries, applied here to blur distinctions between species and genres in narrative.
Holistic ecology: theoretical lens viewing humans and the natural environment as integrated, interdependent systems rather than separate entities.
Phyto-Analysis Map: analytical framework designed to categorise and map representations of plants in children’s literature, focusing on plant agency, behaviour and relational attributes.
References
- Outlandish creatures and genre crossover in young adult liminal fantasy: a Deleuzian perspective. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023).
- Analysing Plant Representation in Children’s Literature: The Phyto-Analysis Map. Children's Literature in Education (2021).
- Towards A Literature of Actions: Green Informational Picturebooks and Critical Engagement with Fighting Climate Change. Children's Literature in Education (2023).
- “I Am the Eternal Green Man”: Holistic Ecology in Reading Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls. Children's Literature in Education (2019).
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