Functions, role and features of illustrations in children's educational book concept

The article describes the current problems of the design concept of the modern children's educational book in the context of the general review of the history of children's book illustration. Unlike the Western tradition Russia for a long time had an opinion that it is not the images but moralizing conclusions that are important for the children's book. Thus, almost until the 1860s illustrations in Russian children's books, including educational ones, had no artistic value. Only in the early twentieth century educators raised a question about the functions of illustrations in books for children. However, there were no concepts of one-piece illustrative series, interaction of illustrations with each other and with the text in the book. Events of the late twentieth century significantly influenced the development of children's educational illustration. Russia's transition to market-based relations in the 1990s affected the printing industry in general and the publication of children's books in particular. A. Aleshin, the chief artist of the Ministry of Information and Press, who illustrated children's books says the fact that the Russian market is full of poor quality books. Moreover, the modern market of typographic products reflects the attitude to the children's educational illustration as to a secondary element of the edition. The general level of buyers' culture dictates the priority of affordability rather than quality, so the publishing market generates demand for poor quality products. The author draws attention to the illustration as the main component of children's educational books, without which it is impossible to realize its functionality. It is emphasized that illustrations in the educational book for preschoolers has a special, cognitive function. It is not an addition to the text but its substitution. Illustration in the preschool book, in fact, is the only way of understanding the reality, one of the most important means of pedagogical influence on the child. Preschoolers' viewing illustrations is a complex and effective educational process that develops children's minds. The illustrator of children's educational books, primarily preschool ones, along with the author influences the formation of the philosophical and aesthetic qualities of the person. In this connection, illustrative series are described as a single system. On this basis the author makes recommendations to illustrators and editors of children's educational books.

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