MIND THE MARGIN! ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN’S (NON)READING OF PICTURE BOOK PERIPHERIES. AN EYE TRACKING STUDY

Abstract

When we pick up a book, the first thing we see is the cover. We might read the title and the name of the author to identify the book. When we decide to read the book, we usually flip through the first pages until we reach the beginning of the narrative. Gérard Genette has described some of the elements we usually find within this transactional zone through his concept of paratexts. For written literature, Genette sees the function of these textual elements in guiding reception. Picture book publications have recently shown a development with regard to increasing narrative transgression. In particular, the images on the cover, endpapers, and within the title pages are often an integral part of the narrative, while the printed text (in the following referred to as ‘print’) continues to follow the conventions described by Genette. This leads to the question whether child readers adapt their reception behavior when they encounter such picture book peripheries. This paper discusses eye movement data recorded during picture book reception by 48 elementary school students. The data show a significant tendency for participants to pay only very selective attention to the peripheral areas of the picture book, even when the narrative extends into the periphery. The concept of typographic dispositives is proposed as a theoretical explanation for these findings.