An exploration of the child’s perspective in the illustrated book Nicholas by Goscinny and Sempé

Since the beginning of time, storytelling for children has always had a strong pedagogical element, passing along messages that can shape the child-reader. While there are many in-depth studies of fairy tales and their evolution, as well as studies on children’s literature from an English-speaking background, the research is lacking in certain niches of literature. Breaching this gap and analysing a set of short stories such as Nicholas allows for an understanding of how these narratives might have shaped their target audiences, as well as who is represented and how. A combined approach of critical literacy with educational theory, in a qualitative study, structures this article, working to understand how semiotics and the concept of Othering are explored in these stories and how they might contribute to a better understanding of the self, others, and interpersonal and intercultural relationships for the child-reader who consumes them.