| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺東大學 === 兒童文學研究所 === 97 === When speaking of ecological literature, ecological fiction or news reports literature is generally considered the mainstream and ecological fiction is commonly seen among children’s literature works. Picture books are one type of children’s literature. Ms. Kumiko Kundo, a Japanese picture books writer using picture books as a medium, has demonstrated a unique painting style by depicting the interactions among plants, insects and animals to convey her passion for nature.
This study is based on the sixteen books written and illustrated by Ms. Kumiko Kundo, analyzing the illustrations, texts and the relationships between pictures and texts. The study is aimed at understanding the different types of themes presented in the works, different styles of expression and the different visual effects resulting there from. Further, the study conducts an in-depth review on the ecological value promoted by Ms. Kumiko Kundo in her books with the three major environmental ethical principles in western society – anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and environmental holism.
The study concludes the followings. Plants, which are the stages where animals play, are depicted in a vivid style in Ms. Kumiko Kundo’s picture books. While plants do not play a leading role in those pictures, they exist in each of Ms. Kumiko Kundo’s works and exhibit a variety of features with the changing four seasons. Animals are presented in cartoon-style, mimicking behaviors of human beings. The writer depicted little creatures inhabiting the meadows, forests, or ponds surrounding human houses and these creatures’ efforts for survival. The sun, rain and soil, as sources providing energies to living creatures, demonstrated their influence on plants and animals through texts and symbolic illustrations.
The ecologic values presented in Ms. Kumiko Kundo’s works are very similar to the biocentrism in western environmental ethical principles. Ms. Kumiko Kundo treasures various kinds of livings on the earth, and praises the vigor and splendor of life. The continuous flourishing and sustaining of the earth could be attributed to the interaction and blending among different species, including lives and non-lives. Human beings are part of the great universe and the writer Ms. Kumiko Kundo wishes to encourage people to come close to the nature, to experience the wonders of life and to treasure all living creatures accordingly.
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