Animal biodiversity and specificity in children’s picture books

Abstract

While animal biodiversity is declining globally, cultural representations of animals are highly prevalent in society and play an increasing part in shaping children’s perceptions of animal diversity. We studied animal portrayals in children’s picture books in the Netherlands, and coded over 2,200 animals from 217 award-winning books. We found a strong bias toward vertebrates, mammals in particular. Mammals were featured more often than other animals, played more prominent roles in the story, and were visually and textually specified more strongly. Furthermore, exotic and domestic species outnumbered native species. Picture books currently are likely to reinforce children’s perceptions toward only a small part of animal biodiversity. While we realize that picture books have other primary aims, picture book makers could be inspired and encouraged to diversify and specify their portrayals of the natural world. This would broaden children’s perceptions of the animal kingdom and could help foster lasting connections to biodiversity.

It’s what on the inside that counts: Addressing the biodiversity crisis by emphasizing species’ inner mental lives

“…This reasoning is supported by the moderation effect of trait-level nature relatedness: the mentalizing manipulation appeared to work better for those who already have a strong vs. weak identification with nature. We are taught about the animal kingdom from a young age, and these cultural transactions often fail to incorporate the full variety of species on our planet, instead focusing on certain charismatic mammals (Hooykaas et al, 2022). Moreover, animal mental states are generally underappreciated or even denied by the general public (Leach et al, 2023;de Waal, 1999).…”

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“…There have been numerous studies examining the animal biodiversity in children's books, in fashion (Hooykaas et al, 2022a;Hooykaas et al, 2022b;Nakagawa & Koda, 2023), in proverbs (Asefa, 2021;Esirkepova et al, 2018;Kayad & Mary, 2021;Kobia, 2016;Thin, 2020). The aim of this study is therefore to analyze the biodiversity of animals in Fuliiru paremiology.…”

WASP: the World Archives of Species Perception

“…Thus, human perception collectively (i.e. public perception) represents the general view of society and can influence public contribution to species conservation in many ways, including environmental attitude ( 2 ), public awareness and attention for species ( 6 , 7 ), willingness to fund conservation ( 4 ), organizational choice of species to promote ( 8 , 9 ) or protect ( 10 , 11 ) and targeted contribution to species research and knowledge ( 12–14 ). Despite such implications, little effort has been dedicated to further understand the extent to which public perception influences species conservation, which suggests that this area is in urgent need of research.…”

“…However, despite the mediatic, practical and economic advantages, targeted promotion of charismatic species is a highly controversial approach (for an extensive discussion, see ( 19 )). One widespread line of criticism argues that such an approach may further enhance the ever-present perception bias among scientists, conservation organizations and the general public toward large vertebrates ( 20 ) because most charismatic species communicated to the public belong to a tiny fraction of biodiversity, particularly large-bodied mammals and birds ( 8 , 9 ). Targeted promotion of those few privileged species also diverts public attention and hence public funding resources toward species possessing those particular traits, which may trigger public favoritism for charismatic species over primary conservation considerations, such as species’ endangered status ( 21 ) or ecological importance ( 22–24 ).…”