Images for Little Architects. Architecture and Architectural Drawing in Children’s Books and Comics: An Interesting Case Study

Abstract

Literature for childhood, in its various expressions, is undoubtedly an important source of spatial and architectural education: children books indeed are rich in spatial references and frequently intercept the theme of dwelling. In 1970, Tison and Taylor, an architect and a professor of mathematics, created the popular Barbapapapa series, which is an extraordinary example of architectural pedagogy. This study aims to investigate the way architecture is explained and communicated through text and illustrations, considering in particular the following aspects: the role of pictures, the representation of space, the use of technical drawing and the transmission of a geometric content.