The representation of disability in children's literature

The representation of disability in children’s literature in an area that is severely under researched yet is something that is relevant to us all. Disability is an extremely fluid minority, with people moving between the able-bodied and the disabled throughout their lifetime, some on multiple occasions. It is therefore extremely important that the representation of disability in our literature, particularly in children’s literature, is one that is accurate and diverse. This thesis will be examining the way that disability is created within society based on our understanding of ‘the norm’ and the way we perceive the body. I will be discussing the binary relationship between the able-bodied and the disabled throughout this thesis and the need to break down socially constructed barriers and reclassify these two groups. I will be examining the way characters with a disability and ‘the body’ are treated within two classic children’s texts, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, before progressing on to a contemporary children’s text Finding Nemo. Additionally, I will be conducting a close analysis of two recent picture books, The Black Book of Colours by Menena Cottin, originally written in Spanish, and the Indigenous Australian text Two Mates by Melanie Prewett.