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Would you, Could you, Should you,
Use Picture Books to Broaden Teachers’
Critical Thinking Dispositions and Awareness?
Denise McDonald
I begin by reading the picture book The Story of the Little Mole Who
Went in Search of Whodunit (Holzwarth, 1993) and introduce it to
the listeners by noting that this book was the number two best seller
in Germany. The first couple of pages of the story read like
traditional literature with colorful complementary illustrations, and
I observe that many listeners are quietly enjoying, but intensely
anticipating my motive for reading this children’s book in a
graduate-level course. As the story progresses, the furrowed brows of
contemplation are quickly transformed to wide-eyed surprise when the
listeners realize that this story depicts a mole with feces on his
head going around to other animals asking them if they did this to
him. In response, each animal defends its innocence by describing and
demonstrating how it does it (the author presents high use of
onomatopoeia for these descriptions). The initial aesthetic listening
receptivity to the story becomes one of listeners’
disequilibrium, resulting in either offended or amused stances. I
remind the listeners that this book was listed as the number
two best seller in Germany. A mixture of nervous and delighted
laughter emanates from the group as the students shift and regroups
their thought processes. I continue to read as some listeners become
increasingly uncomfortable with the plot line while others laugh
uproariously. At the end of the story, Little Mole identifies the
perpetrator of the offense and takes revenge by committing the same
act on the original victimizer, now turned ultimate victim, a
sleeping dog. I then ask the listeners, “Would you, could you,
should you, read this book to your students?”
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Would you, Could you, Should you, Use Picture Books to Broaden Teachers’ Critical Thinking Dispositions and Awareness?