Choreography of Characters: Movement and Posture in Illustrated Texts for Children.

This paper begins with the premise that very often, in analysing or just talking about illustrated books, one uses the word ‘movement’, or ‘motion’, to express the characteristics of a picture or a series of them. In the research literature, remarks on movement link with the dynamics of a story, depicting action, alternating situations, and the liveliness and diversity of the book as a whole. In regard to both pictures and texts, however, the concept of movement remains rather abstract and vague; we mostly talk about an illusion, whose origin is difficult to express precisely. This article discusses the concept of movement first in the broader sense and then seeks an alternative viewpoint on analysing movement in illustrated children’s literature. It particularly emphasises movement in relation to the characters, inspired by ideas from modern dance. Examples are drawn from the illustrations and texts of the Moomin books by Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]