ABSTRACT
Whereas western children’s literature was produced over time by its milieu, it cannot be assumed that this process pertains also to “developing” countries, where, as well as drawing on folktales, classics, and religious tales, children’s literature has also encountered the challenge of a well-established and hegemonic discourse of modernity. In addition to different internal criteria, therefore, external factors, though sometimes paradoxical, have also been very influential in the construction of Iranian children’s literature. This influence is evident in two ways: first, the ideal modern pattern has proved to be very alluring; second, because of its monist nature, modernity has challenged Iranian national identity and has promoted resistance and returning to self. So the internal movements of developing countries assume a new form through the dynamics of “attraction and repulsion.” The development and growth of picture books in Iran seems to have mirrored this phenomenon.
