Specialarbete, 15 högskolepoängSV 1301, svenska språket, fördjupningskursVT 2011Handledare: Anna LyngfeltExaminator: Hans Landqvist.

The discussion on whether the aesthetics or the pedagogy of children´s literature is the most important trait of the genre has been going on for quite some time. As children´s literature rose from a will to educate it is argued that pedagogy is forever imbued in the literature that addresses the child as its main reader. Literary scholars voices concern that the discussions about aesthetic expressions are being shunned in favor of that of educational values but does one exclude the other?In this essay I focus on two of Swedens most prominent authors of children´s literature, Lennart Hellsing and Ulf Stark. They are both part of the aesthetics/pedagogy debate, in their fictional works for children as well as with articles and essays on the subject.

Bilderboken Sagan om den lilla hinden kom ut 1924, bara na?gra a?r efter att kvinnlig ro?stra?tt info?rts i Sverige. Denna studie pekar pa? forskning som uppma?rksammat att Beskow tidigt fo?rde in samha?llskritik i sina barnbokstexter och att kvinnors yttrandefrihet la?g henne varmt om hja?rtat. Studien bekra?ftar och fo?rdjupar den bilden och visar bland annat att Beskow i Sagan om den lilla hinden anva?nder sig av sofistikerade littera?ra strategier fo?r att uppmana till motsta?nd mot sna?va och inskra?nkta samha?llsnormer samt pla?dera fo?r en friare samha?llsdebatt.