Review article
CROATIAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF FOREIGN REVIEWERS
Berislav Majhut
orcid.org/0000-0003-1819-4715
; Učiteljski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Odsjek u Petrinji
Sanja Lovrić Kralj
orcid.org/0000-0001-9742-9732
; Učiteljski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Odsjek u Petrinji
Abstract
A view from the outside on Croatian children’s literature may offer to
Croatian researchers a number of interesting insights. It can offer not only unusual and interesting observations but also point out to the phenomena that Croatian researchers may not be sufficiently aware of. Overviews of entire Croatian children’s literature or a particular genre written by foreign authors are scarce. Foreign authors more often write reviews of a particular book of a Croatian author in which they
briefly mention the literary-historical context in which that particular author worked.We analyzed texts written by foreign authors for foreign readership. Of course, the concepts "foreign" and "Croatian" are subject to historical changes. Therefore, in this study they are used in the meaning they have in a particular historical context. In each of the analyzed texts, starting from the earliest one from 1911, Croatian children’s literature is presented in one of five political frameworks,
i.e. in different historical circumstances. The analysis shows that, except for the latest political change in 1991, foreign writers of overviews of Croatian children’s literature reacted promptly to all changes taking into account the changed social and historical context and observed Croatian children’s literature in new circumstances.
A possible reason for the lack of this pattern of behavior on the part of foreign writers after 1991 may be found, in the first place, in the lack of a strong and clearly articulated attitude towards the recent period by Croatian researchers of Croatian children’s literature.
Keywords
Croatian children’s literature; foreign text on Croatian children’s literature; History of Croatian children’s literature
Hrčak ID:
178278
URI
Publication date:
30.3.2017.
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