摘要：Artiklen undersøger, hvad der karakteriserer det narrative forløb i udvalgte billedbøger for små børn og hovedpersonerne I disse narrativer. Den overordnede ramme for undersøgelsen er de senere års nordiske billedbogsforskning og litteraten J.Hillis Millers beskrivelse af, hvad en fortælling er. På den baggrund analyseres en række nordiske fiktive billedbøger for små børn fra perioden 1945–2009, bl.a. Grete Janus Hertz’ Bamse (1945) med illustrationer af Mogens Hertz, Gunilla Woldes ti bøger om Totte (1969–1973) samt Barbro Lindgrens bøger om Max (1981–1994) illustreret af Eva Eriksson. Artiklen konkluderer, at man i de tidlige eksempler fra 1940'erne og 1950'erne finder et repetitivt narrativt forløb, som bygger på gentagelser af sætninger eller begivenheder med små variationer. Persontegningen i disse bøger er minimal. I eksempler fra omkring 1980 og i en række udgivelser efter år 2000 ses en udvikling mod plot-orienterede forløb, der indeholder narrativer i aristotelisk forstand, i form af fortællinger med en begyndelse, en midte og en afslutning. Hovedpersonen i disse fortællinger defineres både gennem handlinger, relationer og stærke følelser, positive såvel som negative. Gennem disse karakteristika lægger bøgerne op til den indlevelse og sammenligning med de faktiske læseres eget levede liv. På den baggrund skitseres muligheden for at undersøge fiktion for små børn i lyset af teorier om fiktionens potentielle betydning for identitetsdannelsen, som beskrevet bl.a. af litteraturpædagogen Louise Rosenblatt og filosoffen Martha Nussbaum. I lyset heraf opfordrer artiklen til fremover at skelne mellem pegebøger, bøger for små børn med repetitive narrative forløb og konflikt- og personorienterede narrativer, der med tematik, persontegning og beskrivelsen af en forandring, erkendelse eller konflikt omkring hovedpersonen, gør det nærliggende at læse værkerne i lyset af forestillinger om litteratur i et dannnelsesperspektiv.This article investigates what characterizes the narrative progression in a selection of picture books for small children and the main characters in these narratives. The overarching framework for the study is based on recent years’ picture book research in the Nordic countries and on the literary critic J. Hillis Miller's definition of a narrative. Against this backdrop a number of Nordic fictional picture books for small children from the period 1945–2009 is analyzed, among others Grethe Janus Hertz’ Bamse (1945), illustrated by Mogens Hertz, Gunilla Wolde's ten books on Totte (1969–1973), as well as Barbro Lindgren's books on Max (1981–1994), illustrated by Eva Eriksson. The article concludes that in the early examples from the 1940s and 1950s one finds a repetitive narrative progression that builds on repitition of sentences or events with only small variations. Characterizations of the people in these books is minimal. In examples from around 1980 and in a number of publications after 2000, a trend can be detected towards plot-oriented story progressions that contain a more Aristotelian narative, in the form of stories that have a beginning, a middle and an end. The protaganists of these stories are defined through actions as well as relationships and strong emotions, of both a positive and negative sort. Through these characteristics, the books persuade the readers to engage in the story, and to compare it with their own life. Against this background, the article outlines possibilities for investigating fiction for young children in light of theories on its potential importance for identity building, as described by the literary critic and pedagogue Louise Rosenblatt and the philsopher Martha Nussbaum, among others. In light thereof, the article points to the importance in future to distinguish between picture books, books for young children with repetitive narrative development, and conflict and person-oriented narratives in which themes, characterizations of people and descriptions of a change, recognition or conflict surrounding the main character almost invite us to read such works from a Bildungsroman perspective.
