Allegory of the Picture Book - Humanities

Inspired by our reading of “The Tao of Pooh”, the

objective of this assignment is to approach a
seemingly simple text from a philosophical lens to
unveil new, complex meaning. My hope is that you’ll
tap into your creativity, imagination, originality, and
wonder, which are all core principles deriving from the
authenticity of a child’s mind.

Choose your adventure:

Option 1: Create a “children’s” picture book that is an allegory for philosophy principles.
● Must have a clear focus on a specific philosopher, field of thought, or question in philosophy
● Must include a brief explanation of connections between story and philosophy
● Can be hand-drawn or electronically designed (I recommend Storybird)
Option 2: Analyze how an existing children’s book (or books) could be read as a philosophical allegory through
a specific lens.
● Must have a clear focus on a specific philosopher, field of thought, or question in philosophy
● Must combine images from the book and specific analysis of those images

Brainstorming resources:
● list of other philosophers and schools of thought (you can switch yours!)
● “101 questions in philosophy” handout
● “Happily ever after? Using children's stories to teach philosophy and ethics”
● “Philosophy in Children’s Literature review”
● “12 Best Philosophical Books for Kids”

Requirements based on number of authors:

Philosophers / Pre-existing Word count Pages in your Minimum
field of thought children’s for your own own picture word count
/ overarching books analysis book for
question explanation

Independently 1 1 500-750 10 200

1 partner 1-2 1 750-1000 15-20 400

2 partners 2-3 2 1000-1250 20-25 600