2023 Volume 56 Issue 6 Pages 270-278
In this study, we created a picture book to convey the culture of whale consumption in Yamaguchi Prefecture and examined its usefulness through evaluations by nursery schoolteachers. Awareness of Nanban-ni, the subject of the picture book, was low (12.5%) among nursery schoolteachers. The most common age of the children to whom the picture book was read was 4-5 years old (46.4%), and then 3-4 years old (30.4%). 〈Nanban-ni recipe〉 achieved the highest score, 4.5, whereas 〈character arrangement〉, 〈flow of the story〉, and 〈consistency between the picture and the content〉 each received 3.8 points. This suggests that creating picture books featuring local cuisine may be an effective way to increase opportunities for children to learn about such cuisine from an early age. After the picture book reading, 91.9% of the children answered, "It was fun." Their comments during the reading included: "Can whales be eaten?" and "I want to try eating it!"
