Children literature can be a potent tool for absentee parents to socialize and teach their children. It allows parents to impart important lessons and values even when their careers prevent them from being physically present. Children literature should be enjoyable for children while also addressing morals, ethics, and good behavior. When selected carefully and shared regularly with children, literature can effectively guide their development into responsible citizens during the times parents cannot be with them directly.

1. CHILDREN LITERATURE: A
POTENT TOOL IN THE HANDS
OF ABSENTEE PARENT(S)
IYABODE OMOLARA AKEWO DANIEL, PHD
akewoauthe@gmail.com, idaniel@noun.edu.ng
+234-8052786823
ENGLISH UNIT, SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES,
NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA,
LAGOS, NIGERIA.

2. INTRODUCTION
• Children literature was a recent phenomenon in the literary
Nigeria.
• Children literature was able to make an inroad into the Nigerian
literati.
• Children literature as a potential tool of socialisation of
Nigerian children.
• Children literature as a tool to be used by parents to develop
their children.
• The Nigerian president already encouraging this as a possible

3. WHAT THEN IS CHILDREN LITERATURE?
• Children literature is possibly literature written for children.
• Literature written about children.
• Literature written by children.
• But for us, it is literature that has children as heroes and
heroines and read and consumed mostly by children.

4. WHO IS AN ABSENTEE PARENT?
• Parenting is seen in the sense of caring for children.
• Absentee parenting could then suggest absence from being
able to do this duty of caring for children.

5. • Children literature started as oral tradition in Nigeria.
• The literary form of children literature in Nigeria started with the
consumption of English children literature such as Oliver Twist by
Thomas Hardy and the fairy tale about Cinderella.
• It grew with such early attempts like Azudu by William Balkie, Peter
Nwana (Omenuko), Rowan Bogaja and Abubakar Imam (Kwamin Sani
Lukun), D. O. Fagunwa (Ogboju Ode ninu Igbo Olodumare), and
Mabel Segun (My Father’s Daughter).
• All added to the growth of children literature.
HISTORY OF CHILDREN LITERATURE IN
NIGERIA

6. PURPOSE OF CHILDREN LITERATURE
• Children literature mostly focused on the teaching of morals
• To teach children social ethics
• To guide them into proper conduct
• Essentially, it is an instrument of children socialisation
• Children literature thus thrives on didactic focus in terms of its
expected result of developing responsible citizenry.

7. SOME EXAMPLES OF LITERARY WORKS THAT
TEACH CHILDREN MORALS (1)
• The Incorruptible Judge – good always overcome evil; evil of
corruption and its attendant disgrace.
• The Iroko-Man and the Wood-Carver – patriotism is rewarding; greed
is evil and hard work pays.
• Sugar Girl – obedience is a virtue; being helpful to the weak; being
responsible and dutiful is good.
• Without a Silver Spoon – poverty is not an excuse to become a thief;
honesty always bears one out; faithfulness even to the ungrateful;
avoid hasty judgement of others; humility to accept it when wrong
and apologise

8. SOME EXAMPLES OF LITERARY WORKS THAT
TEACH CHILDREN MORALS (2)
• Hero Number One – never assume that only you know; good
neighbourliness as an asset. The question though is: is there a
good kind of disobedience?
• Stories my Mother Told me – good behaviour is better and
more acceptable than evil acts.
• Children’s Rhymes – you need to be persistent; you must be
clean always; you must listen to advice from elders; you need to
learn to be spiritual.

9. CHILDREN AND AESTHETICS
• Children should enjoy the books they read.
• The implication is that children books should be full of
aesthetics.
• Drudgery should be avoided in the books that children read.
• Teaching them to be good citizens can be achieved even when
we use colourful books and still make the important and
impactful point.

10. TECHNIQUES COMMONLY USED IN
CHILDREN LITERATURE
• Journey motif – some actually engaged in physical journey while for
others it is essentially psychological
• The law of karma always holding sway (good always triumph over
evil).
• Characterisation – examples of good personal traits are made visible
to the children to follow while those with bad traits are shown to be
eventually disgraced or punished.
• The abused child motif is another prominent issue raised. Children
suffer but eventually triumph as they remain good children despite
the abuses.

11. CHILDREN LITERATURE AND THE WAY
FORWARD
• Literary texts should be bought for children to read by the
parents.
• Poems and drama pieces should also form part of the books
children are exposed to.
• Creative writing should also be encouraged in the children.
• Children should be encouraged to write their own stories,
create their drama and sing their own poems.

12. TEACHING CHILDREN LITERATURE AT
HOME AND IN THE SCHOOL
• Children should be encouraged to read
• Colourful and interesting books should be made available to them.
• The children should be encouraged to ask questions, that is, they should be
encouraged to develop questioning attitudes and not take the interpretation
of the story or the literary piece hook, line and sinker.
• Library culture should be developed in the children.
• The children age is important in determining the piece they are exposed to
and the way they are taught.
• Children should be the centre of the literature discussion, in the class or at
home.

13. DOES THIS INCLUDE
UNCENSORED TECH
EXPOSURE?
NO!
The text on the right side tells us that that could be bad
for family life?
But we could give good literature to help keep them busy
while we are at work.

14. CONCLUSION
• Children literature is a useful instrument in children socialisation and
development.
• Applying the tips given above will help the absentee parent properly
socialise their children through the instrumentality of children
literature.
• The children’s social development can be greatly enhanced by the
use of children literature.
• The parents’ careers don’t have to suffer setbacks as children
literature can be an effective ally in teaching the children the
important lessons and the parents desire to impart in the growing up
years.

15. LAST WORD
• Our children must be allowed to be children by letting them
enjoy their childhood so that they don’t grow to become
dysfunctional adults.
• Children literature can greatly help in achieving this.

16. APPRECIATION
• Thank YOU for listening!