The Characteristics of Emily Gravett's Postmodern Picturebooks: On the Basis of Metalepsis

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of Emily Gravett's postmodern picturebooks on the basis of metalepsis. Wolves and Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears written by Emily Gravett were analyzed through paratext, narrative and illustrative metalepsis which disturb or break narrative boundaries. The result showed that there were various paratext, narrative and illustrative metaleptic transgressions of narrative structures by multiple narrative levels including mise-en-abyme and trompe l’oeil as the verbal and visual devices. The metaleptic devices of these two books were able to deduce the innovative meaning of words and pictures and create playfulness and interest blurring of the boundary between reality and fiction worlds. Therefore, the result of this study suggests that these two postmodern picturebooks not only provide opportunity drawing new meaning according to the readers’ background knowledge and experiences while reading multiple narrative structures, but also would be valuable reading materials improving the imagination and playfulness of children by understanding various metaleptic devices.