Year of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
MFA: Children’s Book Writing and Illustrating
Directing Professor
Dr Anne K Phillips
Abstract
Pets are powerful elements of picture books. Alongside our animal companions, we navigate infancy, early childhood and adulthood, and better understand our relationships and life itself. Critical anthropomorphism allows us to represent our relationship to our animal companions ethically in the written and illustrated text. This paper acknowledges an array of primary and scholarly texts about animals and their roles in human experience as a foundation for my three book projects “A Colorful Night for Cat,” “Grandma, Sam, and Me,” and “Tired Old Socks.” I work to portray animal companions authentically, showing how both humans and animal companions benefit from their relationships with each other, consciously processing why this representation in children's books is significant.
Recommended Citation
Woodcock, Mary Teresa, "The Power of Pets: Navigating Infancy, Early development, and Eventual loss/ Exploring the Mutual Human-Animal Bond through Children’s Board and Picture Books with Critical Anthropomorphism" (2025). Children's Book Writing and Illustrating (MFA) Theses, Hollins University. 19.
https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/childrensmfa/19
Contact Information
teresawoodcock1@gmail.com
Purpose Statement
The purpose of preserving this thesis document is to provide a definitive record of student progress upon completion of the degree. This text will not reflect any revisions to the manuscript made after degree completion. For the most current version of the work, please contact its author.