'It's part of me that I want them to know about': Maintaining distant New Zealand national identity in Canada using New Zealand picture books

Abstract

The link between national identity and children’s picture books has been established in several countries including Canada (e.g., Bainbridge; Pantaleo) and New Zealand (e.g., author; Hebley; McNeur). However, few, if any, studies have examined the use of picture books to maintain national identity in a diaspora. The study reported in this article describes two case studies of Canadian families in which the mother is an expatriate New Zealander, and in which New Zealand picture books play or have played a significant role in maintaining a link to the New Zealand heritage of the Canadian-born children. Findings are discussed in terms of the power of children’s picture books as material culture in maintaining diasporic identity.