Analysis of Feridun Oral's children's books from the perspective of children's literature

Feridun Oral is a renowned children's literature author recognized for both his writing and illustration contributions. This study aims to evaluate the suitability of his books for child readership and their adherence to the qualities of children's literature. The research focuses on Oral's books written and illustrated in Turkish between 1993 and 2024, excluding those solely illustrated by him, intended for adults, or written in other languages. A comprehensive book evaluation chart was developed through a literature review, covering format, content, language, narrative, and illustrations as primary categories. The chart includes specific criteria that books should meet, coded to allow "yes" or "no" responses. Each criterion is accompanied by explanatory notes. The developed chart, comprising 92 items, was used to assess 22 books under study, with input from experts. The findings indicate that Feridun Oral's 22 children's books, authored and illustrated by him, respectively meet criteria of children's literature to the following extents: 84.83% for format, 87.55% for content, 71.94% for language and narrative, and 86.84% for illustrations. This suggests that Oral's books are generally suitable for child readers. In this study, a book assessment form was created to identify the qualities that children's books should possess. It is recommended that publishing houses use this form to review books before publication, and that teachers and parents who select or recommend books for young readers also benefit from it.