Humour elements and their functions in Şermin Yaşar's children's books

In the 21st Century, with the emergence of technological developments, society's expectations from children have increased. Children are expected to take an active role in the learning process, to look at things from different perspectives and to think creatively, rather than passively obtaining the given information without questioning. One of the main sources used for children to acquire these skills is children's books. Humour, which is frequently used as a style of expression in children's books, helps children acquire these skills while entertaining them by changing their negative attitudes towards books. The aim of this study is to determine the functions of humour elements in children's development. For this reason, in this study, the humorous elements in the books of Şermin Yaşar, who has an important place in Turkish literature with her works for children, and the functions of the humour she serves are examined in line with the principle of relativity. Şermin Yaşar's books "Babaannem Geri Döndü, Grandpa's Grocery, Grandpa's Grocery Apprentice, Abartma Tozu, Cingo, Oh Ne Âlâ Memleket" were selected as the object of the study. While the theoretical framework of the study was being drawn, children, children's literature, humour, humour in children's literature and evaluations in the literature were presented. In the study, the humorous elements and functions in the author's books were revealed and their effects on children's development were presented by using the document (document) examination method, one of the qualitative research methods. Keywords: Children's Literature, Humour, Functions of Humour Şermin Yaşar