Investigation of the concept of family in the most read 3-6 years old children's picture books in Üsküdar children's libraries from a developmental perspective

This study was conducted to examine the concept of family in the most-read picture books for children aged 3-6 in children's libraries located in the Üsküdar district of Istanbul, from a developmental perspective. The study examines children's books from a developmental perspective based on the Ecological Systems Theory. The population of the research comprises illustrated children's books aimed at 3-6-year-olds found in children's libraries in Üsküdar. The sample consists of 63 books with family themes selected from a total of 100 illustrated children's books for 3-6-year-olds that are most frequently preferred by users in Üsküdar children's libraries. Data were collected using the "Illustrated Children's Book Review Form," which was developed through a literature review. The form is divided into three sections: general information, children's literature, and family. The research employed document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, and content analysis to identify specific categories and subcodes. To determine the 100 most preferred books, observations from two child development experts actively working in municipal libraries were combined with data from the "Üsküdar Municipality YORDAM Library Catalog System." The analysis revealed that 63 of the 100 picture books contained themes of family, while 37 did not. The books on family were examined in detail in terms of family structure, character interactions, roles, and developmental elements within the framework of Bronfenbrenner's theory. When analyzing the narrative structure and characters in these family-themed books, it was observed that the main character (the child) was primarily situated within the microsystem and mesosystem circles, although they were also influenced by the exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem levels. The study concludes that the subsystems of the theory interact with each other and that the child occupies multiple circles, allowing for a holistic evaluation of their environment. Findings were discussed in the context of children's literature and family themes in picture books, and suggestions were offered to contribute to the field. Keywords: Children's literature, children's libraries, family, picture books.