Examination of children's books of Behiç Ak in terms of principal element of children's literature

Children's literature is a vital area that includes the adolescence period that begins with the birth of the child and meeting with the book, contributes to the development of the child through artistic works. In order to develop reading habits in children and to build reading culture consciousness, it is necessary to meet them with the works of qualified children's literature and to ensure that the book takes place in the child's life. Children's literature books are not only educational stimuli that convey information directly to the child. These books should be prepared in accordance with the aesthetic pleasure and the child's developmental period. It is known that children's books prepared by considering the child's relativity, child reality and encompassing basic education principles, contribute to the formation of the link between the child and the book. The purpose of research in this context is to examine the children's books of Behiç Ak within the framework of the principle elements of children's literature. Principle elements have considered as outer structure, inner structure and educational principles. The outer structure features have examined as size, cover-volume, page layout, letters and picture, and inner structure features as hero, subject, message and language expression. The preparation of a children's book, including these principles as well as educational principles, transforms it into a work of quality children's literature. This study have conducted by a document review method, which is one of the qualitative research methods. Ten books in the "Smiley Series of Stories", one of the child literature works of Behiç Ak, were examined with descriptive analysis. The books have been examined in three main categories in terms of principle elements of children's literature; "Outer structure properties"; size, paper, cover-skin, page layout, letters, picture; "Inner structure properties"; hero, subject, message, language-expression and "basic education principles".