A relational poetics of plant-human interactions: Contrasting the picture books of Cicely Mary Barker and Elsa Beskow

Abstract

This chapter makes use of environmental philosophy, environmental educational theory, and critical plant studies to propose how Elsa Beskow's picture books might promote a cognitive shift leading to rejection of species hierarchies and recognition that plants and humans are interconnected in webs of kinship. It contrasts the “Flower Fairy” picture books of Cicely Mary Barker with books by Beskow to highlight a relational poetics of human-plant interactions. Working in the first half of the twentieth century, both women created iconic images of flower fairies or plant people, blurring the plant/human boundary. However, Barker’s books, notable for their botanical accuracy, present plant fairies with individual plant specimens, not generally part of a larger biota. In contrast, in books such as Blomsterfesten i Täppan [The Flowers’ Festival], and Lasse Liten i Trädgården [Christopher’s Garden], Beskow models human children and plants co-existing in inter- and intra-species relationships. This chapter argues that Beskow’s relational poetics may contribute to child readers’ development of an affective understanding of plants as living beings equally deserving of care and respect as fellow humans.