This study examined 50 math picture books published for children in Korea between 1998 and 2008, analyzing their themes, the scope of mathematical concepts, literary qualities such as story plots, linguistic expressions and literary features of characters, as well as the medium for drawings and their artistic styles.
The findings of this study can be summed up as follows:
First, the theme most frequently dealt with in the books turned out to be \"kindergartens and friends,\" but the contents were very limited in scope.
Second, the most widely used mathematical concept was \"number\"; In contrast, the concepts of \"patterns\" and \"statistics\" were covered by few books.
Third, the books were generally low in their literary quality in terms of such features as story plots and linguistic expressions. The most commonly used characters were animals, which were personified as human beings.
Lastly, watercolor was the most prominent medium for drawings of the books, and representationalism was the most frequently used artistic style.
Picture books for mathematical learning are highly useful as a means of teaching children under an integrated curriculum approach. Considering this, it is necessary to develop a wide range of math picture books that meet literary and artistic standards, and cover a variety of themes and mathematical concepts.
Distribution of such qualified picture books for use at numerous teaching institutions will certainly help improve the quality of the nation\'s early childhood education.
Key Words: integrated curriculum approach, picture book for mathematics, literariness, artistry, educability