ABSTRACT
The willingness to take action in order to make a difference in the world is a critical component of intercultural understanding, but moving from a discussion of social justice into meaningful action appropriate to young children is difficult. A critical frame that combines children's rights with social justice perspectives provides a lens for examining underlying assumptions about children and what constitutes social action in picture books where children take action. The two critical theories that frame this analysis are childism and children's rights. Childism provides insights into the ways in which children are discriminated against by adults, particularly in assumptions about children's reasoning abilities and rights and their development of agency. Critical pedagogy addresses the question of authentic action for social justice and the need for problem-posing strategies as well as problem-solving. Critical consciousness is put into motion by dialogue where individuals reflect on their views of reality and become problem-posers.
