ABSTRACT
Recent curriculum revisions in Taiwan signal a departure from the traditional skills-based to competency-based instruction and assessment. This chapter analyzes messages of success embedded in ten bestselling picturebooks chosen by Taiwanese parents. It offers a brief background on curriculum changes in Taiwan, traces historical influences on parenting practices, tracks the rise of picturebooks, and presents the results of content analysis based on the core competencies listed in the Twelve Year Basic Education Curriculum Guidelines. The chapter shows that Taiwanese parents favor books that value knowledge and cognitive development but place less emphasis on critical consumption of media and global citizenship.
