ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the role of merchandising in relation to popular picturebooks and their affiliated products as well as the role of picturebooks themselves that may be defined as merchandise items, specialized collectibles, or toys in the context of broader media franchises. 'The Little Golden Books' and other franchise tie-in texts range from those with minimal written narratives that supplement a series of film stills to picturebooks with more complex visual/verbal dynamics that draw upon the characters of popular franchises. Contemporary picturebooks are increasingly informed by the practices of transmedia storytelling. Henry Jenkins defines a 'transmedia story' as one that "unfolds across multiple media platforms with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole". Research on the marketing and merchandising of picturebooks often reflects a conflict similar to the public media discourse around young people and media discussed by David Buckingham in After the Death of Childhood: Growing Up in the Age of Electronic Media.
