”Hunder er det beste jeg vet!”: Om barne- og hunderelasjoner i Tor Åge Bringsværds Karsten og Petra-bøker

Abstract

Theme: Dog ”The things I like the most are dogs!”: Exploring Child and Dog Interactions in Tor Åge Bringsværd’s Books about Karsten and Petra This article explores the relationship between children and dogs in the Norwegian picturebooks about Karsten and Petra, written by Tor Åge Bringsværd. The article aims to answer the following questions: How is the relationship between children and dogs depicted in the picturebooks’ constructions of childhood? How do these books explore perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature? The books’ iconotext primarily depicts a balanced relationship between children and dogs, with the dog taking on the role of the child’s companion. The study shows that these books align with a longer tradition of literature focused on the competent child, who naturally develops a positive relationship with nature. However, the picturebooks about Karsten and Petra draw attention to the dog’s dual nature in literature – both as a domesticated being and as an animal with its instinctual, wild sides. Additionally, the books convey an awareness of the potential of children’s literature to remind us of nature’s presence in human life and the importance of respecting it