Picturebooks as stimuli for philosophical inquiry into death

This article investigates the role of picturebooks in facilitating children’s philosophical thinking about death. It challenges the protective silence and Piagetian frameworks that frequently exclude children from existential discourse. Drawing on Aristotle’s concept of catharsis and Schiller’s theory of aesthetic mediation, I argue that picturebooks make a distinctive contribution to facilitating children’s philosophical engagement with mortality. Their combined visual and verbal structures enable children to process intense emotions while maintaining the rational distance necessary for philosophical reflection. The article also proposes selection criteria to help educators identify picturebooks that function as effective stimuli for philosophical inquiry. This approach empowers children to move beyond instinctive fear towards a meaningful understanding of the human condition.