Investigating and evaluating children’s illustrated books about Infallible Imams and religious characters based on social semiotics approach

Objective: The aim of the explanatory research is presenting a method for illustrating children’s book by analyzing, monitoring and identifying the performance of illustrators and publishers of Iran children’s religious books based on the social semiotic approach.Methodology: The population of the research was 34 children’s religious books with religious characters’ topic for alef age category (the age period, which starts from the birth to 6 years old) extracted from Iran National digital children’s Library. Regarding the low amount of the population, all of them selected as sample. The tool of data gathering is a comprehensive checklist captured by a book under the title of “The Grammar of Visual Design” authored by Kress and Leeuwen (2006) that is known as the bible of analyzing the illustrated books based on social semiotic approach. Based on the special checklist, all books were evaluated and investigated quantitatively and qualitatively based on six variant elements of Composition, Point of View, Dimension, Form, Color, and Context.Findings: One of the findings of the research was evaluating religious based on social semiotic approach. In addition to these evaluations and measurements, further findings showed that the score of evaluated books based on social semiotics approach principles is as below: color (with 3.54 score), form (with 3.1 scores), composition (with 2.6 scores) and the context (with 1.28 scores). The point of view principle because of its qualitative approach evaluated qualitatively as an independent criterion. The qualitative approach in this regard showed that the point of view of authored books is the opposite, general and distant. Wholly the score of the books based on these principles is very low and it shows the low attention of publishers and illustrators to illustration principles. Evaluating the books based on publishers and illustrators showed that “Jame-ye-pazhoohesh: “JameatolQuran) are the most fruitful ones and evaluating the books based on publishers, and Masoumeh Boroumand’s works are the most quality nooks illustrated for this age range and topic.Conclusion: It seems that neglecting illustration principles and unaccustomed with the visual and pictorial symbols and signs cause serious challenges and difficulties for children, teenagers and Young and cultural system of the county (Iran). Thus, it is advisable to use the necessary principles, elements, and methods for children’s book illustration in compiling the suitable books for children