Picture Books for Adult Readers

This Master's thesis explores the creation of picture books for young adult readers (ages 19-30) in China, with the aim of providing emotional comfort and relaxation. Although picture books are typically associated with children, a growing number of adults enjoy them as well, finding them to be a soothing experience. There is an emerging genre of picture books aimed at adult readers, such as Rock What Ya Got (Berger & Kerascoët, 2018) and Let Me Be Your Forest (Aeppol, 2019), which address topics such as work-life balance or offer pleasant escapism.

Many young adults in China struggle with social pressures, work-related stress, and the challenge of achieving a work-life balance (Mei, 2020). The goal of the thesis was to create an original picture book that can offer readers a positive break from their daily stresses and provides emotional support and warmth through visual narratives.

The research involved investigating adult readers' reactions to a selection of picture books in order to identify narrative and illustration strategies that evoke a sense of comfort and warmth. The research then explored how these strategies can be applied through visual narratives. The project culminated in the creation of a 30-page original adult picture book, Luna, and an analysis of readers' emotional responses to the work.

Overall, this Master of Design Innovation thesis aims to contribute to the development of picture books for promoting emotional well-being among young adult readers in China.