Mary makes a move and other stories: a children’s picture book exploring adaptation to change
No one can avoid change, including children. However, often times it is more difficult for children to adapt to those changes. This creative thesis explores how changes affect children and how they adapt to those changes using Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, particularly the process of adaptation. This creative work will be in the form of picture book scripts addressed to children aged 6-8, which includes five different stories exploring different kinds of changes. This work shows how changes cause cognitive disequilibrium, which shows as frustration in Ted and Jude, indecisiveness in Mary, Lily, and Clara, and confusion in all characters. The stories follow how the five main characters overcome the cognitive disequilibrium through the process of assimilation and accommodation, resulting in them getting back into cognitive equilibrium.