Creation of Imaginary Worlds

Claire Golomb is a Professor Emerita of the Department of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts. For over 40 years she taught courses on child development to undergraduate and graduate students of psychology. Her research during those years focused on symbol formation in child art, make-believe play, story construction and the role of gender in those domains. She resides in Waban, Massachusetts.

• List of Plates. List of Figures. Preface. 1. The Evolution of Child Art. Representational art and early models. Child art blossoms. The socio-cultural milieu. 2. Play: A Wellspring of the Imagination. Antecedents and the emergence of pretense behavior. Symbolic play. Make-belief play flourishes. The socio-cultural milieu. Play therapy. The school-age child and beyond. 3. Between Fantasy and Fiction. Dreams. Daydreaming or waking fantasy. Story telling. Fairytales. Magic. Concluding comments. 4. Epilogue. Notes. Further Reading. Index.

This is a perceptive and well researched study of children's art and imaginative play and their relationship to child development. It is scholarly but very readable.The book's first section traces the development of child art from the early stages to adolescence, while the second section charts the evolution of play from infancy onwards... The third section has a useful discussion of dreams, nightmares, storytelling and the emotions, describing the role of imaginative play in confronting fears and exploring emotions.The book is informative and helpful. A rich and well-developed imagination has a lasting effect on the child's sense of self and emotional wellbeing. The study helps parents to understand and to nurture the child's imaginative development; it is enlightening and reassuring.