Drzewa i lasy w kalendarzach przyrodniczych dla dzieci wydawanych w PRL-u
Trees and forests in children’s calendar books on nature published in the communist era in Poland

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents an analysis of the meanings and functions associated with trees and tree clumps in calendar books depicting nature in the period of the Polish People’s Republic. Trees were employed as a means of communication with young readers and there were several strategies for doing so. In the introductory “warm-up” sections, tree images helped to render a particular atmosphere, e.g., the character of an approaching season (1), in the description of specific natural phenomena they provided insight into them (2). They also encouraged young readers to reflect on the lasting and passing of life (3). The bounty that forests offer was shown in the calendar books as a substantial part of the food for both people and animals (4) and as an attractive object for children to play with (5). The authors of the depictions were eager to present trees and forests figuratively especially in case of the first three strategies. All the above-mentioned techniques of employing tree and forest images were used in three nature calendar books: in Głos przyrody [Voice of nature] by M. Kownacka and M. Kowalewska (vol. 1–2, 1963), and Razem ze słonkiem [Together with the Sun] by M. Kownacka (vol. 1–6, 1975–1978). The chronological scope of the study covers the years 1945–1989, because after the political system transformation, numerous similar publications on nature started

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