Nonfiction Picturebook Reading in Early and Elementary Education: A <scp>PRISMA</scp> ‐P Systematic Review

ABSTRACT This systematic review, conducted under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses Protocols (PRISMA‐P), provides the first comprehensive synthesis of empirical research on nonfiction picturebook reading in early childhood and primary education between 2000 and 2024. Drawing on 34 peer‐reviewed studies, it traces the evolution of a genre that has gained increasing curricular and editorial prominence but remains underexplored in educational practice. The review highlights the transformative potential of nonfiction picturebooks as multimodal, aesthetic, and affective texts that foster reading comprehension, visual and informational literacy, and the development of active, critical, and socially engaged readers. Methodologically, the review followed the PRISMA‐P protocol for qualitative and mixed‐methods research, guided by the Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research Type (SPIDER) framework. Studies were identified through a multi‐database search strategy—using the Web of Science (WOS), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), ProQuest, and Dialnet—and selected according to explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extraction and analysis were carried out using Microsoft Excel and NVivo through a two‐phase coding process that combined quantitative and qualitative synthesis. Findings reveal a predominance of qualitative designs, dialogic and adult‐mediated reading strategies, and interventions conducted primarily in formal educational settings, with a strong concentration in the United States. Despite consistent evidence supporting the pedagogical value of nonfiction picturebooks, substantial gaps persist—particularly regarding autonomous reading, emotional and aesthetic responses, and research in non‐Anglophone or informal contexts such as families and libraries. By identifying the theoretical assumptions, reading strategies, and outcomes of existing research, this review positions the nonfiction picturebook not merely as an instructional tool but as a multimodal and affective medium for reimagining literacy education, nurturing curiosity, creativity, and agency in young readers across diverse educational landscapes.