KENNINGS IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: UNLOCKING CREATIVITY THROUGH LANGUAGE

This article examines the use of kennings—a metaphorical and descriptive linguistic form rooted in Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry—as a creative tool in children's literature. By employing vivid imagery and metaphorical circumlocution, kennings contribute significantly to language development, stimulate imagination, and promote playful interaction with words. The article highlights examples from well-known children's books, including Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo and The Snail and the Whale, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, and Oliver Jeffers' How to Catch a Star, to demonstrate how authors use these figurative devices to captivate young readers. It also emphasizes the pedagogical benefits of engaging children in the creation of their own kennings, thus fostering linguistic creativity, metaphorical thinking, and cognitive flexibility.