Tropical danger

Animal Villains: While jungle animals were being displayed as both scientifically knowable and easily domesticated, many picture books also featured an alternative, dark vision of tropical animals.  These images emphasized the dangerous, threatening, and savage nature of the animals.  While many of these creatures may have been legitimately dangerous, the rhetorical function of such portrayals was to demonstrate the uncivilized nature of the tropics and the need for imperial intervention. 

Hunter Heroes: As children’s picture books established the character of the animal villain, they also created an oppositional heroic character.  Although not as commonly pictured as other tropes, the white hunter figure was undoubtedly the hero of these picture books.  These images made the connection between savage nature and imperialism explicit; they demonstrated visually that the white imperial presence was both powerful and necessary.