This paper introduces the development process of a preschool children oriented visualized picture book search system—a picture book search system designed specifically for children and their parents. This study involves a thorough literature review and a field investigation to gain insights into the actual needs of children. Besides, it provides an efficient picture book search service by designing a child-friendly interface and integrating advanced search technology. The study employs heuristic evaluation and multiple performance indicators to ensure the system's high recall, precision and user experience. The system helps to promote the cultivation of children's reading interest and the improvement of reading ability, and will be implemented in libraries.

Icons are frequently employed in children-oriented information systems due to children's limited literacy. However, the inherent semantic distances of icons, which may influence their affordance to children, are often overlooked in the development of such systems and related research. In this study, we apply semantic distance to measure the explicitness of icons in children-oriented book search, utilizing self-developed icons tailored for indexing picture books. We first gathered data from children through questionnaires to assess the perceived semantic distance of each icon. Subsequently, we conducted eye-tracking experiments with 50 preschool children, measuring their search accuracy, response time, and eye movement patterns while using icons to locate specific picture books. Our findings indicate that preschool children are easier to use icons with close semantic distance and single icons for searching. Additionally, the ability to use icons with distant semantic distances and combination icons significantly improves with age. These findings may contribute to the development of more effective and children-friendly information search systems.

Abstract There is no information search system can assist young children's known picture book search needs since the information is not organized according to their cognitive abilities and needs. Therefore, this study explored young children's known picture book search strategies and extracted picture book search elements by simulating a search scenario and playing a picture book search game. The study found 29 elements children used to search for known picture books. Then, these elements are classified into three dimensions: The first dimension is the concept category of an element. The second dimension is an element's status in the story. The third dimension indicates where an element appears in a picture book. Additionally, it revealed a young children's general search strategy: Children first use auditory elements that they hear from the adults during reading. After receiving error returns, they add visual elements that they see by themselves in picture books. The findings can not only help to understand young children's known‐item search and reformulation strategies during searching but also provide theoretical support for the development of a picture book information organization schema in the search system.

Information representation is the core problem in an information searching system. Only if information resources are represented at an appropriate level that matches the ability of user groups can the success and efficiency of information searching be realized. Information systems for young children frequently ignore the problem of information representation, which renders the use of such systems difficult for young children and parents. This study focused on young children's picture book searching demand and carried out behavioral experiments by simulating an information searching system to extract young children's information representation of picture books. The findings include 8 representation categories and 19 elements that children use for searching picture books, which may contribute to the development of a picture book searching system for young children.