Comic books 'good for children's learning'

Comic books are good for children's learning and "just as complex as any other kind of literature", according to new research.

Scientists at the University of Illinois claim that comics can help promote literacy in young readers.

Carol L. Tilley, a professor of library and information science at the school, said: "If reading is to lead to any meaningful knowledge or comprehension, readers must approach a text with an understanding of the relevant social, linguistic and cultural conventions.

"And if you really consider how the pictures and words work together in consonance to tell a story, you can make the case that comics are just as complex as any other kind of literature."

The research on comics was published in the journal School Library Monthly.