GENDER REPRESENTATION WITHIN CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS

For my dissertation, my initial thoughts were leaning towards gender stereotypes within children's books, in particular a comparison to the ways in which genders are presented in classic picture books as opposed to the current modern books. My initial working title was 'Have children’s picture books exploring gender identity helped with gender construction and expression within modern society?' and my key aims were: 
1. The evolution of expression regarding gender identity between traditional and modern picture books
2. Impact on child development regarding their understanding and knowledge of the subject, comparing current with previous views
3. Views and intentions of illustrators regarding diversity and inclusion
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Gender is something that fascinates me in regards to breaking stereotypes, traditional views as opposed to the current era, feminism etc. I have always been interested in picture books and this has been more recently brought to my attention as I'm now re-reading most books again to my young nephew which has highlighted lots of issues. I plan to learn more on the reasonings behind gender choices within characters, and how this is changing as society evolves. One thing which this could also lead to is traditional family life, the way 'normal' was mum dad and kids, the typical nuclear family, whereas in the current period there is no normal. My personal opinion on this topic, as a child from a non-nuclear family, wonders why children's books struggle to display the non stereotypical gender roles and family situations. Picture books are impressional texts aimed at young people that embody social norms - and I want to understand how we break this 'norm'. 
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What is gender stereotype? Gender stereotyping involves a generalisation or preconception of behaviours, characteristics or roles carried out by male and female texts. This can be harmful towards men and women as it may limit their abilities/capabilities due to the misconceptions of their gender.
What is a picture book? A picture book is a book which is most commonly written for children, containing lots of visual and verbal elements. They use pictures and words to create meaning and help children understand and learn that words convey meanings, particularly through the use of contextual clues.