Chapter 6: Picture Books
There is a list of criteria picture books should strive to meet. A picture book should leave the reader with something of significance such as a theme. The illustrations should aide in the storytelling. Illustrations can convey character development, mood and tone to a enhance a story. Most importantly, a picture book should not condescend a reader. While children are often the primary audiences of picture books, adults and older children enjoy them as well. If a picture book talks down to its reader, the audience will be offended.
Every time I am required to read picture books for a course I am pleasantly surprised at the selection. It’s easy to assume that there isn’t much to picture books. Some of the books I have picked up and read have impressed me to no end. They have also inspired me to want to use them as mentor text in my own classroom. One course I took a SHSU focused heavily on picture books in a middle school classroom. It seemed silly at the time but as the course went on, the possibilities seemed endless! Rather than teach a full blown novel, picture books can aid in teaching theme, character development, and plot at all ages.
The vocabulary used in many picture books surprised me when I started looking into them more. It makes sense though, since the more you read the more your vocabulary improves. And the diversity in picture books is growing. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James tickled me pink. The illustrations appeared to be watercolor renditions of photographs in a barbershop, and it was full of figurative language. It would be an excellent resource to have in the classroom.
One huge takeaway from this chapter is something Dr. Lesesne said. It was something along the lines of not using words or phrases that would describe a kitten to describe a book. It’s a trap I often fall under and something to always keep in mind when reading, reviewing, and sharing books with others.
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