A picture storybook truly encompasses the art and beauty of literature. According to the book Essentials of Children Literature, written by Kathy Short, Carol Lynch Brown, Carl Tomlinson, "Picture Storybooks can provide a means of developing visual literacy-the ability to read and critique these images-as well as provide a thought provoking story" (50). A picture storybook is best described as a book that is being told through the use of pictures as well as words. In a picture storybook, the illustrations prove to be one of the fundamental elements that provide a more positive experience for readers, engaging and exciting children to read. Picture storybooks reflect a range of genres, [for instance, science fiction, poetry, contemporary fiction, …show more content…
Literature is viewed as a critical factor in the proper development of a child. Picture storybooks allow readers to better develop their language, imagination, self-awareness, and much more. A noteworthy picture storybook that demonstrates the characteristics of a great work of literature is A Sick Day for Amos McGee, written by Philip C. Stead, and illustrated by Erin E. Stead. The story being recognized and receiving multiple awards for being one of the most renowned American picture storybooks published for children. The awards received are as follows: 2011 Caldecott Medal Winner, 2011 Notable Children's Book, Kids Wings Award Book. The intriguing story of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, uses fictional and pictorial elements in order to further pique readers interest to the story, portraying a beautiful depiction of love, and friendship. By further analyzing the artistic, and fictional elements readers will understand why A Sick Day for Amos McGee has become a recognized work of art in …show more content…
The visual elements most focused on in this artistic medium are line, shape, and color. According to the book, Essentials of Children's Literature, lines are "the continuous stroke marks in picture that defines shapes and creates texture" (52). Lines assist in the development, as well as setting the mood, and meaning of the story. Lines are viewed throughout the story, for instance the curvy lines in the pathway where Amos McGee was walking into the zoo, luring readers into the zoo along with Amos McGee. This image is also projecting the visual element of space, and perspective, the author used the lining of the street and the blank space in front of Amos to place sketches of small animals and buildings, in order to form the illusion of depth and deeper space as if the reader is going inside the zoo. There is great texture that is added through the use of lines, viewing that the lines in the story have been drawn with light sketching, and color pencils. For instance, when looking at the elephant I notice that the illustrator uses curvy lines, as well as light shading on the body of the elephant in order to give it extra definition, also there are distinct lines on the elephant seen on page 7, these lines provide a more brawny, powerful build of the elephant. Yet there are also
The ability to make the reader immersed in the story and the main character is the best thing to have when writing a piece. It helps the reader decide whether to keep reading or not. This ability is known as imagery. Imagery is writing with metaphors and the five sense, which creates a scene for the reader. Imagery is basically the way the author shows the reader what the main character or narrator is seeing. Janet Burroway, author of “Imaginative Writing”, which is a book about writing and the components of it, states that Image is, “An image is a word or series of words that evokes one or more of the five senses.” (Burroway, 15) Imagery is very important and good authors know how to use it to add more meaning and power to their literature.
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
Imagery plays a big part in the success of a novel. Different writers have different styles. The good thing about imagery is it makes room for the reader to put things together. The reader is allowed to interpret the story the way that they like. "Ragged Dick", Horatio Alger, Jr. did a great thing with imagery. While reading the novel readers had a change to envision many things that were mentioned in each chapter. Algar interconnected the appearances of the main character to his living arrangement. He also connected these things with the character's attitude.
Picture books are one of the first mediums of learning that children encounter. The picture book was first created in 1657 by John Amos Comenius. Comenius’s book was entitled Orbis Pictus (The world of Pictures) and was an alphabet book (Martinez 57). Picture books are used to lay the foundations of the histori...
I chose to read and comment on Barbara Kiefer’s “Envisioning Experience: The Potential of Picture Books.” Kiefer’s main point in writing this essay was to get the message across that children enjoy picture books that allow them to identify and make connections with the characters or the plots, and that while reading and analyzing the pictures, they gain a better sense of aesthetics and how to interpret them.
Senick, Gerard J., and Hedblad, Alan. Children’s Literature Review: Excerpts from Reviews, and Commentary on Books for Children and Young People (Volumes 14, 34, 35). Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1995..
The writer uses imagery, because he wants to let the readers into his mind. By describing the scene for the readers, makes the readers fell like they were there. Therefore, it gives us a better ability to emphasize with him.
It is very easy to agree with Moebius statement that ‘good’ picture books contain some form of invisible and intangible concepts that keeps the reader returning. In Voices in the Park it is very easy to see Moebius idea due to the ability of technology to create detailed and complex books. In contrast, Potter has produced a book that more subtle in showing this relying not on technology like Voices in the Park but working within severe limitations. Blending page turns, text, colour to create understandable concepts. Goodman comments that some would argue that these elements in pictures interfere with and detract from the text, and thus undermine the confidence of the reader. An extrapolation of this idea is that preconceived ideas and pictures of another spoil the reader’s entrance to literacy.
It has always been amazing to realize how well the literature I read as a child has stayed with me through the years. It takes an exceptional writer to compose a narrative that maintains a storyline on the same level of a child's understanding; it takes everything short of a miracle to keep a child's interest. However, that undertaking has been accomplished by many skilled authors, and continues to be an area of growth in the literary world. Only this year the New York Times has given the genre of children's literature the credit it deserves by creating a separate best-sellers list just for outstanding children's books. Yet, on another level, children's literature is not only for the young. I believe that the mark of a brilliant children's author is the age range of those who get pleasure from the stories; the wider the range, the better.
Graeme Base uses lines of different thicknesses to make the drawing look more realistic. He also uses different tones of colours. An example would be from ‘Six Slithering Snakes Sliding Silently Southward’, the main snake’s body and tail contains at least four different colours. He also repeats the way the books are place in the library.
...ia J. Campbell. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1996. 39-65. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Scot Peacock. Vol. 82. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
Particularly tree, one of the main, elements used bu Thom Jones in his story "A white Horse" , Symbolism (designed to convey impressions by suggestion rather than by direct statement), Contrast (which is a distinction between two ideas, objects or co lours.
Nodelman, P.(1999) ‘Decoding the images How picture books work’, in Hunt P (ed), Understanding Children’s Literature (Second Edition),Oxon, Routledge. pp128-139
...apes are different in shape where it cause the trees in the background to be smaller than the trees that are closer to the edge of the curved road. The opposites are made to create a vibrant object to balance out the color in the painting, like the straight lines were used to make many of tree trunks, bridges, and houses; therefore curved lines were located in the top brushes of the tree, the thickness of the arc that makes the turning road simply enhanced by the thickness of it edges. Also, the use of complementary colors used in this painting gives a warm and cooling temperature to grasp the village surroundings. The thick lines in the tree trunks in the far right draw the attention to the front of the painting were most of the action seem to be taking place, which also create the shape to be smoother as the left turn on the road curve over the village.
As children’s literature matured, so did the books. Illustrations were first made with woodcuts or on wood blocks that were colored by hand. By the late 1800s, printing had evolved and illustrations became mor...