For educational purposes only

1. Picture Books
Picture Book: A book in which the text and pictures are equally important
•
o Illustrated book: A book in which the text is primary
o Wordless picture book: A book containing only pictures. NB: There is
controversy as to whether a wordless book can be considered literature.
Many wordless picture books can the literary elements we look for in texts:
view, theme, character studies, setting, tone.
Narrative art: art that tells a story. Picture books are a form of narrative art.
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THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN PICTURE BOOKS
Illusion: a technique used by artists to make us see things that are not really there:
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distance, depth, texture.
Illustrations in picture books must project a mood that is appropriate to the text.
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Principal Elements of the Art of Illustration
The principal elements of the art of illustration are: line, space, shape, color,
texture, composition, perspective.
Line
o
to define objects by outlining

to suggest movement, distance, feeling/emotional responses

 curves, circles: warmth, coziness, security
 sharp, zigzag: excitement and rapid movement
 horizontal: calm, stability
 vertical: height, distance
 figures at top of page: further away than those at bottom or
sides
Space (very powerful)
o
 draws attention to specific forms on the page
 generous use of space: emptiness, loneliness, isolation
 lack of open space: claustrophobic feeling, confusion, chaos
Shape
o
 massive grouped shapes: stability, enclosure, confinement,
awkwardness
 lighter, delicate shapes: movement, grace, freedom
 rounded: similar to curved and circular lines
 squarish, angular shapes: excitable reaction
Color
o
 children do not require brightly colored pictures
 color can detract from the text if overpowering or inappropriate

2. the least imaginatively used artistic element in children¹s picture

books (that is, conventional colors are used, for example, for the
sky, grass, etc.)
 psychology of color (cultural phenomena)
 reds, yellow: excitement
 blues, greens: calm, quiet
 purple, royalty
 green: envy, illness
 blue: depression
 yellow: cowardice
 used to suggest cultural distinctions
Texture
o
 creating characteristics of a three-dimensional surface on a flat
surface
 used to emphasize the realistic quality of a picture
 used to enrich the visual experience and to stimulate the viewer¹s
imagination
 Composition/Perspective
 Composition: the arrangement of the details in the picture
 good composition creates a sense of rhythm in
moving from page to page--a rhythm that is in
keeping with the narration
 good composition creates a sense of unity between
the illustrations and the text integrating them into
one on the page
 Perspective: the vantage point from which the viewer looks
on at the objects or events in the picture
Artistic styles found in children¹s books
Representationalism: presents objects realistically, but not

necessarily photographically; may be used with non-realistic
subjects
Expressionism: deliberate distortion and exaggeration using line,

space, color, shape, texture, composition; abstraction is extreme
expressionism
Impressionism: uses splashes, speckles, dots of paint to achieve an

interplay between color and light; creates a dreamlike effect;
distances the viewer from the action
Surrealism: an otherwise realistically depicted object subjected to

unnatural juxtapositions and bizarre incongruities; the product can
be nightmarish
Cartoon: uses gross exaggerations and distortions for satiric or

humorous effect; uses solid lines and bold, unshaded colors
Folk Art: designs and images peculiar to a specific culture--to effect

the mood of the culture; particularly suited to folktales

3. Photography: used mostly in realistic stories and informational

books
Artistic media
Painterly techniques:using paint as the primary medium--

watercolors, tempera, gouache, poster color, oil paint, acrylics,
pastels, chalk, pencil, ink, crayons
Graphic techniques: blocks or plates that are inked and imprinted on

paper--woodblocks, linocuts (linoleum), scratchboard, stone
lithography
Montage (grouping of different pictures or designs to create a single

picture) and collage (grouping materials--string, cotton, weeds--with
pictures to create a single picture)
Picture-book layout
text must be carefully placed in relation to the pictures

the pictures must illustrate what the accompanying text describes

(called juxtaposition)
THE STORIES IN PICTURE BOOKS
Principal types of stories

 Folktales, legends, myths
 initially passed by word-of-mouth
 adhere to the traditional storytelling patterns: often
begin with ³Once upon a time² and end with a
³happily ever after²
 typically take place in an imaginary place where
magic is commonplace
 Modern fantasy stories
 take place in modern settings and employ magic as a
principal feature
 most omit the potentially threatening forces of evil
that characterize the folktales
 Talking animal stories
 avoid magic
 focus on everyday issues in quite realistic
contemporary settings
 early exposure to symbolism: animal or inanimate
characters symbolize facets of human nature
 Realistic stories
 few subject taboo in children¹s picture books today
 includes complexities of our world
 literature for children is foremost for enjoyment

4. expose children to other cultures; depict sympathetic

characters with whom the child can identify or
empathize
 children like to read stories about other children who
are like themselves
Narrative elements

 Plot: sequence of events leading to a specific goal
 must be clear and fairly direct
 should have a clearly defined beginning, middle, end
 focuses on a conflict which must be resolved
 conflict can be internal (struggle within a
character) or external (between characters)
 for young children the plot must use a simple,
chronological time frame; more complex plot
structures for older children
 young children like action, suspense, humor
 Character
 focus is one character
 character is a human (usually a child) or an animal
with childlike qualities
 characterizations are quite simple (picture books are
not long enough for complex character development)
 Setting
 usually conveyed visually by picture
 still a story element because setting determines much
of how and why things happen in the story
 success depends on effective selection of scenes
 Subject and theme
 subject should hold meaning for a young child (e.g.
child disobedience but not toxic waste disposal)
 theme--the principal idea that governs the story (e.g.
disobedience of parental authority often results in
dire consequences)--should not be confused with
morals or lessons (didactic stories)
 Literary style
 boredom results which something is either too simple
(all common monosyllable words) or too hard
(complex sentences with many unfamiliar words)
 as picture books are often written for non-readers,
they must read well aloud
 he best picture books challenge children¹s thinking
without overwhelming it
Social concerns and the picture storybook

 need to be aware how picture books portray and interpret
society (e.g. stereotyping)

5. need to be aware of the underlying message but this does not

mean we must censor or forbid certain books
children¹s reading should include a diverse selection of

social attitudes.
From: http://www.southernct.edu/~brownm/Gpic.html