Picture Books

By: Esther, Sabud and Katie

What Is a Picture Book?

What is a picture book?

“A book in which the illustrations play a significant role in the story telling”

Types of Picture Books

Baby Books: (infants/young toddlers) lullabies or nursery rhymes. Generally does not contain any words.

Types of Picture Books

Toddler Books: (ages 1-3) simple short stories that contain concepts that are familiar and relatable to the young child. Generally used for early counting, shapes, colors, etc. Printed in several formats such as board books, pop-up, lift-flap, and books that contain textures or sounds.

Types of Picture BooksPicture Story Books: (Ages 4-8) Plots are simplified, with very few characters. Illustrations begin to play a significant role in the story telling.

Types of Picture Books

Early Readers: (Ages 6-8) “easy to read” books that contain around 2-5 sentences per page with an illustration on every page.

Types of Picture BooksTransition Books: (Ages 6-9) the beginning of chapter books. More text per page and generally limited illustrations in black and white provided on every several pages.

History of Picture BooksOne of the precursor books to children’s picture books was a book called Les Jeux et Plaisis de L’efrance or The Games and Pleasures of Childhood illustrated by Jacques Stella (1657). Although produced for children, the pictures depict children in an unnatural form and more as miniature adults.

History of Picture BooksOrbis Sensualium Pictus or The Visible World of Pictures by John Amos Comenius (1659) was an encyclopedia with pictures of the natural world. The author was innovative in the sense that he understood that there was a difference between adults and children. Some historians view this text as the first picture book for children and it is also viewed as a precursor to illustrated textbooks.

History of Picture BooksRandolph Caldecott (1846-1886) was the first to view the importance of illustration in a picture book as a means for storytelling, rather than mere decoration to be added to a text. He put just as much of a value on the illustrations of a story as he did to the text.

History of Picture BooksThe late 19th century and early 20th century, with the help of innovations in color printing, led to a tremendous growth in the popularity of colored pictured books. There was also a growing understanding in the importance and need for children’s literature. Additionally, the wars during this time helped lead to the need for escapism through these colored books.

History of Picture BooksIn the 1960’s there began to be the use of vibrant colors and paintings in picture books with the help of many artists and illustrators who began to take on careers as picture book authors to make a living. One illustrator who did so was Maurice Sendak who made an impact on the picture book world with his work Where the Wild Things Are.

History of Picture BooksOver recent years that has been debate over what should be depicted in picture books. Some argue that pictures books should be pushing the boundaries and discussing adult topics such as politics, sex, violence, grief etc. because the vibrant pictures appeal to adults as well. Others argue that picture books should remain child friendly. No Time to Play By Sandra Arenal (2004) is one book that has pushed those boundaries by discussing child laborers in Mexico.

How can we use picture books in class?

Look at the picture book you brought. Take 1 minute to brainstorm an activity you could use in class. Share out!

A Successful Read Aloud• Divide the text into smaller units (so you can

better develop new vocabulary and comprehension)

• Complete the book within 3-5 days• Review important or challenging vocabulary

on the day after the last passage is read • Duration of 30 minutes for each session

Day-by-Day Breakdown

Remember to…• Activate student’s background knowledge to help build story

content (this will also support comprehension and vocabulary retention)

• Integrate teaching word meanings WITH the content area rather than a separate list of words and definitions

• Don’t forget to address vocabulary that is difficult to visualize (abstract words/modifiers)

• Guided reading discussions with students that have higher-level responses for vocabulary, structure and use

• Use culturally relevant texts AND texts that incorporate parts of students’ life experiences to help them build their comprehension and retention of the new concepts/vocabulary taught

Let’s See it in Action!Watch this video to see how the teacher hits on each tip for successful.

Think about how she…

• activates students background knowledge

• integrates word meaning into her read aloud

• visually represents the words

• creates a guided discussion

Activities to Engage Students

Click icon to add picture

Sources to Find Picture Books

Top 25 Picture Books By Scholastic

2013 Newberry Award Winners

2013 NYPL

Teaching Channel – Picture Books

Eric Carle Museum - https://www.carlemuseum.org

Backes, L. (2014, February). Understanding children's book genres. Write for Kids. Retrieved February 5, 2014, fromhttp://writeforkids.org/2014/02/understanding-childrens-book-genres/

Burlingham, C. (1997). Picturing childhood: the evolution of the illustrated children's book. University of California. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/special/childhood/pictur.htm Hickman, P., Pollard-Durodola, S., & Vaughn, S. (2004). Storybook reading: Improving vocabulary and comprehension for English-language learners. International Reading Association, 720-730.

Popova, M. (2012, February 24). A brief history of children's picture books and the art of visual storytelling. Brain Pickings. Retrived February 5, 2014, from http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/02/24/childrens-picturebooks/

References