Picture Books

Chapter 7

"Children's [picture] books

are a short literary form, like

a sonnet."Rosemary Wells

Background

• Description

• History

Elements

Visual Elements

• Line

• Color

• Shape

• Texture

• Design / Composition

Media

Writing

• Characters / plot / setting

• Well-composed prose

• Elements of POOR writing

Forms

Using Picture Books

in the Classroom

Selecting Quality Books

• Awards

• Building a library

• Younger students

• Intermediate and middle schools

Ways of Using Picture Books

Talking about picture books

• Talking about the art

• Character education

• Writing models

• Parodies

• Teaching literacy

• Higher level thinking

Strategies

Webbing

Writing in author's

style

Sketch-to-

stretch

2nd grader

Media

Projects

The main points in

Eric Carle's

Very Hungry Caterpillar

Projects

Ukrainian eggs made after reading Polacco's Reschenka's Eggs

Projects

Response to Brett Harvey's

Cassie's Journey

Projects

Performance

More strategies

• Accordion books

• E-mail, chat rooms

• Board games

• Book boxes

Considerations for Younger Children

Considerations for Older Students

Visit the CD-ROM for this entire unit.

See the CD-ROM which came with this text for:• Searchable database of children's literature• Author and illustrator profiles• A history of children's literature• Bibliographies

Visit the COMPANION WEBSITE for:• Related websites • Picture book awards