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“Voices in the Park”  Using Picture Books with English learners

Current research in applied linguistics claims that most learners acquire a second language when they are exposed to, and actively involved in real meaningful communication in that language. Learners of English as second language (ESL) are provided opportunities in class to exercise their own initiative in communicating. Picture books are an excellent resource for educators because they have an intrinsic appeal that can be utilized to promote such communication in language learning. Picture books are a gift to English learners who might be overwhelmed by pages filled only with text. These students might be reluctant to read because they are unable to understand the content, which could produce apprehension towards reading. This negative attitude very often prevents learners from practicing reading, leading to a lack of development and to further failure.

According to research done by The Commission on Reading, becoming a skilled reader requires written materials to be interesting (Kear & McKenna, 1990, p.660). Smith (1988) observes that “the emotional response to reading…is the primary reason most readers read, and probably the primary reason most non-readers do not read” (p.144). Much research, in which attitude and achievement have been consistently linked, reveals that students’ attitude towards reading is a central factor affecting reading performance. Educators, ideally, want reading to be a pleasurable experience. The inclusion of pictures with text in picture books should illicit an emotional response to reading, and build language fluency. The text and illustrations of high-quality picture books weave rich stories that can excite and surprise children, make them laugh, make them wonder, and make them think. This paper will look at ways in which one particular picture book can be used effectively in an English language class. Background of Students

I currently teach two classes that consist of 16 and 17 students. Classes emphasize the language usage of about 40% English and 60% Putonghua. As the homeroom teacher, I am responsible for teaching English language, Guided Discovery (Science) and English Mathematics. The remaining subjects such as Chinese Language, Art, Music and Chinese Mathematics are conducted entirely in Putonghua.

Although more than half of the class consists of children whose first language is Cantonese, students generally have high English abilities. They have ample exposure to English outside school and enjoy reading English chapter books such as the Geronimo Stilton, Harry Potter and Diary of a Wimpy Kids series, as well as books written by Roald Dahl and Judy Blume. When asked whether they like picture books, many responded negatively because they feel that picture books are “too

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easy,” “childish,” and “boring.” They view picture books as literature meant for toddlers, babies, and little kids (See Appendix 1 for Questionnaire on Picturebooks). It is hoped that students will learn to appreciate picture books as more books are shared with the class. Rationale for Using a Picture book

The compound word “picturebook” used by some researchers reflects on how a picture book should be read and appreciated. Picture books should be enjoyed as a whole rather than just the illustrations or the words. “Voices in the Park” is a post-modern picture book that has characteristics different from a traditional picture book. Pantaleo and Sole (2008) identified six characteristics of postmodern picture books (as cited in Barone, p.73):

1. Blurring the categories of traditional genres and the boundaries among author, narrator, and

reader. 2. Undermining the traditional distinctions between the story and the outside world. 3. Explicitly using intertextuality. 4. Providing multiple meanings, ambiguity, and open-endings. 5. Playing with the reader in response to the book. 6. Drawing the reader’s attention to the text as a text through its construction.

This book is appropriate for my class because the way text and illustrations are presented

appeals to both younger and older students. It also has a non-traditional plot structure that is engaging for those who are more familiar with the English language. Although the written text used is simple and seems easy for grade three students, good language proficiency is required to make sense of the story and engage in discussions of its illustrations and design. Postmodern books also contain an unusual design and layout that challenge the reader’s perception of how to read a book (Anstey, 2002, p.448). Because these books have been specifically designed to tell the story through both print and illustration, they allow an easy introduction into the linguistic and visual representations for children.

When I first read Voices in the Park years ago, I thought the story was confusing and it bothered me how it ended abruptly. However, I did like the illustrations, some of which I thought were very funny. For instance, the mother appeared to be quite graceful and classy in the first narrative (from her own perspective, of course), but from Smudge’s point of view she looked completely outraged, with flared nostrils, emitting fumes that send her hat flying and flower patterns jumping off her scarf! I almost had to flip back to the previous pages to see if she was the same character!

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Another memorable part of the story was the trees in the background. I noticed how the trees

changed shapes as if they were responding to the characters’ emotions. For instance, when Smudge’s father was on the way to the park, the trees were bare and lifeless. The trunks were leaning forward similar to the way the father was slouching and drooping his head.

. However, on his way home, the trees were suddenly lit up with sparkling lights. The lamppost

even transformed into a flower leading Smudge and her father’s way. It was apparent that he felt much better after going to the park.

Part of my motivations for selecting Voices in the Park was the fact that I never got a chance to figure out the deeper meaning of the story. Reading this with my class should help me gain further insights into the characters and the overall intention of the author. About the author

Anthony Browne is a British author and illustrator who has won awards for his picture books “Gorilla” and “Voices in the Park”. In 2000 he won the Hans Christian Andersen Award for services to children's literature, and in 2009 he was appointed the sixth Children's Laureate. He studied graphic design at Leed’s College. During an interview, Browne revealed that he was meant to be a medical artist after art school, but ended up designing greeting cards. This eventually landed him the opportunity to become an author and illustrator of children’s books (Evans, 1998,

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p.192). His previous experience as a professional artist has therefore enhanced his skills when conveying his ideas through illustrations and texts. He believes that pictures tell more than words because they “offer clues to the way a character feels or thinks” (Barone, p.187). Browne’s books are often complicated, with images that relate to a character’s feelings. His books are surrealistic in style and are considered postmodern. Synopsis

Voices in the Park is a story of a trip to the park as told by four individuals who happen to be there at the same time. There is a mother and her son Charles; a young girl named Smudge and her father whom they encounter at the park. Each character’s voice is presented separately with each voice describing one event that took place; the narrative retells the same event through each of the four voices presented. Browne uses four different characters to present four perspectives focusing on the event of going to the park. Each voice gives the reader a different focus and storyline. Structure

Picture books combine visual and verbal narratives in a book format. According to Labove (1972), a narrative is defined as “one method of recapitulating past experience by matching a verbal sequence of clauses to the sequence of events which actually occurred” (p.360). A complex narrative typically consists of elements such as an abstract, orientation, complication, resolution, evaluation and coda. Unlike novels or short stories that often have many of these elements, Voices in the Park lacks this narrative framework. The structure differs from traditional picture books which follow a pattern with a beginning, middle and end. The beginning usually introduces the main character, setting and main conflict, followed by the middle which includes a series of events leading up to the climax. For very young children, the plot is usually straightforward, with one event following another. In the end of the story, the main conflict is resolved and there is a clear resolution (Barone, p.100).

Voices in the Park does not follow that convention. There is not much of a climax since the story is a series of ordinary events that could happen to anyone at the park. Nothing significant occurs. Readers might also find the end unsatisfying. My students, who were so used to the standard beginning, middle, and end responded with a “that’s it?” when the story was over. Indeed, Charles and his mother finish their stories by telling us they walked home. The story of Smudge’s father ends, too, with them returning to their house. In the last of the four narratives, Smudge goes home as well, placing the flower in the water. She does not reflect on the events that

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happen, nor does she reveal any important lesson learned. It seems the author’s intention to leave the last page as it is, enticing readers to reread the book to see whether they can determine a satisfying ending.

Point of View / Narrative Voice

Voices in the Park is composed of four first-person narratives, with each character giving an account of going to the park. The first point of view is from the perspective of Charles’ mother who shows a negative attitude towards the day’s events. From clues in the illustrations, the mother is well groomed with golden earrings, pearl necklace and matching hat and scarf. She appears to be a wealthy woman who looks down on others of a lower socioeconomic status. She describes Smudge’s dog as a “horrible thing” and “scruffy”, and tells readers Victoria is a “rough-looking child.” She later refers to people at the park as the “frightful types.” Later, she commands Charles to “sit” as if he is a pet. The way she criticizes the world around her makes readers question her accuracy. It is ironic that being the mother, she is the unreliable narrator. Throughout her narrative, she takes actions, makes judgments and expresses opinions towards people and events. Readers must depend on the other narratives to get an accurate account of the day at the park

The second point of view also has limitations. Smudge’s father is unaware of neither Charles nor his mother although he is sitting next to the mother in the picture. His narrative completely leaves out the characters present at the time. He does not have knowledge of what goes on in the park because he is so absorbed in looking for a job in the newspaper. The father’s word choice reveals his thoughts about his own situation. His reason for being in the park is that he needs to “get out of the house” and when seeing his dog running around, he wishes he has “half the energy he’s got.”

In the third narrative, Charles presents the day’s events differently from his mother. He sees Smudge’s dog Albert as “friendly” and refers the two dogs playing as “old friends.” He does not mention Smudge’s dad possibly because of where he is at the park. Charles then meets Smudge whom he admires, and spends some time describing what they did together. His story ends abruptly when his mother catches them talking and he reluctantly goes home. His overall experience at the park is a positive one,

In Smudge’s narrative, she is revealed to be a mature and caring character who is sensitive to others’ emotions and feelings. She realizes that her dad is “really fed up,” and accompanies him to the park. She observes that Charles’ mother got angry like a “silly twit” when Albert plays with her dog. She even notices the Charles’ change as he opens up and becomes more friendly. She is aware that he is sad about leaving the park. Smudge is the only character who meets and interacts with all others in the story. Her narrative gives reader again, a different perspective of the days’ events.

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Visual Feature

Interestingly enough, character’s emotions and perception of their world are revealed sparingly in the illustrations. Teachers should encourage children to pay attention to the pictures. Arbuthnot (1947) was one of the first to treat the illustration as an important concept of the picture book. Golden (1990) and Nikolajeva (2005) identified some of the ways that illustrations and text pair up (as cited in Barone, p.129).

Symmetrical Text and illustrations tell the same story; they are redundant Complementary Text needs illustrations for clarification and illustration needs text

to complete narrative Enhancing Illustration enhances the story Counterpointing Words and illustrations tell different stories. Both are critical to

understanding Contradictory There is tension between text and illustration; often the story is

ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations. For the purpose of this paper whose focus is on the stylistic feature and literary techniques of a literature, illustrations will not be analyzed. However, these text-image relationships are worth examining as teachers as it helps to facilitate meaning discussions among students. Textual Feature Language:

The language is simple and straight forward in Voices in the Park. The story consists mostly of simple sentences and compound sentences connected with conjunctions “but” “and” “so”:

Simple Sentences We walked home in silence.

He loves it there. I got talking to this boy.

Compound Sentences

I shooed it off, but the horrible thing chased her all over the park. I needed to get out of the house, so me and Smudge took the dog to the park.

There was a very friendly dog in the park and Victoria was having a great time.

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Although the theme of the story might not be easily understood by the lower grades, Voices in the Park can nonetheless enjoyed by younger readers because of the simplicity of the language.

In terms of vocabulary, students might not be familiar with “Pedigree Labrador” and “mongrel” but could probably pick up clues from the pictures accompanying the passage. There is one grammatical structure in the father’s narrative “so me and Smudge took the dog to the park” which might be problematic for students since the pronoun “me” is used incorrectly. This might be something worth discussing about since the ungrammatical sentence reveals the father’s background and education.

It should also be noted that the characters’ inner thoughts are not expressed in quotation marks, and dialogue tags such as “I thought” are omitted. This makes sense since the stories are in first person narrative. This might be confusing for primary students who sometimes encounter novels with quotation marks to show the character’s thinking.

Style:

Authors often use word choice, images that appeal to the senses, metaphors, sounds of words, voice and mood to create style (Barone, p.117). Browne carefully chooses his words to share details about characters, setting and plot. All four narratives have a casual style as if the characters are telling a friend a story. The language used is straight forward and basic figurative device such as metaphors and smiles are not present. Browne also influences our mood as he engages us with the book. Readers immediately emphasize with Charles when he begins his narrative, “I was at home on my own again. It’s so boring. Then Mummy said that it was time for our walk… Victoria was having a great time. I wished I was.” The manner in which Charles expresses his feelings is not foreign to us as readers. We engage with the narrator in this quote because all of us have felt this boredom and loneliness in one way or another. This is one example Browne bridges our emotions with his storytelling.

Browne uses a combination of techniques to give readers a strong sense of the characters’ personalities and complexities. Characterization is done indirectly and readers must infer what the four characters are like through their thoughts, actions, choice of works and interaction with others. As mentioned earlier, Charles’ mother is revealed to be a strict and condescending woman. Judgments made by Charles and Smudge convince readers that she is indeed such a character. Illustrations also reveal characters’ traits not shared in the text. For instance, the father is shown as a poor, depressed and jobless man from the way he slouches in his sofa in a pair of dirty overalls. In Smudge’s illustrations, the world seems a happier place with crowned and jeweled street lamps, colourful fruit-shaped trees and lush green grass. Her perception of the world reveals her cheerful and bubbly personality.

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From clues in Browne’s illustrations and carefully chosen descriptions, characters are all vivid, alive and believable. Treatment of the Text Pre-reading Activities (See Appendix 2 for Lesson Plan): I have chosen to present the story as a read-aloud which has shown to engage the student listener while developing background knowledge, increasing comprehension skills and fostering critical thinking (Barone, 2001, p.27). Students benefit from teacher’s read-aloud because it allows them to share their responses and reactions to illustrations and text. The intertwining of illustrations and text that are sometimes complex in post-modern picture books give rooms to multiple interpretations. Read alouds create avenues by which students can acknowledge and value the diversity of each others’ approaches to the reading.

As the reader’s response approach suggests, it is difficult to interpret the meaning of a text “without considering the reader’s contribution to it” (as cited in Hirvela, 2007, p.12). Teachers who value readers will give opportunities for them to bring “background information, previous experience and a whole range of socio-cultural issues to the text which (could) interact with the words to make them come alive (as cited in Evans, 1999, p.3).” Therefore, while showing students’ the cover of Voices in the Park, I activated their prior knowledge by asking students the following questions:

Who likes going to the park? Who can tell me why people go to the park? What do people usually do at the park?

Most students were able to connect to their own experiences, and came up with responses such

as “to relax,” “to rest,” “to take my dog to the park,” or “to take a break” which were relevant to the content of the story. My intention was to lead students to a more positive reading experience as they were making contributions to the reading.

Reflecting on my lesson, I could have asked “How often do you go to the park?” because children in Hong Kong don’t always visit the park. They spend their evenings doing homework or watching TV, and weekends at the cinemas or shopping malls since parks are not easily accessible. The weather is also not always ideal for outdoor activities. They might be unaware that some people visit the park daily as part of their routines. I could also mention that parks can be a dangerous place where homeless people and street kids gather in order to help clarify why Charles’ mother is be so paranoid with “frightful types” at the park. During-Reading and Post-Reading Activities:

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Initially, when using Voices in the Park in one homeroom class, I read the four narratives in one go, pausing only to discuss reactions to illustrations and to certain parts of the text. During post-discussion, I realized this strategy of reading the entire picture book all at once did not work. Many students were overwhelmed by the number of characters- Charles, Charles’ mother, Smudge, Smudge’s father, their dogs Victoria and Albert (whose human names made it even more difficult to remember). They found the different perspectives confusing. They had a hard time remembering significance of each character’s narratives without me flipping back to previous pages. This confusion made it challenging to complete a post-reading activity which required them to examine the pictures and text more closely in their group. Each group got a color copy of the character’s voice, along with a graphic organizer. Since students have done previous activities on looking for clues that reveal character traits, they are familiar with the strategies (See Appendix 3 for Character Clues).

Students were to analyze their assigned character’s age, status, and personality trait from clues in Browne’s illustrations and words (See Appendix 4 for Student Sample for Character Traits). I had to circulate between the groups to guide them as they completed the chart, and it was a rather stressful process since I had to give a lot of hints and point out passages that were significant. After the activity, each group shared with the class whether their character’s experience at the park was a positive or a negative one, and together, we brainstormed what they thought the “moral” of the story was. Modifications: Later in the week when I taught my other homeroom class, I restructured my lesson so the character’s “information” was easier to digest. For instance, after reading the First Voice of the mother’s narrative, I took a break to discuss students’ interpretations of what happened. On the board, I immediately mapped out the characters whom have been identified. I acknowledged that students’ insights and comments were part of the “creative interaction between the reader and text” (Hirvela, p.49) and tried not to give my own interpretations. When the mother shooed off Charles’ dog, I asked, “Who’s had this experience before where you encountered other animals at the park? Tell me about your experience,” to which students enthusiastically responded with various experience, from encounters to Dopamine to ducks in the pond. I also asked the students’ to observe the mother’s facial expression, and speculate why she was angry at the other dog. These open questions allow for inferences and insights by the reader.

Teacher: But why did she get angry? Ron: She is angry because nobody wants your own pet to be … scratched or whatever… Teacher: chased? Ron: chased and get dirty.

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In preparation for the character analysis activity at the end, I spent time discussing what they thought of the mother right after her narrative instead of leaving it at the end when the students have already forgotten the details.

Teacher: Who can tell me how the mother is like in the story? What is her

personality trait… from either her action clues, verbal clues or picture clues? Talk to the person beside you first. Students: (chatting) Teacher: Joanna, how is the mother like? Joanna: She is scary and loving. Teacher: Why do you think she is loving? Joanna: Because she really cares for her child. Teacher: I see. So that’s one way to show love right? By being concerned. Andrea? Andrea: Strict and mean

Occasionally, there were responses that were “off track.”

Teacher: So why is the boy sad? Miriam: Because he met a girl, not a boy. Teacher: Ok so maybe at the beginning he was a little disappointed because he didn’t meet a boy.

What Miriam said was not exactly true because Charles was actually upset because he was lonely at the park. Although this was Miriam’s interpretation of the text, I kept in mind that the author’s intention should still be considered, and made some clarifications.

At the end of our reading, I asked the students how they felt:

Teacher: How did you feel after reading the story? What feelings do you have? What did you learn? Emma: I feel a little sad for the mother and the father…because they had a very hard time taking care of the kids and the dog. Teacher: Okay..possible… Elliot? Elliot: I feel it’s funny because of the king kong [in the illustration] Teacher: Okay…you thought the pictures were funny.

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Miriam: I think I learned that at the park people have different feelings. Some are like stressed out, some are like sad, some are like happy… Teacher: That’s a good point! Andrea: I don’t feel anything, but you should always look on the bright side.

This allowed for inferences and insights by the reader, and encouraged them to explore their

emotional response to the literary piece. Some students had similar responses, while others varied. This activity allowed students to seek “common ground with other readers while learning from each person’s unique response to the literature (Lynn, 2008, p.69)

I plan to complete the “Character Analysis” activity with this class in my follow-up lesson and see whether they will have a better understand of the character after the many discussions during the read aloud. It might also be a good idea to reread the story as a whole in separate lesson when they have a better understanding of the characters during which the class can spend more time looking at the illustrations.

Reflection

Picture books are so wildly varied and diverse in format, style and subject matter that it can be used with a lot of flexibly with different age groups and in various ways in the classroom. They can be read solely as entertainment for children, as instructional resources for students, or as artistic pieces and in many other ways as well. However, despite the differences in the way they are written and how they are read, there are some clear connections between all picture books. Each book contains something to be learned or discovered, and the process of exploring and responding to the myriad of picture books will help students use the English language in a collaborative way. At the same time in promoting language learning, responding to literature during a read aloud creates a direct relationship between the reader and the text that is personally meaningful to the individual reader. It is this experience that motivates students to become life-long readers.

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Appendix 1: Lesson Plan “Voices in the Park”

The First Voice

Standards

The student will

-­‐ identify point of view and author purpose

-­‐ make inferences about what is read

-­‐ describe a character fully

-­‐ identify the emotional relationship between characters

Pre-Reading

-­‐ Have students examine cover of book & make predictions

-­‐ Ask students about their own experience at the park

Explain that Voices in the Park has 4 mini-stories inside

Read First Voice aloud

-­‐ Who are the main characters mentioned so far?

-­‐ Where does this story take place?

- Why is the mother worried?

- Should she be worried?

Briefly discuss the mother’s personality or anything else students notice about the story or the pictures

Read the Second Voice aloud

- How is the father feeling? How do you know?

- How does the picture make you feel?

- What are his worries?

- What is strange about the last picture?

Briefly discuss the father’s personality or anything else students notice about the story or the

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pictures

Read the Third Voice aloud

- How do you think the boy is feeling? Have you ever felt this way before?

- Does he enjoy his experience at the park?

Briefly discuss Charles’s personality or anything else students notice about the story or the pictures

Read the Four Voice aloud:

- How is Smudge personality different from Charles? How can you tell?

- How old do you think she is? Is she older or younger than Charles?

- Does she enjoy her experience at the park?

Briefly discuss Smudge’s personality or anything else students notice about the story or the pictures

Distribute colored copies of each narrative to the groups.

Have students complete Character Analysis. Students will present their character to the class.

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Works Cited

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http://literature.britishcouncil.org/anthony-browne

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Arbor: University of Michigan Press

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