Picture Books A Summary from Childrens Books in
Picture Books – A Summary from Children’s Books in Children’s Hands January 23, 2008 Multicultural Children’s Literature
Types of Picture Books n n n Toy Books-books that allow interaction for young children Concept Books-books that actual teach children about a concept or topic Alphabet Books Counting/Number Books Wordless Books – books without words Beginning Reader Books – predictable books and easy readers
Elements of Design in Picture Books
LINE n n n Lines can be thin, light, heavy and bold. The can be straight, jagged, wavy or zigzagged. Line can be used to effectively show movement in an illustration. Example in Moses – pages 3 -4
SHAPE n n n “Shape is created when spaces are contained by a combination of lines. ” Shape can help create a sense of the setting of the story – whether it is meant to be rural vs. urban, scary vs. calming, etc. Example: The Man who Walked between the Towers
COLOR n n n Color can be varied or it can be consistent – the author may choose a wide variety of colors or he or she may choose to stick with one of two colors. Color and shading of those colors helps to create the mood of a story. Examples: Uno’s Garden and The Spider and the Fly
LIGHT n n Light in a story directly connects with the colors in a story. An author’s use of light contributes to the mood of the story, the state of mind of characters, or to better describe the setting. Example: Moses
TEXTURE n n “Texture is the illusion of a tactile surface created in an illustration. ” Example: What do you do with a Tail like This?
ARTISTIC MEDIA
Painting n n n Most children’s books are illustrated with watercolors. The watercolors allow authors to show many emotions in the characters and settings. Example: Jerry Pinkney – from pencils to colored pencils to watercolors
Pencil Drawings n n n Authors use balck-and-white pencil drawings to convey certain moods. You can create sharp lines, “smudged shadows” and delicate features with a pencil. Example: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Paper Crafts – Collage, Papermaking and Cut Paper n n Cutting and pasting different sizes and shapes of paper can create interesting illustrations. (collage) Examples: What do you do with a Tail like This? , Eric Carle’s books
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