When my younger daughter was in pre-Kindergarten, one day at dismissal, her classmates, nearly all boys, rushed around me exclaiming, “Ellie can read! Ellie can read! She reads to us!” Her teacher explained that Ellie would “read” books to her classmates, and the boys mistakenly assumed that she could read the words as her stories were quite elaborate and cohesive. Now, of course, Ellie was shamelessly flexing her emergent literacy muscles for those little boys. Some of the books had been read to her, and she was simply retelling them. However, she was also able to create interesting stories following the illustrations in the classic picture storybooks in her classroom. She was experiencing one important aspect of high-quality picture storybooks; she could discern a simple story from the art in the books. Certainly, her creative storytelling was incomplete though because as Galda et al. (2017) notes in Literature and the Child, “The words tell us aspects of the story not found in the illustrations, and the illustrations offer aspects of the story not conveyed through the words” (p. 66).
Three picture storybooks that I read this week all share that same capacity for storytelling. They each offer engaging make-believe tales with captivating illustrations that elaborate on the stories, characters, and their actions. The illustrators effectively and accurately match text and their art together to give us a richer literary experience. The blending of words and pictures in these books also displays intuition and insight into the minds and interests of young readers.
The Gruffalo is a picture storybook, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Schefller. As I read about the shrewd mouse eluding several forest predators including the fantastical creation of his own imagination, I rightly recognized this tale as a fable. It offers young readers a clear message about the value of being alert and quick-witted. The illustrations, created with ink, pencil, watercolors, colored pencil and crayon, are bright and colorful, setting a happy, light and optimistic mood for the story. The mouse’s witty smile throughout most of the book reminds us that he is clever and confident. Scheffler varies his art with double-page spreads that bleed to the edges, cut-outs, and montages to tell the story. In fact, three pages present enlarged images of the beast’s frightening features, preparing the reader to recognize the Gruffalo immediately when he emerges. And clearly the mouse’s small stature, only expressed through the illustrations, explains further why he must use his mind and wits to avoid being eaten. The use of repetition in the mouse’s conversations and the accompanying artwork creates a fun, predictable story that can be enjoyed and remembered by even the youngest readers. The words and art in The Gruffalo work in unison to create a reading experience that is both happy and humorous.
Another picture storybook that will delight young and old readers is Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, illustrated by Lane Smith. Scieszka shares the traditional story of the three little pigs that many children already know with a new twist, the Wolf's claim to innocence as a victim of circumstances himself. The tale has the same messages for readers as the original with the added caution about honesty and truth-telling. The illustrations from Lane Smith enrich the story, providing more detail into the wolf's motivation. For example, after blowing down the straw house and discovering the dead pig, the illustration shows the wolf thinking about whether he should eat the pig. The close-up of the wolf's nose emphasizes his claim that he started sneezing. Further, all the illustrations convey Wolf as a friendly, respectable neighbor, dressed in a suit with spectacles and a bowtie, rather than a savage beast hunting down pigs. In this way, the illustrations contribute to character development, another feature of picture storybooks. The shades of brows throughout the book seem to suggest that the story is old and maybe true, and Smith effectively shows movement with shapes and line. Although the illustrations are more subdued and consistent in their placement in this book, they too enrich the experience of reading the story, providing details that are not explicitly shared in the text.
Another picture storybook that will delight young and old readers is Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, illustrated by Lane Smith. Scieszka shares the traditional story of the three little pigs that many children already know with a new twist, the Wolf's claim to innocence as a victim of circumstances himself. The tale has the same messages for readers as the original with the added caution about honesty and truth-telling. The illustrations from Lane Smith enrich the story, providing more detail into the wolf's motivation. For example, after blowing down the straw house and discovering the dead pig, the illustration shows the wolf thinking about whether he should eat the pig. The close-up of the wolf's nose emphasizes his claim that he started sneezing. Further, all the illustrations convey Wolf as a friendly, respectable neighbor, dressed in a suit with spectacles and a bowtie, rather than a savage beast hunting down pigs. In this way, the illustrations contribute to character development, another feature of picture storybooks. The shades of brows throughout the book seem to suggest that the story is old and maybe true, and Smith effectively shows movement with shapes and line. Although the illustrations are more subdued and consistent in their placement in this book, they too enrich the experience of reading the story, providing details that are not explicitly shared in the text.
Author and illustrator, Dan Santat, received the 2015 Caldecott Medal for his picture storybook, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. The story follows an imaginary friend from his creation to the real world where he is found by his child, Alice. Santat created the vivid illustrations for his book using pencil, crayon, watercolor, ink and Adobe Photoshop, and the art reminds me of the computer-generated animation characteristic of children’s films today. This style along with the dynamic use of bold colors and changing perspectives throughout the book will certainly appeal to children of all ages. Color is also used to show Beekle’s alternating moods. Dark greens, blues and blacks communicate fear and uncertainty as he is waiting and searching; bright colors, all the colors of the rainbow, show Beekle’s joy and fulfillment in friendship. Santat masterfully and consistently elaborates on the storyline with his illustrations, highlighting how words and art rely on each other in picture storybooks. In the first opening, Beekle is featured at the bottom of a rainbow, suggesting how he is created, and in the second opening, a chosen friend is lifted up, indicating how he is taken to his new friend. The sequence of the two illustrations of the tree convey the passage of time, as the children leave and the sun sets. One of the most powerful pages is the continuous narration of no less than 12 images! Here, we get to watch Beekle and Alice as they interact and communicate for the first time. other picture storybooks, Beekle has a message for his readers too, a message that belonging and friendship are there for all of us.
Donaldson, J. (2006). The gruffalo. New York, New York: Puffin Books (Original work published 1999)
Galda, L., Liang, L.A. & Cullinan, B.E. (2017). Literature and the child (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Santat, D. (2014). The adventures of Beetle: The unimaginary friend. New York, New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Scieszka, J. (1996). The true story of the 3 little pigs. New York, New York: Puffin Books (Original work published 1989)
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