The Art of Picture Books

Among the static images with which young students first become familiar are those found in picture books. Picture books are also an excellent means of exploring visual language for students from year 1 to year 13. Many picture books are very sophisticated, both in the features and conventions of visual language they use and in the effects and meanings they communicate. Some use words, and some do not, but they all use a range of particular visual features and conventions. Read more...

Getting the Most Out of Picture Books:
Sharing Picture Books with Children: Click Here!

About Picture Books:
Children’s picture books are defined by their illustrations. A story may be read aloud or retold using text alone, but without the accompanying illustrations, the meaning is different. Sometimes, careful examination of the illustrations reveals that there are more stories going on in a book than just the one told through the words! In a children’s picture book, much of the story is actually in the pictures themselves. Because illustrations in a children’s book are integral to the story, as children makes sense of a book, they must also consider the pictures. It is only through seeing the work as a whole, words and illustrations, that picture books can be truly read.
In her exploration of art in children’s books, Lee Galda writes :
"Picture books offer a unique opportunity for children to develop visual literacy because they are able to return to the visual images in books to explore, reflect, and critique those images. As children explore illustrations and develop the ability to read images, they will attain deeper meanings from literature and an awareness of how visual images are used in their own meaning making."
With some guidance, children will learn that illustrations can be “seen” in different ways. The following are ideas for helping children to build visual literacy by reading illustrations carefully and critically. Read More

The Art of Picture Books:
A Website About Picture Books

The Eric Carles Museum of Picture Book Art The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is to inspire, especially in children and their families, an appreciation for and an understanding of the art of the picture book.

Picture Books Through Time
A Picture Book Timeline: The Art of Reading ~ From Reading is Fundamental

Defining Picture Books Defining Picture Books,Artistic Quality, & Criteria

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