Picture Books

Picture Books

What Are Picture Books?

Knuffle Bunny Too

What Are Picture Books?

"Picture books are art objects in which images and ideas join to form a unique whole." (Huck/Kiefer, 2010, p. 156) In a picture storybook, meaning is equally gathered through the text and the illustrations. According to Huck/Kiefer (2010), "in a well-designed book in which the total format reflects the meaning of the story, both the illustrations and the text must bear the burden of narration."

"Picture books enrich children's lives" (Huck/Kiefer, 2010) and can be about anything!  They can be fiction or nonfiction, and content might include family, grandparents, daily life experiences, nature, personified animals, folktales, humor, fantasy, culturally diverse people, environmental issues, societal issues, war, history, etc.  Picture books are for people of all ages rather than just for young children.  

The text in picture books should help enrich children's lives through language conventions, unusual words, figurative language, and dialogue.  The pictures should help tell the story through the characters' expressions and actions as well as through the various settings and plot development.  All forms or means of stereotyping should be avoided.


How Are Picture Books Illustrated?

When making books, illustrators consider the elements of design, line, space, and color, and they choose the  media or combination of media/techniques that best support the style of text.  This is important since the illustrations move the plot along, help create the story's mood, and assist in character development. Media illustrators choose to use include woodcuts, linoleum block prints, scratchboard, collage, fabric, paint, crayon, chalk, pencil, paper engineering, photography, and computer-generated images.  Illustration styles might include realism, impressionism, expressionism, surrealism, primitive and folk art, and/or cartoon styles. Some artists develop their own  styles that later lead to their unique identities.  Some illustrators base their illustrations on specific styles of various cultures or time periods. Book design includes consideration of size, shape, cloth cover, jacket, endpapers, title page, spacing of pictures and text, margins, white space, type design, and paper choice.

 

Additional Information and Resources

For additional information about picture books, follow the "additional information" link, and follow the links listed below.

Teaching Resources: