PICTURE BOOKS - Weebly



Picture Books

Not Just for Little Kids!

Think your days of reading picture books are over? Well, think again. There are a number of picture books on the market that are designed for older kids and young teens.

Features of Sophisticated Picture Books

Mature Topics and Themes

Some topics and themes just aren’t meant for little guys. Such topics are too complex or emotional for children to fully understand, such as war, pollution, suicide, etc. There are many picture books on the market that deal with topics of concern to young adults.

Example: The House That Crack Built

Prerequisite Knowledge

Some picture books, particularly informational picture books, require that the reader has some background knowledge in the subject matter that the book addresses. Otherwise, the reader doesn’t fully comprehend the book. Children haven’t yet accumulated a lot of background knowledge in a wide variety of subject matters.

Example: The Book of the Sandman and the Alphabet of Sleep

Long Text

Little guys don’t have the attention span to read long texts. Young adults do.

Example: The Book of the Sandman and the Alphabet of Sleep

Elevated Vocabulary

Naturally, younger children don’t have as large a vocabulary as young adults. Some picture books use vocabulary that younger children probably won’t understand. Little kids don’t understand how words can be used in different ways, either. They don’t get puns, for example.

Example: The Book of the Sandman and the Alphabet of Sleep

Sophisticated or Unusual Artwork

In a picture book, the pictures are as important as the text. Some picture books have beautiful, elaborate illustrations or unusual artwork. The tastes of young children, however, have not developed sufficiently to appreciate such artwork. In addition to sophisticated artwork, many picture books written for older readers contain very detailed artwork. In such books, the reader is meant to pore over the illustrations, looking for details.

Example: The Book of the Sandman and the Alphabet of Sleep, I’m in Charge of Celebrations and The Other Way to Listen

Allusions

Allusion is a literary device in which passing reference is made to other texts, works of art, moments in history, famous people, etc. These references are not explained; the writer assumes that the reader understands the reference. Little kids are not as widely read nor are they as well-versed in movies, television, or history as are young adults. Humor often comes from allusion… and little kids typically don’t get jokes that reference other works.

Example: Shrek 2

Example—The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Let’s do an analysis together!

|FEATURE |EXAMPLE |

| | |

|Mature Topics and Themes | |

| | |

|Prerequisite Knowledge | |

| | |

|Long Text | |

| | |

|Elevated Vocabulary | |

| | |

|Sophisticated or Unusual Artwork | |

| | |

|Allusions | |

Assignment

Create a visual presentation in which you analyze and evaluate a sophisticated picture book.

Include the following in your project:

the title and the author, properly capitalized and italicized.

in SIX separate sections, evaluate the book based on the features on the reverse of this sheet. For the features that apply to your book, explain the feature and GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. For example, if you mention that the reader needs prerequisite knowledge to understand the book, explain what specific prerequisite knowledge is needed. Give page numbers when necessary. For the features that do not apply to your book, simply give an explanation of what the feature is. This part of your display should have SIX sections.

an analytical response to the book. Did you like it? Why or why not? Did you find it amusing? Informative? Sad? Describe, IN DETAIL AND WITH EXAMPLES, your reaction to the book.

Your full name needs to appear clearly on the front of this project.

MECHANICS ARE IMPORTANT! Mechanics = Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar. Proofread and proofread again.

CREATIVITY IS IMPORTANT! Spend some time making it look interesting and neat. Don't just throw something together. Many other people will be viewing this project; so represent yourself well.

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