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Reproduction of Picture Books by Keli Matthews

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Reproduction of Picture Books by Keli Matthews

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Creating and reproducing picturebooks is a multi-step process that involves many different people. The process involves various people and artists. These roles include the author, illustrator, editor, and designer. The author has the task of writing the texts and creating the manuscript. This manuscript is then sent to the editor who will suggest changes and edits. The editor also is tasked with choosing an illustrator, who will draw or create the pictures for the manuscript. In most cases the author and illustrator never communicate or share ideas. When the illustrations are created, the designer will then choose font style, book layout, cover images and title size. After each person completes their role in the creation of the picture book it can then be sent to reproduction. Do you think that having so many different roles can positively or negatively influence a picturebook?

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Communicating Picture Books by Mary Foley

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Communicating Picture Books by Mary Foley

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Recently, the ability to enjoy any book as gone well beyond the ability to have something tangible in our hands.  Through podcasts and book reading apps, people have opportunities to "read" books more at their fingertips.  While we have gotten spoiled over the past few years with this new technology, it is not the first time technology has been used to engage readers.  Cassette tapes as well as CDs were previously used for students to listen to as well as follow along with their books.  Providing readers the opportunity to listen to the story as well as read it can be particularly helpful for comprehension when students are more auditory learners. Do you believe that providing students alternate ways to "read" books increases the interest in reading?

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Using Informational Picture Books by Mary Foley

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Using Informational Picture Books by Mary Foley

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The use of picture books has been an important tool in teaching students about various "sociocultural themes and problems."  There has been a growing interest in using informational picture books to address nonfiction topics. The use of photographs as a tool to convey or demonstrate specific topics can not only engage students but provide necessary context to help establish "connections" to the lesson. More importantly, the use of informational picture books can be effective for younger as well as older students. What examples of informational picture books have you used and what was the original topic?

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Aesthetic Importance in Picture Books by Mary Foley

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Aesthetic Importance in Picture Books by Mary Foley

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When you think of your favorite picture book, many people think about the story or lesson that the actual words conveyed, not necessarily the pictures or illustrations.  However, as the picture book has become increasingly more popular, there has been more emphasis on the role of the actual pictures.  There has been so much emphasis on the importance of the pictures that the wordless picture book has become not only a way to engage readers but to encourage cognitive as well as creative thinking. Readers are using illustrations not only as a way to connect with the story, but to create their own interpretations of the story. As wordless picture books become more popular, are there any you have used or read that have been (or you think would be) effective in increasing student engagement through cognitive and/or creative thinking?

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Our Own Views and Beliefs by Cody Anderson

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Our Own Views and Beliefs by Cody Anderson

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Art is used to reflect views and beliefs by reflecting on cultures, religions, identities, entertainment, etc. Many have said that picturebooks can also be used to challenge these same views and beliefs. When we open a picturebook about a culture we are turning the page into what we believe their lives look like, accurate or not. In fact, some argue that visual illustrations hold more "weight" than written text when it comes to conveying messages to readers. They believe that children focus more on pictures and take in more meaning through the pictures within picturebooks than the actual text itself.
Do you believe that illustrations hold more weight than the text that is read when it comes to conveying messages to children?

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Aesthetic Objects or Learning Tools by Cody Anderson

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Aesthetic Objects or Learning Tools by Cody Anderson

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Due to funding and the new laws surrounding the texts in our classrooms, we find ourselves with fewer and fewer books in our libraries and classrooms.
Many have noticed that some classrooms use their picturebooks as more aesthetic objects, laying around to bring about a more "comfortable" and "homier" look than actual learning tools. It seems that when it comes to reading within the classroom teachers stick to their curriculum guides and rarely use picturebooks outside of that to learn from. There is pressure to just focus on the "priority" list and not venture outside of that which leads to a lot of useful picturebooks just "sitting pretty". Some classic and even newer, more modern picturebooks are gathering dust on shelves instead of being utilized.
How important is it to make a variety of picturebooks accessible to our students?

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Once upon a time you could find an endless selection of picturebooks in any public, private, or school library. Fast forward to today where teachers are now mandated to remove and "clean out" their classroom libraries to rid them of the books deemed politically and socially unacceptable. Parents, teachers, administration, etc. are opening books that have been read for many, many years and finding fault in the meanings or perceptions that children could gain from reading them and moving to ban them so that children do not pick up “unacceptable” perceptions and thought processes. Authors and illustrators find themselves with a new challenge on their hands, to find text and pictures that are appropriate but still teach and cover all aspects of childhood. Can the way the author/illustrator use their words/images change our views and the way we see the world?

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Representation within picture books by Cody Anderson

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Representation within picture books by Cody Anderson

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Picture books have moved away from being only viewed as fiction-based stories with pretty pictures and turned into more informational based tools with specific and worldly illustrations. Picture books are starting to dive deep into modern issues such as racial bias, gender identification, and sexual orientations. In today’s modern times we face a challenge of who has the right to write about cultures, identities, or beliefs. Awareness and acceptance are being preached from every corner and picture books are being utilized to continue this.

What significance does a broad spectrum of representation of cultures, identities, and beliefs play with picture books and our youth? Is there a need for continued representation within our classrooms?