In Olivia, the main character in the story is Olivia herself.  Olivia is portrayed from the beginning of the book as a pig who is overt about her personality.  The range and amount of illustrations provide a clear portrayal of her character. She is a risk taker, she isn’t embarrassed to try new things, she is persistent about ideas and she is curious.  The book is composed of well illustrated transitions that captures every feeling and perspective of her life.  

A book essentially has to have the elements of a story: beginning, middle, end, problem, solution, setting, and characters.  These are the premises of a book.  In Paperbag Princess, the author sets the book up with the introduction, leading into the problem.  The princess wishes to marry her “prince;” however, then faces an obstacle when a dragon has taken her prince and beauty away.  Through persistence and cleverness, she saves her prince, only to then discover her current physical state isn’t good enough for him.  The story ends when she decides to leave the prince and skip happily ever after home. The book has a clear transition of chronological events that is simplistic for a child to comprehend. 

3. Setting- established more through visuals than through the text

When reading this book, I thought it was a very unique way/style of a book being presented.  On contrary, this is not your traditional, fictional story, consisting of a story line.  The author intrigues the reader by providing a twist to how traditional stories are written and read.  It allows a child to be fascinated by the alternative messages created when words are reversed in their order.  The author’s styles is creative!!!

5. Illustrations-complements the story

I have definitely read several versions of the 3 Little Pigs, but never had I read a version in which the characters/pigs took ownership of the story through the illustrations.  As the story progresses, the pigs that are being cut from the story line, but are suddenly reappearing from a different perspective, with a shift, in the who the central characters are.  As I was reading the story, it was initially complicated.    As I continued reading, the illustrations presented an entertaining twist of the story that kept me intrigued.  I had no idea where the story was taking me.  

Visual Elements:

1. Line-set mood/convey movement

As I read the book, my attention was captivated by the depiction of the intricate lines that were created by the  illustrations.  The lines vividly represented the moods being shared among the characters of the story.  Virtually every pages depicted these lines: the dress wear, teepees, the doll, the family of She-Who-Is-Alone, the fire, etc. The elaboration created a feeling of serenity and compassion for the the girl and those of her people. 

2. Shape-convey action

3. Color-emotion and symbolism

The colors of this book are not very “loud” colors. The book consists of subtle shades of orange, green, maroon, brown, among others.  The Cockroach, also resembles the tone/mood of these colors.  Martina is a very quiet animal that is looking for a mate.  Her demeanor is not aggressive; she passively pushes aways anyone she is not interested in. The other characters in the story also provide the same behavior. 

What most attracted me to this book was the darkness and texture of the illustrations.  I didn’t know what the book was going to be about.  I couldn’t predict how it would end, or what would follow.  Every page I flipped, I was lost in the illustrations.  The texture and manner in which the ocean and plants were illustrated allowed the reader to be hooked on finding the fish that was trying to get lost.  The rocks on the ocean floor were also illustrated to feel the roughness of it, as the crab was standing on top of it.  At the very end of the book, as the bigger fish is swimming away, the illustrations/texture showed the “age” of the fish based on the lack of smoothness and patches of spots. 

5.Composition-unifies all the elements in an illustration

I believe this illustration provides a perfect example of how all the visual elements are presented and have come together to deliver a modeled example of an amazing illustration!  You are able to see the delicateness/texture of the trees, the lines in the hair of the boy and the curls of the teacher.  The color is also very specific to the right tone, and last you can also see the circular and oval shapes of her nostrils, and the rocks.  As a teacher, I find this book even more entertaining!