My favorite class so far since starting my children's literature master's degree is the Art of the Picturebook (and yes, it is "picturebook" - all one word!). I learned so much and was exposed to many fabulous authors and books I'd never heard of before. My only regret is that I don't have my own classroom where I can immediately take these books and share them with my kids. I am hoping to take more time next year with my small groups of students and expose them to quality literature (the way the position I am currently in is structured leaves very little time for anything other than what we are required to use).
During the course of this class, we spent most of our time talking about the art of "close looking" (from the book Looking at Pictures in Picture Books by Jane Doonan) when reading picturebooks. "Close looking" always begins with reading the book twice - the first time because everything about it is new to you and then a second time to really study the pictures and what they are saying/implying/enhancing/contradicting/etc. about the written text. Again, this is one of those times that I wish I had my own classroom to use this amazing strategy. Even as an adult, taking a second read of the book and making a conscious effort when looking at the pictures changed how will from this point on read picturebooks. I bring all of this up now because I will reference "close looking" in some of the summaries I give for the books.
Here you go...a few of my "new to me" favorite picturebooks!!
To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel
Author: Siena Cherson Siegel
Illustrator: Mark Siegel
Illustrator: Mark Siegel
One lesson we had during the semester was on the graphic novel genre (to see my previous post on graphic novels, click here). This autobiography is just one of the graphic novels we read during the week and I'm not sure I can convey how much I absolutely loved and adored this book. In the teaching world, we try to get students to make "text-to-self" connections and this one connected with me in ways I didn't realize it would. Growing up, I checked out the same nonfiction book on ballerinas each and every week. I looked at the pictures so long I could probably still draw them from memory, even now. As you can imagine, I wanted to be a ballerina - floating across the stage in flowy, gausy, pink material. This book made me feel like I was that little girl, sitting on her bed looking at all of those photographs in that one book. If you have a girl (or boy!) who likes to dance, there couldn't be a more perfect book in the world than this one.
What Pete Ate From A-Z
Author and Illustrator: Maira Kalman
If I was wandering down the aisles of Half Price Books or Barnes and Nobel, this is not a book I would have normally picked up without having read it first and that based on the cover and the fact that it's an alphabet book. Talk about not judging a book by it's cover!! If you are looking for a different slant on your typical alphabet book, I highly suggest picking up a copy in your public library. It is so creative and you will find that there is much, much more going on between the covers of this book than first meets the eye - SO MANY reasons to use "close looking" when reading this book!!
When Sheep Can Not Sleep: The Counting Book
Author and Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Unfortunately, this is another one of those books, like I mentioned above, that I probably wouldn't have chosen if it were up to me. Out of all of the books that we were exposed to during this class, this one has to be my favorite. (A close second would be the To Dance book!) This is a completely unique counting book and, in fact, if it didn't say "The Counting Book" right there on the cover you wouldn't even know that's what it was until the very last page. This is fantastic book and the perfect book for "close looking".
Come Away From the Water, Shirley
Author and Illustrator: John Burningham
This very simple and easy read picturebook has so much to offer. You will find that the pictures tell the exact opposite story than the words say on the page. It is an excellent contrast to just a "regular" picturebook where the pictures support the text and would be an fantastic book to use when thinking of creative writing/thinking outside the box. I also secretly love that the author made the girl a pirate and not a princess!!
Now One Foot, Now the Other
Author and Illustrator: Tomie dePaola
We had one large end of the semester project that was 35% of our overall grade. Each student had to choose an illustrator and create a Wiki page on him/her for all of our classmates to see and read. I chose Tomie dePaola. I had read many of his books prior to taking the class, but never realized just how many books he has written/illustrated (over 250 total - written and/or illustrated). The thing I love most about his books is that ALL of the books he writes revolve around people and events that actually happened in his life. This book is written from the perspective of Bobby (Tomie's younger brother) and his relationship with his grandfather, Grandpa Bob (Tomie's grandfather). It is the most touching, heart wrenching, and sweetest book you will ever read.
1, 2, 3 to the Zoo: A Counting Book
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
It is very likely that parents and teachers who read with very young children already know about this book but it was completely new to me. This is Eric Carles first children's book and is a wonderfully illustrated and perfectly simple counting book. There is an element of "close looking" in that would be perfect for smaller eyes!
Gorilla
Author and Illustrator: Anthony Browne
This is a sweet story about a little girl who's father is too busy to spend time with her, so she imagines her stuffed gorilla comes alive and takes her on adventures. This book is packed full of "close looking" opportunities - so look closely!
The Day the Crayons Quit
Author: Drew Daywalt
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
In reading through the Wiki pages of my classmates, I was introduced to this tremendous talented and creatively unique illustrator, Oliver Jeffers. Jeffers has written and illustrated several books. This book is so cute and would be perfect for teaching perspective or persuasive writing. There are many laugh-out-loud moments and times you feel empathy for the crayon. I highly suggest checking it out from the library.
**All images are from www.amazon.com
