Literature Input Tables Theme 3 - Interpreting Picturebook As A Whole Art Form

Literature Input Tables
Theme 3: Attention to Design Features Heightens Overall Comprehension of the Work
Theme 4: Encouraging Active Engagement Before, During and After Reading to Negotiate Meaning of
Picturebooks
Literature Input Table
Book: Children Reading Picturebooks: Interpreting Visual Texts
Topic: Children’s Literature
Date Retrieved/Used: March 27th 2018
APA Citation Arizpe, E., & Styles, M. (2016). Children reading picturebooks: Interpreting visual
texts (2nd ed.). London, UK: Routledge.
Author(s) Evelyn Arizpe – Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, University of Glasgow.
Co-coordinator of M.Ed. in Children’s Literature and Literacies.
Affiliation:
Morag Styles – Retired in 2014 as Professor of Children’s Poetry at the Faculty of
Education, Cambridge and is an Emeritus Fellow of Homerton College.
Type of Resource
(Scholarly/Trade/ Book
Website/ Book/
Government Report
Introduction
Summary of  Since first edition of the book in 2003, increased interest in what happens when
Essential children interact with visual texts – new research, edited volumes and doctoral
Information theses have since been developed on the topic (p.xv).
Chapter 1
 Very young children have inquiring minds and picturebooks are the vehicles that
can “probe the ambiguities of vision” (p.3).
 Describes original research study – design: interviewing students in primary
schools; used picturebooks with multi-layered texts (p.4).
 Part of the study involved children drawing in response to picturebooks (p.7).
Very young children can “often show their meaning-making through their artistic
creations” as they cannot always articulate their ideas and feelings (p.8).
 Most significant results from reader response studies from the last fifteen years
has been the influential role of a mediator can have in encouraging deeper, and
eventually critical meaning-making (p.9).
 In the authors’ research, the results of co-operatively achieved learning were
evident particularly in the semi-structured discussion of a group of children rather
than through individual interviews. However, we also discovered that some of the
most profound thinking about picturebooks occurred in follow-up interviews some
months after the original interviews. Questions were not only working as tools for
inquiry, but also as the ‘planks’ and ‘poles’ of scaffolding which allowed children
to move further into their zones of proximal development. Researchers became
facilitators, especially in terms of providing a language through which the children
could talk about pictures, modeling concepts, using prompts and leading with
questions. More experienced peers (those who had had greater access to the
culture which produced the picturebook) unconsciously helped their classmates in
Picturebooks
their understanding as they talked about what they saw and how they made sense
of it. This led us to concur with the idea that communal expertise played a more
crucial role than individual logical mental operations in determining how far
children could make sense of visual texts. The authors also noted the central orle
of language in developing thought and that younger children could not
communicate verbally their growing understanding could sometimes be shown in
their drawings (p.9).
 Clark’s (1960) four phases of appreciation of visual works of art – impact
(engagement with the work), scrutiny (careful looking – patience and persistence),
recollection (making connections with own experience and ask questions about the
painting), renewal (original image is re-examined more deeply, and features
previously overlooked come into focus, perhaps fitting into pre-existing
knowledge) (p.9).
 Scrutiny is crucial “if real understanding is to follow, the child has to look
carefully in a sustained way for some time. Looking is not easy. Yet that serious,
sustained looking is what most of the children aged 4 to 11 willingly agreed to do
with our chosen picturebooks. As you look, you have to think or, as Clark puts it,
‘recollect’. This is also hard work, as the brain integrates the new knowledge with
what we already know. But at the same time, other processes are likely to be going
on which are more involuntary: memories of personal experience crowd in as the
painting intersects with our lives in a text-to-life moment; ideas begin to bubble up
and hints of deeper understandings begin to suggest themselves. This is the
creative process at work which is a mixture of imagination, fantast, recollection
and wonder – the unconscious in collaboration with cognitive activity. This is the
moment when a child says something insightful they didn’t know they knew or
had never thought about before (p.10).
 Renewal – over and over again, the researchers found the children going back to
the books, looking at them almost with new eyes. In Clark’s final phase of
response – “the viewer may be looking at his everyday world in a new way that
was altered by looking at that picture.” And over the course of several hours, the
pupils in the researchers’’ sample made extraordinary progress in understanding
(p.10).
 Refers to Perkin’s research – The Intelligent Eye: Learning to Think by Looking at
Art (p.10).
 Perkins is interested in how exposure to works of art encourages children to think
analytically (p.11).
 Works of art invite and welcome sustained involvement (p.11).
 Revisiting picturebooks after initial interviews – there were significant changes in
the responses made by the children (p.13).
 Questions the researchers asked the children – What goes on in your head as you
look at the pictures? How do you think the artist decides what to write as words
and what to draw as pictures? (p.14).
Chapters 2 - 7
 Outlines the researchers’ original research
Chapter 8 – Looking at children drawing in response to picturebooks

Picturebooks
 However it works, drawing is thinking aloud, a powerful route into knowledge

(p.99)
 Children can communicate what they see through their drawings and their
drawings, in turn, reflect their responses to the visual stimuli they encounter
(p.99).
 Analyzed children’s drawing – literal response, internal structure, and
developmental differences (p.100-108).
 Looking at children’s drawings demonstrated to the researchers that even the
youngest children can interpret, comprehend and communicate the visual – far
beyond what they might be assumed to know. The young artists in the class came
to a deeper understanding through their visual explorations (p.116).
Chapter 9
 A child can enjoy a picturebook, without sophisticated knowledge of visual
literacy. However, what we also know for certain is that in order to expand or
deepen engagement with a picturebook, some knowledge of terminology of how
visuals work (and how they work together with the words, in some cases), and of
the processes of reading an image can be helpful in order to move readers beyond
literal responses, to enrich the reading experience and intensify that initial pleasure
(p.123).
 Explanation – evolution of the concept of visual literacy, visual literacy and art,
turning visual experience into language, visual literacy and young children’s
development, emerging frameworks for exploring visual literacy and
picturebooks.
Chapter 10 – New research on children responding to picturebooks

 Research studies on children’s responses to picturebooks primarily focus on – the
process of meaning-making, methods for obtaining response or looking at how
response can develop literary competence and literacy skills (p.134). Outlines
briefly each of the three focuses on pages 138-141).
 Outlines Sipe’s research studies – children’s responses to picturebooks during read
alouds in the classroom (p.135-138).
 Explanation of methodologies utilized in research studies on children’s responses
to picturebooks – earlier research was primarily based on talk (discussion and
interviews), more recent research studies - incorporating visual and other
responses (p.142).
 Eliciting children’s responses by means of visual art works particularly well with
young children who find it hard to express themselves for some reason or for
children who are not yet able to write. Additionally, having a visual response is
important based on the premise that words can’t necessarily sum up the aesthetic
experience of looking at a picturebook (p.142).
Chapter 11 – New case studies of children responding to picurebooks

 Suggest many different ways of providing evidence of children’s responses to
picturebooks by using a variety of data collection methods, including annotating
copies of spreads form a picturebook, adding text to blank speech bubbles, games
with simple puppets of key characters and dramatic play based on picturebooks
Picturebooks
(p.145).
 Presents 3 case studies with a different focus (p.145-168)
Chapter 12 – Digital picurebooks

 asd
Chapter 13 – Moving forward on response to picturebooks

 Excellent summary of key findings from original research (p.180-181)
 As well as learning through looking, we had clear evidence of children
learning through talking, and the importance of enabling questions was
underlined (p.180).
 The younger children’s drawings often showed understandings they were
unable to articulate (p.180).
 Careful looking and constructive dialogue enables children (including
those who are very young or do not speak English fluently or do not read
print confidently) to make worthwhile judgments about pictures which
are often profound, complex and richly interconnected with other ideas or
symbolic systems (p.180).
 Presents findings of new research (p.181):
 Using well-crafted picturebooks that have the potential to “teach” readers
both literary and literacy skills as the reader/viewer is encouraged to
engage deeply and having this can lead to critical thinking and
meaningful learning (p.181).
 Having time to look closely at images and do re-readings (p.181).
 Providing meta-language to discuss the visual features of picturebooks as
well as some reference to how pictures and text interact (p.181).
 Asking about and discussing cultural references in picturebooks (p.181).
 Considering the role of the mediator in the interaction between children
and picturebooks (p.181).
 Encouraging in-depth interpretation and understanding through talk and
collaborative discussion (p.181).
 Interviewing students – location of interviews, and how they were set up can make
a huge difference (p.183).
 The children need to be reassured that there is no right or wrong answers and that
the researcher is simply interested in their views of the picturebook (p.184).
 The authors recommend carrying out a pilot study (p.184).
 Many teachers are unsure about how to use picturebooks in the classroom and are
uncomfortable about working with the images (p.186).
 It goes without saying that teachers need to be familiar with a wide range of
picturebooks (and, ideally, including international examples) and have some
knowledge of how they word before offering them to their pupils (p.186).
 It is also the case that the pressures of the curriculum limit the time that can be
spent with picturebooks and policies insist on a focus (and assessments) based on
the written word. As some teachers have pointed out to the researchers, it is all
very well to look and talk about picturebooks with one child or small group, but
what happens when there are 30 children in a classroom (and not enough copies to
go round). There is not space in this book to explore using picturebooks in the
Picturebooks
classroom in any detail, but we hope that there are enough ideas and examples to
give teachers a sense of what to aim for (p.186).
 Regarding teaching, the authors have found the two most important things in our
initial study (and what has also been highlighted by other studies):
i. The need to value the picturebook as a vehicle for learning and also as an
aesthethic and cultural object (p.187).
ii. The need to value the children’s responses and that children’s responses
are given the time and space to emerge and develop (p.187).
 Use of projectors, whole class read alouds, big books, and the Internet can
help access the texts, and small group tasks allow children more in-depth
discussion and collaborative learning (p.187).
 It is recommended to allow the children to experience the text in a variety of
ways, some more guided and some more independently, over different periods of
time in order to provide an opportunity for deep response to develop (p.187).
 When teachers gave children encouragement, opportunity and time to respond
to picturebooks beyond the group read aloud or individual reading sessions,
children often chose a variety of ways to extend their initial reactions to books
(p.187).
 When a teacher has some training in art, or at least in understanding how
images work, it can make a huge difference both to the quality of the
children’s own artwork and their ability to interpret visual text. The more
picturebooks the children are exposed to and the more experienced the teacher (or
moderator), the more the children’s critical sense of narrative and image will
increase and be able to extend into further learning of literature, language and art
(p.187).
Way in which this Describe how this article influences the field that is related to your topic.
source influences  Research studies of children’s responses to picturebooks (focus on visual literacy).
the field related to  Chapter 13 outlines findings of previous research as well as more recent research –
your inquiry (e.g. insights are very relevant to utilizing picturebooks with children in the classroom
math (best practices to encourage children’s deep engagement e.g. the need to
teaching/learning incorporate a visual response to picturebooks as some children may not be able to
elementary articulate their interpretations orally).
 The influential role of a mediator can have in encouraging deeper, and eventually
critical meaning-making is emphasized.
 Highlights the benefits of teachers who are knowledgable on how picturebooks
work.
Potential relevance  Writing Findings, Conclusions, Implications and Future Research:
to your research  Methodologies for future research (discussions, student interviews, visual
topic and study responses).
 Importance of the mediator’s role in promoting deep engagement with
picturebooks.
 Suggestions of ways to promote children’s deep engagement with
picturebooks (design features, discussion, visual responses, revisiting
picturebook multiple times).
Stage of action List all stages of the action research process where this source will be used and
research where the briefly describe how it has informed your work.
source will be used: Background:
Picturebooks
 To build researcher understanding of previous studies involving children’s

responses to picturebooks.
Design:
Data Collection/Analysis Methodology:
Findings/Conclusions:
 Connections with qualitative data (attention to design features, importance of
student discussion and dialogue as well as the need to revisit the picturebook
more than once).
 Encouraging “deep” student engagement.
 Claims teachers are uncomfortable working with images (corresponds with
Sipe’s article).
Implications/Action Planning
 Suggestions for engaging with picturebooks in the classroom.
 Need for teachers to have an understanding of how picturebooks work.
 Need to know picturebook terminology.
 Helpful for considerations for future research.
Picturebooks
Theme 3: Literature Input Table 1

Article: A Unique Visual and Literary Art Form: Recent Research on Picturebooks
Date Retrieved/Used: February 25th 2018
APA Citation Driggs Wolfenbarger, C., & Sipe, L. R. (2007). A unique visual and literary art form:
Recent research on picturebooks. Language Arts, 84(3), 273-280. DOI:
10.1002/trtr.1233.
Author(s) Carol Driggs Wolfenbarger – PhD in Children’s Literautre from The Ohio State
University; Educational consultant in Grove City, Ohio.
Affiliation:
Lawerence R. Sipe – Associate Professor in Reading/Writing/Literacy Program at the
Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.
Type of Resource
(Scholarly/Trade/ Scholarly Article
Website/ Book/
Government Report
 Picturebooks represent a visual and literary art form that engages young readers
Summary of and older readers in many levels of learning and pleasure (p.273).
Essential  Knowledge of recent developments in picturebooks, ways of reading these books,
Information and bridging picturebook forms and innovations with reader response will enable
practitioners to initiate fruitful conversations about the importance of picturebooks
in the curriculum and inspire new directions in research (p.273).
 Authors acknowledge that the term picturebook can be spelled in various ways –
suggest the use of ‘picturebook’ spelling as it recognizes the union of text and art
that results in something beyond what each form separately contributes (p.273).
 Picturebook emphasises the inextricable connection of words and pictures and the
unique qualities of the form: a picturebook is not simply a book that happens to
have pictures (p.273).
 The story depends on the interaction between written text and image and where
both have been created with conscious aesthetic intention (p.273).
 As the even of reading a picturebook evolves, readers integrate their responses to
each element of the book into a complete experience (p.273).
 Fiction is a popular story genre developed in picturebooks, ye it is not sufficient
for describing the full range of available narratives in this form (p.273).
 In a picturebook, words and pictures never tell exactly the same story. It is this
dissonance that catches the reader’s attention. Readers work to resolve the conflict
between what they see and what they hear (p.273).
 In well-crafted picturebooks, the author, illustrator, and book designer work
together to make the book’s opening pages and changing visual cues both
engaging and suggestive for readers’ interpretations. This coordination of
artistry is often most visible in the peritext – physical features and design
elements that surround the story – book’s dust jacket, front and back covers,
Picturebooks
end papers, the dedication and title pages (p.274).

 Postmodern Picturebooks – authors and illustrators deliberately work against a
linear storytelling pattern (p.375).
 Explains characteristics of postmodern picturebooks – nonlinearity, self-referential
text, a sarcastic or self-mocking tone, and an anti authoritarian stance.
 Compares non-linearity to many children playing different things in a playground
(p.275).
 Sarcastic or mocking tone in postmodernism picturebooks is not negative or bitter
but playful and intertextual (p.275).
 The reader enriches and supports the storyline by infusing personal emotions and
experiences but also actively creates parts of the narrative (p.276).
 Postmodern picturebooks have the potential to elicit intriguing and novel
responses from children (p.276).
 3 primary responses (of children after reading/listening to a narrative):
hermeneutic impulse/desire to know; the personal impulse or the need to connect
stories to one’s own life; the aesthetic impulse, in which readers either experience
the secondary world of the story as if they were there or use the story as the
springboard for their own creative performances (p.276).
 Many children’s first exposure to serious art is through picturebooks. Whether in
the classroom or in the art room, teachers from kindergarten through high school
can share picturebooks as part of the art education curriculum (p.279).
 Picturebooks are available that present artists’ biographies or artwork resembling
the artistic style of a well-known artist or school of art; some describe and
illustrate specific elements of art including color, shape, line, texture and
perspective. Attending to specific media used by the book artist, such as
photography, print making, or collage, can inform readers about the artist’s
technique and the media’s potential for conveying meaning (p.279).
 While many students are familiar with informally talking about and analyzing
moving images, such as video and television, fewer students have opportunities to
linger and ponder over “the static image” (p.279).
 Picturebook authors are like poets searching for concise, spare, evocative language
that captures the essence of what the characters are experiencing. The best
picturebook authors/illustrators are in tune with human needs and desires (p.279).
 The best picturebook authors and illustrators illuminate places within the reader’s
(p.279) experiences and cast light in those shadowy corners that lurk along the
pathways to new understandings. The new understanding can be self-
understanding or greater awareness of one’s place in the world (p.280).
 Young and older children, like artists and poets, are also authors and coauthors of
images  and social meaning who deserve the time to ponder and the opportunity
to discover forms of representation and inquiry that will develop their capacity for
poetic searching (p.280).
 Today's picturebook authors and artists invite readers into the play of visual
elements and unexpected textual avenues. They are calling for coauthors who play
"out of bounds," who seek layers of meaning, not a single already-told tale.
Contemporary picturebooks are filled with new forms, images, and intersections,
and are vital spaces for collaborative imagination and inquiry; they should be
Picturebooks
central to the future work of teaching, learning, and research.
source influences  Features of postmodern picturebooks – figure with the features included.
the field related to  Benefits of children engaging with postmodern picturebooks.
your inquiry (e.g.
math
teaching/learning
elementary
Potential relevance  Engaging with postmodern picturebooks increases children’s sense of curiosity
to your research with the world around them.
topic and study  Increasing students’ motivation using postmodern picturebooks.
 Student frameworks and templates provided.
 To build researcher understanding of features and characteristics of
postmodern picture books in the classroom.
 Explaining rationale for spelling picturebook as a compound word rather than
two separate words.
 Importance of the whole picturebook – all physical features – dust jacket,
dedication, title etc.
Design:

 Interview questions

 Devising framework – taking into the need for teachers to be knowledgeable
on the features of postmodern picturebooks.
 Refer to picturebooks exposing children to art, artists, techniques etc. if using
the book Radiant Child for the framework.
Picturebooks

Article: Words and pictures
Bib. Information Goodman, S. (2009). Words and pictures. In Maybin, J. & Watson, N.J. (Eds.),
(APA Formatting): Children’s literature: Approaches and territories (pp.296-299). Hampshire,
UK: Palgrave MacMillan.
Author(s) Affiliation: Sharon Goodman – Open University Lecturer.
Type of Resource: Book: Children’s literature: Approaches and territories

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of essential  Attention to illustration in children’s literature is imperative to fully
information: appreciate the work (p.296).
 The function and style of illustrations in children’s literature “vary
enormously” from “primarily decorative” to images and words having
“equally important roles in telling the story” (p.296)
 19th century considered as the Golden Age of children’s literature
(Salisbury, 2004 cited in Goodman, 2009).
 Improvements in printing technology enabled “full-colour reproduction” as
well as a greater number of books to be printed (p.297).
 High quality artwork in many books during the 19th century such as the
work of Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenway (p.297).
 Contrasting opinions of images in children’s books. Some feel the images
“distracts [the reader] from the verbal text”, while others believe the images
promote “literacy and a love of story” (p.297)
 Refers to chapter by Moebius:
Moebius points out that picture books lend themselves to detailed text
analysis and reward close scrutiny – dispelling the myth that picture books
are simple, or simplistic, or aimed only at children. Furthermore, he
argues that images cannot – and must not – be looked at in isolation from
the surrounding text; images in children’s books always have a context,
and a sequence, and meaning is derived at least in part from their
positioning in the text overall and their interaction with the words (p.297)
 …
 Moebiur also claims, that interpretation is not fixed; allusions and
intertextuality may indeed be there in the text, and available for us to
interpret, but a particular device may not always mean the same in
symbolic terms, and generalization is a pitfall to be resisted as we read and
revisit favourite children’s books (p.297).
 “It has been recognized for some time that play is a crucial feature of
Picturebooks
picture books (Lewis, 2001) and Goldstone chooses as her focus here
authors’ playing with the concept of space” (p.297)
Way in which this  Importance of considering the illustrations in children’s picture books
source influences the (should not be looked at in isolation – text must be considered – the context
field related to your is important).
inquiry (ex. Math  Picture books are not simple, or simplistic, or only aimed at children.
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance to 1. Importance of considering the illustrations in children’s picture books.
your research topic 2. Interpretations are not fixed – should avoid generalizing children’s books.
and study: 3. It has been recognized for some time that play is a crucial feature of
picture books (Lewis, 2001) and Goldstone chooses as her focus here
authors’ playing with the concept of space” (p.297) Referring to Three
Little Pigs Caldecott Winning book – the idea that the authors use playful
elements and features to engage the reader.
Stage of action List all stages of the action research process where this source will be used
research where the and briefly describe how it has informed your work.
 To build researcher understanding of children’s picture books
(important features of picture books, interpreting picture books, briefly
history of illustrations).
Design:

 To inform formulation of interview questions.
 After conducting interviews with experts in literacy, it might be possible
to connect insights gained with information in this article.
Implications/Action Planning:

Picturebooks

Article: Postmodern picturebooks: “The best thing I’ve ever done in English class”
APA Citation Harville, M. & Franks, M. (2015). Postmodern picturebooks: “The best thing I’ve
ever done in English class.” Voices from the Middle, 23(2).
Author(s) Molly Harville - Fourth-grade teacher at Derby Ridge Elementary in Columbia, MO.
Affiliation: Misha Franks - Sixth-grade language arts teacher at Jefferson Middle School in
Columbia, MO. She has been an NCTE member since 2006.
Type of Resource
Website/ Book/
Government Report
 Reading a picture book involves more complex processes than one might first
Summary of believe, and reading a postmodern picture book has added layers of complexity.
Essential Reading and writing postmodern picture books helps students develop problem-
Information solving skills (p.63).
 Postmodern picture books often merge old tales and new values and events to
create new stories, so prior knowledge of traditional folk and fairy tales help
readers in many cases (p.63).
 Literature of all types reflects modern issues, challenges, and cultures; children’s
literature is not immune to this (O’Neil, 2010). Because our diverse culture calls
for multiple interpretations of events, postmodern picture books provide a way
for students to look at situations from multiple perspectives. This makes
postmodern picture books an excellent way to prepare student writers for these
challenges (p.63).
 As students worked, a buzz filled the room, a palpable hum any experienced
teacher would recognize as productive engagement (p.64).
 As part of our immersion, we asked students to examine the structure and
characteristics of postmodern books. While students began generating a list of
their findings, we kept in mind Frank Serafini’s (2014) postmodern picture book
characteristics to help guide the discussion. Self- referential, nonlinear, anti-
authoritarian, and mocking or sarcastic tone are all characteristics Goldstone
(2001/2002) lists as well (p.64).
 Before students started writing their own books, we assessed their ability to
incorporate postmodern characteristics into a story. In groups of three, students
drew a fairy tale at random and created a skit for that fairy tale with at least one
postmodern element. This quick activity allowed students to practice several
speaking and listening objectives, provided oral rehearsal for draft- ing a
postmodern tale, and introduced a fun way for kids to create a postmodern text
without the pressures of writing (p.64).
Picturebooks
 Our students grew as writers and problem solvers to such an extent that we are
committed to embedding more inquiry genre units where students examine
published works and strive to emulate those texts. We know that studying mentor
texts makes students stronger writers (Dorfman & Capelli, 2009) (p.66).
 Advice offered to teachers:
 Provide time for students to examine how authors crafted different postmodern
characteristics. How does Melanie Watt (2009) balance her and Chester’s points
of view? When is the right time to break the fourth wall? How do Scieszka &
Smith (1992) and Wiesner (2001) keep multiple plot lines going without causing
too much confusion? These are questions that would address how authors
intentionally craft text and would be a good addition to the unit. Fostering this
discussion after students have selected the book they want to revise and have
some ideas about how they might make it more postmodern would give students
more motivation to learn about the genre.
 Ultimately any teacher starting an inquiry unit like this needs to be prepared for
students to totally take control of their projects. Students became motivated when
they had freedom to make choices as a writer. Each student’s project was unique,
and they needed lots of choices. If they felt hampered   or “stuck” with a book,
their motivation, and thus learning, might have been affected. Often, we didn’t
have the answer for them even when we wanted to tell them.
 When students are authentically engaged and motivated, they own their problems
and work to solve them. Postmodern picture books become the vehicle for deep
learning (p.67).
source influences  Importance of providing children with opportunities to engage with postmodern
the field related to picturebooks.
your inquiry (e.g.  Benefits of children engaging in inquiry with postmodern picturebooks.
math
teaching/learning
elementary
 To build researcher understanding of uses of children’s postmodern picture
books in the classroom.
Design:


 Devising framework – taking into account postmodern features/brief
Picturebooks
description.
 Main focus is on using the postmodern picturebooks as a tool to assist
children’s writing by examining techniques, naming them and critiquing them
(Middle school).
 Helpful writing templates for students.
Picturebooks

Article: What is a picturebook, anyway? The evolution of form and substance through the postmodern
era and beyond
Bib. Information Kiefer, B. (2008). What is a picturebook, anyway? The evolution of form and
(APA Formatting): substance through the postmodern era and beyond. In Sipe, L.R., & Pantaleo, S.
(Eds.), Postmodern picturebooks: Play, parody, and self-referentiality (pp.9-
21). Hampshire, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.
Author(s) Affiliation: Barbara Kiefer – Professor of Children’s Literature at the Ohio State
University.
Type of Resource: Book: Postmodern picturebooks: Play, parody, and self-referentiality
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of essential  Refers to features and qualities of 20th century picturebooks, purpose –
information: created for enjoyment of an audience of young children with the object of
engaging them in a pleasurable experience, content reflected societal
norms, printing technology determined the physical form of the books (p9).
 Bader definition of picturebook “an art form that hinges on the
interdependence of pictures and words, on the simultaneous display of two
facing pages, and on the drama of turning the page” (p.9).
 Varying definitions (similar message – integral relationship of text and
pictures; two levels of communication – the visual and the verbal)
presented (p.9).
 “Images and words work in tandem and the emphasis that the picturebook
is an art form rather than a teaching tool” (p.10)
 Art form: Aesthetic experience that arises from images and ideas –
heightens intellectual and emotional understandings (p.11).
 First Picturebooks: Cave paintings (p.11).
 Papyrus Scrolls: Egypt 2700BC (p.11)
 A New Book Form: Greece and Rome – multi-leaved clay tablets. Sewing
sheets together (codex) – both sides of the page to be used (p.12).
 Following the development of the codex, today’s picturebooks evolved.
 Religious influence: Combination of idea and image emerged in other
countries as well (China, South America, Midle East). Book form became
central to Islam – more focused on calligraphy. Christian Church –
spreading Christianity after Roman Empire drew to a close – visual
imagery used to make books to convert pagans. Images were important as
many people were illiterate (p.13).
 Two major European centers – Byzantine Empire (Greco-Roman style)
gradually merged into the stylistic, uniform pectoral symbols early
Picturebooks
Christian art. Book illustration in England and Ireland – insular form (Book
of Kells) p.13
 Beginning of 19th century – balance of image and word (similar to today’s
picturebooks) Biblical examples (p.14).
 Early middle ages – illustrations in books expanded beyond religious texts
– used to instructional, and recreational purposes – reflecting a more
modern attitude (p.15).
 Middle Ages = Golden Age for picturebooks as an art form. As they were
made by hand, picturebooks were primarily for adult audiences of the
clergy and upperclass who could afford them (p.15).
 A New Technology: Technological advances in Middle Ages – affected
book availability and production (p.15).
 1658 – Orbis Sensualium Pictus – aim was to “teach, not to entertain”.
Each page contained one or two black and white woodcut prints wit brief
text accompanying it (p.16).
 Chapbooks were the only books available to children for entertainment at
the time (p.16).
 John Locke – 1700s – Age of Enlightment (p.16) – belief that children
should read for pleasure (p.17). Changing view of childhood and
continuing success of chapbooks and collections of fairytales and fables –
influenced Newbery to print books for children (p.17).
 1744 – Newbery published a book ‘A Little Pretty Pocket Book’ which
paved the way for today’s literature for children – seen as aesthetic objects,
not just educational (p.17).
 Until later 1700s – illustrations were woodcuts, engravings, or etchings on
metal plates (p.17).
 1800s – lithography was developed – more painterly style of illustration
(p.17).
 End of 19th century – content centered around nursery rhymes, folktales,
and songs. Illustrations were accompaniments to texts, not integral to
picturebook as an art object (p.17).
 19th century – search for color reproduction was paramount.
 Edmund Evans – p.18
 Caldecott – p.18
 Claims postmodern picturebooks play with and against tradition (p.20)
 Picturebook “has remained a vital art object that speaks to our imagination”
(p.20).
Way in which this  “Images and words work in tandem and the emphasis that the picturebook
source influences the is an art form rather than a teaching tool” (p.10)
field related to your
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance to 1. Defines picturebooks – emphasizes the integral relationship of pictures
your research topic and text.
and study: 2. Refers to picturebooks as an art form.
3. Provides context to postmodern picturebooks.
Picturebooks
 To build researcher understanding of postmodern picturebooks and
features (very good reference p.9-11)
 Provides context of postmodernism – details historical evolution of
picturebooks.
Design:


Picturebooks

Article: Picturebook Codes
Bib. Information Moebius, W. (2009). Picturebook codes. In Maybin, J. & Watson, N.J. (Eds.),
(APA Formatting): Children’s literature: Approaches and territories (pp.311-320). Hampshire, UK:
Palgrave MacMillian.
Author(s) William Moebius – PhD in Comparative Literature at SUNY Buffalo
Affiliation: Department Chair at UMass Amherst.
Type of Resource: Book: Children’s literature: Approaches and territories

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of  “The pictures in a picturebook cannot hang by themselves; picturebook texts
essential do not fare well when they are extracted and anthologized in various bibles of
information: children’s literature. Each works with the other in a bound sequence of
images/text, inseparable in our reading experience one from the other (p.311).
 Barbara Bader – “The pioneer historian of the genre in its American
development”
 Noted that “each page affords ‘an opening;’ implied of course, is a closing,
a deliberate shutting out of what came before, and a constant withholding
of what is to come”
 “The picturebook opening allows only limited exposures. Each page, if
read at the speed of a slow reader, has only a minute or less to impress
itself on our attention, to earn a place in our memory, as he story compels
us forward, in what Bader, borrowing Rémy Charlip, calls ‘the drama of
turning the page’” (p.311).
 Elements of the design and expression of illustrations that comprise what we
might call “codes” (p.312).
 Refers to work by historians Bader and Meyer in relation to the insight they
provide on the developments of children’s picturebooks:
 “developments in media and printing techniques; out of each technical
advancement, certain picturebook artists found a personal style” (p.312).
 Refer to Edmund Evans – “making of the picturebook was seen more and
more to require an integral relationship between picture and word, a
‘total design.’ Rather than being an album of pictures, or a text with some
‘tipped-in’ illustrations, the picturebook was, after Edmund Evans,
conceived of as a whole product” (p.312).
 “Cover, endpapers, title-page design were all carefully chosen
elements of a while, an experience wrapped, not without conscious
intention, as a gift” (p.312).
 Author argues the importance of the need to look at the “codes” in
Picturebooks
picturebooks in order to “make deeper channels of modern art-form” (p.312).

 Looking at the codes “must begin simply enough with the world as it is
depicted in the picturebook, of what has been called the ‘presented world.’”
“By using the word ‘depict’ [the author] mean[s] to include verbal as well as
pictorial elements (p.312).
 “Between text and picture, or among pictures themselves, we may experience
a sort of semic slippage, where word and image seem to send conflicting,
perhaps contradictory messages about the ‘who’ or the ‘what’ of the story.
Here is a kind of ‘plate tectonics’ of the picturebook, where word and image
constitute separate plates sliding and scraping along against each other”
(p.313).
 The presence of the ‘reference code’ – reader “attempt[ing] to cross [the]
buffer zone” (p.313).
 Unresolved questions prompt the reader “to read on, to turn up or over
new evidence, to become the loyal subjects of the hermeneutic code”
(p.314).
 Briefly refers to the observation that “so many picturebook characters come,
in the end, to recognize or to experience the value of the intangible over the
tangible, of what is ‘loved best of all’ over what is closest at hand, the unseen
over the seen” (p.314).
 (i) Pattern of cognitive development reflects Piaget’s stages of operational
development (preoperational and ckoncrete to formal operations; from
various ‘realisms’ to the recognition of symbol’) (p.314).
 (ii) Symbolism of gates, doors, stairways – “not accidential or fortuitous
phenomen, but downright basic to the symbolic force of the story” (p.314).
Used to signify “Character’s stature or of progress towards a depth or
height of understanding or confusion” (p.315). “Nothing should tie
interpretation of stairways or doorways and such in picturebooks to a
single intention or effect. Such pieces of the symbolic code work
differently in different stories, and will lend themselves to different
interpretations. But they should not be overlooked” (p.316).
 Reader required to ask themselves, “what indeed do we see?” as they are
“tease[d]” by onlookers in the text (p.316).
 Interpreting graphic codes – “must consider the disposition of objects on the
page, the handling of line and color, we must examine the ‘presentational
process’…we must speak of the ‘dominances’ and ‘probabilities’” (p.316).
Codes
1. Position, size and diminishing returns
 Matters where character is depicted on page (p.316).
2. Perspective
 Can communicate danger/trouble, open-mindedness/narrow mindedness
3. Frame and of the right and round (p.317).
 Framed = enables the reader to identify with a world inside and outside the
story; unframed = limited glimpse into a world (p.318).
 Round/circular shape = likely character is content; rectangular shape =
likely to indicate a problem (p.318).
4. Line and capillarity
Picturebooks
 Indicates intensity of a character’s experience

(think/thin/jaggeded/smooth/parallel/sharp angles etc.) (p.318).
5. Color
 Should never overlook what color can say inside the text.
 Color associated with certain moods/emotions; exhilaration and discovery;
disappointment and confusion.
 Need to be sensitive to color as a linkage among different objects.
Way in which this  Appreciation of the history of the development of children’s literature.
source influences  Importance of illustrations and text (“an integral relationship” p.312).
the field related to  Deep (often hidden) meaning embedded in children’s literature (graphic codes
your inquiry (ex. etc.)
Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance 1. History of the development of picturebooks – growing importance of words
to your research and text seen as an integral relationship.
topic and study: 2. The importance of the picturebook as a “whole product” – designs all carefully
chosen elements (p.312).
3. Data analysis – Coding and analyzing Caldecott books – Provides excellent
explanation regarding the need to ‘enter’ the world of the picture book,
considerations required in order to gain an understanding of the symbolic
meaning of the picturebook.
4. Use of metaphors – plate tectonics and buffer zone to describe readers
attempting to make sense of the picturebook elements as they are presented
with pictures and text; Unresolved questions prompt the reader “to read on, to
turn up or over new evidence, to become the loyal subjects of the hermeneutic
code” (p.314).
5. Pattern of cognitive development reflects Piaget’s stages of operational
development (preoperational and concrete to formal operations; from various
‘realisms’ to the recognition of symbol’) (p.314).
6. “Nothing should tie interpretation of stairways or doorways and such in
picturebooks to a single intention or effect. Such pieces of the symbolic code
work differently in different stories, and will lend themselves to different
source will be Background:
used:  To build researcher understanding of children’s picture books (educational
value, history of children’s literature awards in the United States; elements
of picturebooks – i.e. codes and the impact of codes on the deep (often
hidden) meaning embedded in picturebooks).
Design:

 Inform analysis and interpretation of codes in Caldecott books: “Nothing
should tie interpretation of stairways or doorways and such in picturebooks
to a single intention or effect. Such pieces of the symbolic code work
Picturebooks
differently in different stories, and will lend themselves to different

 Use of term “edubrow” as focus for recommendations? (More research
needed).
Picturebooks

Book: “Everything comes from seeing things”: Narrative and illustrative play in black and white.
Topic: Play in Children’s Literature
APA Citation Pantaleo, S.J. (2007). “Everything comes from seeing things”: Narrative and
illustrative play in black and white. Children’s Literature in Education, 38, 45-58.
Author(s) Pantaleo, S.J. – Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
Affiliation: University of Victoria, Canada
Type of Resource
Website/ Book/
Government Report
 Analyzes how author, David Macaulay uses play in his book Black and White to
Summary of arouse readers’ curiosity, to make them think, to incite them to ‘see things’
Essential (Caldecott Medal Winner 1990).
Information  The article refers the Macaulay’s Caldecott Medal acceptance speech, where the
author “communicated great concern about the ‘visual complacency’ in our
society and spoke about the necessity of ‘stubborn curiosity’ to ask ‘why things
look the way they do’. He states that, ‘lack of curiosity is the first step toward
visual illiteracy…of not really seeing what is going on around us” (p.46)
 The study investigated 5th grade students’ responses to and interpretations of some
of the kinds of play at work in the book (p.46).
 The article refers to Macaulay’s values which he revealed in his acceptance
speech. His parents were very creative, constantly making things in front of their
children and encouraged their children to look at how things come apart and come
together. The author reveals that “he played outside a great deal, was read to, told
jokes, and his family did not own a television until he was 10 years of age” (p.48)
 Discussion – Postmodernism, picture books and play (p.49).
 “Dresang (1999), Goldstone (2001/2002), Kaplan (2003), Lewis (2001) and
Stevenson (1994) are some of the individuals who have written about the playful
nature of contemporary picturebooks. According to Goldstone, ‘‘Postmodern
books are playful. Readers should watch for jokes, puns and irony’’ (2001/2002,
p. 368). Lewis describes playful picturebooks as those that ‘‘adopt game-like
disguises, break rules, and subvert conventions’’ (2001, p. 81). Authors and
illustrators who subvert textual authority through playing ‘‘with literary and
cultural codes and conventions’’ (McCallum, 1996, p. 400) often create texts that
are metafictive in nature (Pantaleo, 2004), texts that draw readers’ attention to
how texts work and to how meaning is created (Waugh, 1984)” (p.49).
 “Lewis believes that ‘‘picturemakers recognize the need for play in children and
frequently respond with forms of text that are game-like and playful’’ (2001, p.
81) in image and word” (p.50).
 “As author and illustrator, Macaulay engaged in multiple forms of play when he
created Black and White—he played with indeterminacy, contingencies,
Picturebooks
synergistic stories, colour, art styles, typography, types of discourse, jokes, puns,
picturebook form and format, intratextual and intertextual connections, and
narrative conventions and codes. Indeed, the picturebook is a visual–verbal
playscape. The various forms of play and games incite readers to ‘see things’ in
Black and White” (p.50).
 The value of play is recognized: Macaulay is not alone in his opinions about the
value of play. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated that, ‘‘It is a happy talent to know how
to play.’’ Several individuals have written about the role of play in human
development and society. Although their ideas about and explanations of the role
of play in child development differed, both Piaget (1951) and Vygotsky (1962)
believed that play contributed to children’s development. Hans wrote that ‘‘play is
central to human culture’’ (1981, p. ix) and believed that we need to ‘‘reinvest the
playful with value’’ (p. xii). Waugh noted that ‘‘play is an important and
necessary part of human society’’ (1984, p. 34). p.50
 To Bateson (1972), play is ‘‘a means of discovering new communicative
possibilities, since the ‘meta’ level necessary for play allows human beings to
discover how they can manipulate behaviour and contexts’’ (cited in Waugh,
1984, p. 36). Hans wrote that, ‘‘Play is at one and the same time the location
where we question our structures of understanding and the location where we
develop them’’ (1981, p. x). p.50
 Games in Black and White that are closely connected to disguise are I Spy and
Hide and Seek. Macaulay also includes puzzles; jokes, riddles, and puns; guessing
games; mix and match; and pretend/make- believe or creation of worlds (p.51).
 The book itself is a game – readers must choose how to connect the stories in the
book (p.52).
 “Waugh writes that, ‘‘pretending is a fundamental element of play and games’’
(1984, p. 34). The squirrel and the commuters pretend as they play dress-up and
use newspapers to transform themselves and the station while waiting for the
delayed train” (p.54).
source influences  The 5th grade students willingly participated in the games in the book Black and
the field related to White (p.55).
your inquiry (e.g.  Black and White also provides the kind of reading experiences that develop
math readers’ abilities to critically analyze, construct and deconstruct an array of texts
teaching/learning and representational forms (p.56).
elementary  The students participating in the story learned the importance of re-reading the
text and pictures and the importance of recognizing the relationships between text
and illustrations (p.57).
 “The work of authors and illustrators, like David Macaulay, provided the Grade 5
children with multiple lessons about narrative, about how to subvert the rules, and
about the importance of process, imagination, and play” (p.57).
 As is evident by the discussion in this article, the numerous games in Black and
White engaged the students affectively and cognitively. The children’s behaviours,
oral discussions and written work communicated an appreciation for and
understanding of the importance of seeing, looking and thinking.
Potential relevance  Analyzes how author, David Macaulay uses play in his book Black and White to
to your research arouse readers’ curiosity, to make them think, to incite them to ‘see things’
Picturebooks
topic and study (Caldecott Medal Winner 1990). Could I look for a similar connection?
 Possibility of looking at the authors’ acceptance speeches to see their
values/motivations.
 Build my understanding of how children’s literature can be used as a learning
tool in the classroom.
 Build my understanding of considerations teachers should be aware of in order
to use children’s literature in the classroom effectively (in line with students’
best interests).
Design:
 This article refers to Macaulay’s Caldecott Medal Acceptance Speech. It
revealed that the author engaged in play during his childhood. This provides
insight into identifying influences, values and motivations of the author when
writing the book. As the Caldecott Medal Acceptance Speeches are available
online, they might be an effective source of data to analyze.
 Article used to devise questions for interviews with experts in children’s
literature.
 Influenced idea to analyze Caldecott Medal Acceptance Speeches as part of
this study.
 After conducting interviews with experts in literacy, it might be possible to
connect insights gained with information in this article.
 After analyzing the Caldecott Medal Acceptance Speeches, it may be possible
to identify if “play” was a key influence, value and/or motivation of the
authors/illustrators when writing the book.
 My action plan (recommendations/suggestions for teachers to use literature as
a tool to encourage children’s engagement in play) may be guided by this
article as well as insights gained from interviews with experts in literacy.
Picturebooks
Article: The metafictive nature of postmodern picturebooks
APA Citation Pantaleo, S. (2014). The metafictive nature of postmodern picturebooks. The Reading
Teacher, 67(5), 324-332. DOI: 10.1002/trtr.1233.
Author(s) Children’s book writer. Her novel Marble Boys won an honorable mention in the
2008 PEN New England Discovery Awards.
Affiliation:
Type of Resource
Website/ Book/
Government Report
 Picturebooks, like all selections of children’s literature, must be respected and
Summary of appreciated for their aesthetic value and not be regarded solely as a conduit for
Essential teaching reading strategies and skills or delivering content area curriculum
Information (p.324).
 Postmodern picturebooks can facilitate the development of a polysemous
understanding of the nature of stories and the multiple ways that they can be
written, represented, and told. Indeed, postmodern picturebooks have broadened
conventional notions about picturebooks, as well as what it means to be an
engaged reader of these texts (p.324).
 Throughout its history, social and cultural changes have influenced the ecology of
the picturebook (Lewis, 2001). Bader (1976) has been quoted widely for her
description of a picturebook as a “social, cultural, historical document” (p. 1).
Although not writing specifically about picturebooks, Kristeva stressed that “texts
cannot be separated from the larger cultural or social textuality out of which they
are constructed” (Allen, 2000, p. 36) (p.324).
 Most children and youth of today live in a multimedia and multimodal world
characterized by fragmentation, juxtaposition of differing forms, and an ever-
increasing diversity of symbolic representations. With respect to children’s
literature, an increasing range of print (and electronic texts) is available to
readers (p.325).
 However, confusion, elusiveness, and divergence surround a definition of
postmodernism. Often, postmodernism is used as a general term to describe the
changes, tendencies, and developments that occurred in philosophy, literature, art,
architecture, and music during the last half of the 20th century. Many individuals
(e.g., Coles & Hall, 2001; Grieve, 1993; Hassan, 1997; Lewis, 2001) have
generated lists of features or concepts that characterize living in the postmodern
world, and consistent with the character or inclination of postmodernism itself,
many of these features are synergistic and interrelated (p.325).
 Because writers and illustrators have been exposed to “the same postmodernizing
Picturebooks
influences as everyone else ... it would be reasonable to suppose that such

influences might find their way into books” (Lewis, 2001, p. 99) (p.325).
 It makes more sense to consider picturebooks as existing along a continuum of
postmodernism and to talk about the number and specific nature of the
postmodern characteristics exhibited within a particular picturebook (p.325).
 Metafiction is one of the most prominent features exhibited in postmodern
literature. According to McCallum (1996), both postmodernism and metafiction
include “narrative fragmentation and discontinuity, disorder and chaos, code
mixing and absurdity,” as well as openness, playfulness, and parody (p.400)
(p.325).
 Using examples of picturebooks from several historical time periods, she
described how the artwork in these selections is self-referential, playful, and
intertextual and breaks conventions and boundaries of visual art (p.325).
 However, Lewis (2001) noted that, “one can see why metafictive devices are
essential to the postmodernist enterprise, with its sustained attack (p.325) on all
manifestations of authoritative order and unity” (p. 94). Metafiction draws the
attention of readers to how texts work and to how meaning is created through the
use of a number of devices or techniques (Waugh, 1984), and in picturebooks,
metafictive devices can be used with both the verbal and the visual text (p.326).
Figure: List of Metafictive Devices

a)Narrator(s) who directly address readers (either in words or gestures) narrator(s)
who directly address character(s)  
b)Character(s) who directly address the narrator character(s) who directly address
readers (either in words or gestures)  
c)Characters who comment about their own stories or other stories  
d) Situations in which a narrator becomes one of the characters
e) Multiple narrators or characters telling stories 
f) Multiple narratives/stories
g) Stories within stories
h) Disruptions of time and space relationships in stories/narratives
Narratives/stories that do not have a chronological or linear structure—narrative
discontinuities (breaks or interruptions in the telling of the story)
j) Intertextuality
k) Parody
l) Typographic experimentation (arrangement, style, or appearance of matter printed
from type)
m) Mixing of genres, language styles and speech styles, and ways of telling stories
n) A pastiche of illustrative styles
o) Mise-en-abyme (an image that is embedded within another image as its miniature
replica)
p) Something about the design or layout of the book is new or unusual
q) Something makes readers aware of the processes/methods that are being used to
create/make up the story
r) Indeterminacy
 Intertextuality, according to Allen (2000), “is one of the most commonly used and
Picturebooks
misused terms in contemporary critical vocabulary” (p. 2). During my research

with elementary and middle-school students, I use the term intertextuality to refer
to connections between texts and illustrations and cultural knowledge and artifacts
such as other texts, television, media, video, other characters, works of art,
advertisements, and “sayings.” (p.327).
 With respect to parody, Lukens (1999) stated that “a parody reminds us of
something known, then gives fresh pleasure by duplicating form that contrasts to
new and humorous meaning” (p.224). Parody describes a range of practices that
are imitative of other general and specific cultural forms (Dentith, 2000).
Although writers, illustrators, and artists may create texts that are intertextual and
parodic in nature, recognition and interpretation of these textual connections is
dependent on recognition or knowledge of the original text by readers/viewers
(p.328).
 Metalepsis, a narrative device that obscures or collapses the boundaries between
reality and fiction, blurs the “sacred frontier between two worlds, the world in
which one tells, the world of which one tells” (Genette, 1980, p.236) (p.329).
 The metafictive nature of the picturebooks used in my research gave agency to
the students and required them to become even more involved in the creation of
meaning (i.e., coauthoring role) (p.330).
 Although picturebooks, because of their multimodal nature, have always
required readers to fill in gaps and generate predictions on multiple levels, picture-
books with metafictive devices demand a more active, involved reading (p.330).
 An extensive review of the literature on comprehension and discussion of text
revealed that “discussions that rely on a more student-centered, dialogic
approach to discussion ... lead to significant growth in comprehension” (Almasi
& Garas-York, 2009, p.489) (p.330).
 Picturebooks with metafictive devices are ideal for rereading and revisiting
by both teachers and students as the polysemous texts afford multiple
opportunities for meaning making and interpretation (p.330).
 However, teachers themselves need to be knowledgeable about the affordances of
picturebooks with metafictive devices to competently discuss illustrative and
literary elements and devices and elements of book design, as well as facilitate
classroom conversations about how literature works (p.330).
 Examination and discussion of picturebooks with metafictive devices can assist
students in understanding how and why authors and illustrators use a variety of
narrative, discursive and illustrative devices in their work (p.330)
 Furthermore, language and literacy curriculum documents and assessment tools
need to reflect the broadening range of texts that are available in our
contemporary world (p.331).
 According to McCallum (1996), metafictive devices contribute to the aesthetic
reading experience as “underlying much metafiction for children is a
heightened sense of the status of fiction as an elaborate form of play, that is a
game with linguistic and narrative codes and conventions” (p.398) (p.331).
 Throughout my research I have observed the pleasure that students derive from
puzzling through the multiple layers of meaning and ambiguity in picturebooks
with metafictive devices (p.331).
 Teachers need to be knowledgeable about the possibilities of these picturebooks,
Picturebooks
and unfortunately, some research has suggested that teachers’ knowledge of

children’s literature is quite limited (Block & Mangieri, 2002; Cremin, Mottram,
Bearne & Goodwin, 2008; Cremin et al. 2009) (p.331).
 Postmodern picturebooks extend thought and discussion about this sophisticated
and flexible art form— the picturebook. Like the postmodern world, postmodern
picturebooks reflect the recognition and celebration of heterogeneity and multiple
possibilities with respect to format, content, and meaning (p.331).
 Students’ metafictive awareness can assist them as they encounter similar
devices in other print and digital texts both within and out of school (p.331).
source influences  Importance of providing children with opportunities to engage with postmodern
the field related to picturebooks.
your inquiry (e.g.  Benefits of children engaging in inquiry with postmodern picturebooks.
math
teaching/learning
elementary
 To build researcher understanding of uses of children’s postmodern picture
books in the classroom.
Design:


 Devising framework – taking into account postmodern features/brief
description.
 Main focus is on using the postmodern picturebooks as a tool to assist
children’s writing by examining techniques, naming them and critiquing them
(Middle school).
 Helpful writing templates for students.
Picturebooks

Book: Picture this: Visual literacy as a pathway to character understanding
Date Retrieved/Used: February 2nd 2018
APA Citation Prior, L.A., Willson, A., & Martinez, M.. (2012). Picture this: Visual literacy as a
pathway to character understanding. The Reading Teacher, 66(3), 195-206. DOI:
10.1002/TRTR.01098.
Author(s) Prior, L.A. - PhD graduate from The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Affiliation: Willson, A. - Coctoral candidate at The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Martinez, M - Professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Type of Resource
Website/ Book/
Government Report
 The authors believe that “character may be particularly critical to literary meaning
Summary of making” (p.195)
Essential   The article explores “the kinds of pictorial information young children use to
Information gain insights into the characters they meet in fictional picture books and how
teachers can help children learn to more fully use this pictorial information”
(p.195)
 Characters – entice readers, are the “glue” that ties stories together (p.195).
 Picture books have been described as stories “told twice” – once through the text
and once through the illustrations (p.196).
 “Martinez and Harmon (in press) found that visual information in picture
books for younger children played a dominant role in the development of
character traits, interests, and emotions” (p.196).
 Engaged in discussion with 2nd grade students’ regarding the information
illustrations provided about characters in three books (p.197).
 While the children made a variety of inferences about the characters, including
inferences about character feelings, thoughts, and relationships, as well as
inferences about changes in characters’ feelings, thoughts, and relationships, they
did not appear attuned to many types of visual cues embedded in the illustrations
(p.202).
 The findings from the study suggest “teachers have important work to do in
fostering children’s visual literacy” (p.202).
source influences  The article suggests the following recommendations for teachers: “Viewing 
the field related to the illustrations, teachers can ask themselves questions about characters:
your inquiry (e.g.  What colors are used?
math  What do they seem to say about the characters?  
teaching/learning  Do the lines communicate meaning about character emotions? How?  
Picturebooks
elementary  Where is the character placed on the page? What might this say about the
character?  
 What is of note about the facial expressions of the character?  
 What do the actions and body posture of the character tell us?  
Potential relevance  Possibility of looking at social imagination connection with play?
to your research  Children putting themselves in the characters’ shoes.
topic and study
Stage of action Background:
research where the  Build my understanding of how children’s literature can be used as a learning
source will be used: tool in the classroom.
 Build my understanding of considerations teachers should be aware of in order
to use children’s literature in the classroom effectively.
Design:
1. Guided two embedded questions:
 How can children’s literature be used to encourage children to engage in
play?
 How can children’s literature be incorporated into the curriculum to
encourage children’s engagement in play?
 Article used to devise questions for interviews with experts in children’s
literature.
 After conducting interviews with experts in literacy, it might be possible to
connect insights gained with information in this article. However, this article
focuses on the portrayal characters in illustrations and elements of illustrations
(e.g. color, line etc.).
 My action plan (recommendations/suggestions for teachers to use literature as
a tool to encourage children’s engagement in play) may be guided by this
article as well as insights gained from interviews with experts in literacy.
Picturebooks
Article: Learning the Language of Picturebooks
Date Retrieved/Used: March 4th 2018
APA Citation Sipe, L.R. (1998). Learning the language of picturebooks. Journal of Children’s
Literature 24(2), 66-75.
Author(s) Professor at the University of Pennyslyvania Graduate School of Education and chair
of the school’s program in Language and Literacy in Education (1949-2011).
Affiliation:
Type of Resource
Website/ Book/
Government Report
 In a picturebook, the words of the text and the sequence of the illustrations
Summary of contribute equally to opportunities they provide for constructing meaning.
Essential  Teachers typically feel quite comfortable in discussing a story with children.
Information When it comes to the visual aspects of picturebooks, however, many teachers may
feel that they lack the artistic and aesthetic training necessary to talk with children
and to guide their understanding.
 It is like learning a language; it is surprising what labeling something will do to
actually aid our understanding and our thinking.
 Labels help us to identify and focus on aspects of reality that we might otherwise
gloss over or ignore, and with some picturebook terminology, teachers can begin
to think about the unique visual qualities of this art form. Teachers do not need a
degree in art education or fine arts in order to talk with children about artistic
media, design, and the ways that illustrations convey meaning.
 Even young children can be very sophisticated as literary critics of picturebooks.
 Suggested Terms:
i. Illustration media
ii. Perspective and point of view
iii. Endpages
iv. Bleed
v. Borders
vi. Continuous narration
vii. Cut-out
viii. Double page spread
ix. Dust jacket
x. Edition (trade edition, library edition, paperback edition)
xi. Establishing shot
xii. Frame (illustrations breaking the frame)
Picturebooks
xiii.Front matter
xiv. Glossy/matt paper
xv. Gutter (middle line of the book)
xvi. Home-away-home (Frequent structure of character’s journey)
xvii. Irony
xviii. Jacket flaps
xix. Medium (plural – media)
xx. Montage (several illustrations on same page)
xxi. Motif
xxii. Opening
xxiii. Page break
xxiv. Peritext
xxv. Spine
xxvi. Stock
xxvii. Synergy (illustrations and text combining to produce an effect which is
greater than the sum of their pans)
xxviii. Stamping – image/letters pressed into the front or back cover by a heavy
metal die (blind stamping – no color; foil stamping – gold or another color)
xxix. Text box
xxx. Title page
xxxi. Trompe l’oeil (deceives the eye)
xxxii. Typography
xxxiii. Vignette
 Children learn the language of picturebooks best when terms and concepts are
presented in meaningful contexts.
 Children will learn the language of picturebooks naturally. The teacher's
responsibility, I believe, is not to prepare a list of questions beforehand, but rather
to study the picturebook thoroughly before reading it aloud, noting the potential
points that might be raised by the children.
source influences  Use of picturebook labels/terms to aid understanding and thinking; help teachers
the field related to to think about the visual qualities of picturebooks.
your inquiry (e.g.
math
teaching/learning
elementary
Potential relevance  Engaging effectively with picturebooks by using appropriate terminology and
to your research language.
topic and study  Utilizing language in meaningful contexts to promote children to pick up on the
terms naturally.
 To build researcher understanding of elements of picturebooks, illustrations,
terminology.
Design:
Picturebooks


 Devising framework – taking into the need for teachers to be knowledgeable
on the language, terminology and features of picturebooks.
Picturebooks

Article: Introduction: Postmodernism and picturebooks.
Bib. Information Sipe, L.R., & Pantaleo, S. (2008). Introduction: Postmodernism and
(APA Formatting): picturebooks. In Sipe, L.R., & Pantaleo, S. (Eds.), Postmodern picturebooks:
Play, parody, and self-referentiality (pp.1-7). Hampshire, UK: Palgrave
MacMillan.
Author(s) Affiliation: Lawerence R. Sipe – Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education
of the University of Pennsylvania.
Sylvia Pantaleo – Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the
University of Victoria. Area of Research: Exploring elementary students’
understanding, interpretations, and responses to contemporary picturebooks,
specifically literature with Radical Change characteristics and metafictive
devices.
Type of Resource: Book: Postmodern picturebooks: Play, parody, and self-referentiality
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of essential  Refers to different views in the field in relation to explaining the changes
information: evident in contemporary children’s literature (technological advances in
society – “connectivity, interactivity and access in the digital world explain
the fundamental changes taking place”; Broader historical, social, and
cultural movement referred to as postmodernism” (p.1).
 Postmodernism – term to describe the changes, tendencies, and/or
developments that have occurred in philosophy, literature, art, architecture,
and music during the last half of the 20th century (p.1).
 Argues that several features/concepts associated with postmodernism can
be applied to postmodern picturebooks: “play, chance, anarchy,
text/intertext, process/performance/happening, participation, combination,
scriptable (writerly), and indeterminacy” (p.2).
 “Because writers and illustrators have been exposed to “the same
postmodernizing influences as everyone else…it would be reasonable to
suppose that such influences might find their way into books” (Lewis 99)”
(p.2).
 Various techniques used by authors in postmodernism picturebooks
identified and outlined (good reference – p.2-3).
 The authors suggest the need to “think of picturebooks as located along a
continuum of postmodernism” (p.4).
 “Readers are invited to generate multiple, often contradictory
interpretations and to become coauthors in ways that traditional
picturebooks do not offer, at least to the degree and intensity of postmodern
picturebooks” (p.4).
Picturebooks
Way in which this  Consideration of explicit and implicit features embedded in picturebooks.
source influences the  Increased interaction/participation involved by readers of postmodern
field related to your picturebooks than traditional picturebooks.
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance to 1. ‘Playful’ characteristics utilized by authors/illustrators in postmodern
your research topic picturebooks.
and study: 2. Multiple interpretations.
3. Need to “think of picturebooks as located along a continuum of
postmodernism” (p.4).
 To build researcher understanding of postmodern picturebooks and
features (good reference)
Design:



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