In Pictures and In Words Chapter 7

In Pictures and In Words Book Study Chapter 7

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Wow!  This book is very thought provoking.  It really makes you think about how much more you can be teaching when reading a story.  I spend so much of my class discussion time on story elements, and how did the character feel and when did you ever feel like that?  I never take the time to think about how or why the illustrator makes the decisions he/she makes.  Why or why not the illustrator may or may not have details.  Those are the questions the Katie Wood Ray wants you to engage your students in and build their vocabulary as well.   When you do this it will influence your students’ illustrations and help develop their decision making skills.

Illustrators make many decisions about the “content of an illustration. “  When we take the time to engage our little ones in discussions and instruction  about illustrations they will become purposeful independent decision makers.  That sounds good to me!

Katie Wood Ray has 11 Techniques in this chapter.  Normally I would just skip by and generalize these but I really feel each of these are important.  So I am going to type them out for you and for me so I can come back to this and reread later in the year.  The book suggestions are mine.  They are books I know I have that I can use to teach that technique. 

Technique 1    Distance Perspective

Every illustration has some perspective lead the discussions by talking about zooming in or zooming away.  What is the focal point? 

I want to share the first page of the story when the egg is very little.  

Technique 2   Positioning Perspective

How are the objects positioned……are the views from the front, the back, the side, above, or below.

Have your little ones talk about the angles that the illustrators want them to see.

The illustrator shows the owls from many different angels throughout the story.  

Technique 3  The Background

Does the background have lots of details, no details, or just a little bit?  How does the background relate to the central image?

The book is great because Harold is drawing the background as the story unfolds.  

I like this book because the illustrations are beautiful and the trees are gorgeous for each season.  Great details. 

Technique 4  Two Sides of Physical Space

The illustration shows two sides of the same story at the same time. 

This book book is a favorite of mine.  The illustrations are beautiful.  The story is adorable.  The top story is about Granny getting ready for Easter and the bottom story is about the Bunny Family.  

Technique 5  Using Scenes to Show Different Actions

The illustrator using small separate scenes to show different actions.

I plan on sharing the pages of the hen making the pizza.  

Technique 6  Using Scenes to Capture the Passage of Time

The illustrator uses scenes to capture what happens over time. 

This book not only deals with the time literally but also size as well.  

Technique 7

Using Scenes to Show Movement Through Different Places

Technique 8  Small separate scene may work like a list, showing lots of different details but unconnected by any background.

The illustrator has the list of items that the little girl takes with her places and of course her bear. 

Technique 9    Showing, Not Telling

The text in general but the illustration has a lot more details in it. 

Funny story you will definitely have to help guide the children through the illustrations to discuss the story. 

Technique 10   A Backstory

The illustrations may have characters or actions that are not mentioned in the words.

In this story you have to watch the borders to see that Mattie is making the gingerbread house to catch the gingerbread baby. 

Technique 11  Manipulating Point of View

Adding humor in the illustration with irony and contradictions. 

I thought of the part when the author write about mouse having to cut his hair........and then there is hair everywhere......even though mouse only had one piece of hair.