One of the things I am most fond of in children's picture books is the amount of time and creativity placed in them. The books are less about words and more about pictures. Authors need to be able to tell a story using very few words and mostly pictures. From an artistic standpoint, the books are astounding in that they create a new world and convey a message for children not yet able to read or digest books filled with words.
On a different note, children's books often have to convey a large message over a small number of words, so the words chosen are extremely important. The books are generally pretty small because children lose interest fast. The idea is that the words will convey the most meaning that they can, use vocabulary that children can understand, and explain the story. While an adult book can go into detail, use extensive vocabulary, create themes, etc... over a 300 page or more book, children's literature does not have that luxury. The things that need to be said need to be said in a very short period of time.
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Mandy, I understand some of what you are saying here about precision in language. There are picture books, however, that are text-heavy. Take HUGO CABRET, for example; it's a hefty book. Words count, I think, even in picture books; it might be hard to argue with the author of a book who is not also an artist that her/his words are less important than the pictures. In fact, the words often come first, followed by illustrations.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering what makes a book "great" literature in your opinion. What are the key characteristics? Are any of the traits common to all types of books? Could picture books stand up to the "test" if we were to check them against the list of "great book" traits? Are the criteria different for children's books and books written for adult audiences?
Best,
T. Emert
Mandy I think you had a great response to this. I totally agree with you when it comes to the aothors using pictures to tell the story. On the other hand, I don't quite agree with the part you mentioned about extensive vocabulary. I feel that it depends on the books. Some books use the illustrations to tell the story(like you were saying), but others use illustrations to help navigate the words. Great response!!!
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