ch7

First off...what a way we've come from the late nineteenth, early twentieth century; to think that at one time it was unheard of or unusual to write or publish books solely for children... Picture books have come a long way from where they originated. I always wondered why picture books were so expensive, now I know. There are so many elements that go into the developing of a picture book. Picture books are one of the more difficult books to write. They have to be meaningful and captivating in a very limited amount of space. Everything we expect in a novel is also expected in a picture book: characters, plot, setting, quality writing... because of this, picture books are not just for young readers. I would have never thought to use picture books in middle school or beyond. Picture books are unique in a way that they combine illustrative art with literary art and can be used for more experienced readers to teach bias, , alliteration, irony, and flashbacks. They are a great way to introduce the latter topics, much easier to identify. I was just simply blown away at how much a simple picture book could be used in the classroom; to support writing, reading comprehension, content area learning... I always thought of them as simply aesthetic. This is surely not the case.