March 20, 2007

Book Links: Picture books

Are you interested in using picture books in the classroom beyond the traditional read aloud? This month's edition of Book Links, March 2007, volume 16 number 4, features two articles with classroom connections for picture books. Illustration as Art - Color by Mary M. Erbach (p. 33). In this article Erbach discusses seven different picture books and the illustrators use of color; included are Lois Ehlert, Marjorie Priceman, and Ed Young

The first in a new featured series of "Illustration as Art" articles, subsequent articles will "cover styles of children's book illustration and aspects of book design, and will help both children and adults gain a greater appreciation for art as they learn to look and look again, taking time to digest and explore this wonderfully varied subject" (Book Links, editor's note, p. 33) Using Picture Books to Teach Literary Techniques by Shutta Crum (p. 57). Crum offers a "sampling of literary techniques" and corresponding picture book offerings that may be used to successfully illustrate the defined technique. 

Literary terms included are allusion, alliteration, imagery, personification, onomatopoeia, and suspense & foreshadowing. Many of the books Crum recommends are found in most libraries including Margie Palatini's Piggie Pie, Dav Pilkey's Dogzilla, and Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Online resources are available on the Book Links web site; monthly Web Connections are available with each journal. March's Web Connections detail Internet resources and classroom activites for both of the aforementioned articles. Book Links is part of the AU library journal collection and is available via library database collections including Academic Search Premier and Education Research Complete. Tags: , , ,