Picture Books in the Golden Age

English 505Dr. Roggenkamp

What is a picture book?

• Different from an “illustrated text” or novel with pictures

• Book in which illustrations and text are equally balanced, equally important

• Words depend on the pictures to tell part of the story, and vice versa

• Neither element can “stand alone”• Together, they complete the story—

create a “third story” between them

Picture Books and Illustrated Texts

• “A picture [book] is not the same as an illustrated story: there the words alone could tell the story and the illustrations simply break up the words or decorate the text. . . . In the best picture books, the illustrations are absolutely necessary. They carry parts of the story or narrative and in some cases the language is dropped and the pictures alone are all that is needed” (Libby Gleeson, Making Picture Books).

• See also Perry Nodelman, Words About Pictures

Adults and Picture Books

• We tend to read just the words• Children (especially pre-literate

children) both hear the words and “read” the illustrations at the same time—get a much fuller sense of the picture book

Factors in Picture Book

• Physical format—cover, shape, size, “feel” in our hands, kind of paper used, etc.

• Way type is laid out, spaced on page; location of page turns

• Borders—white border or not, shifting borders• Color, shade, saturation• Line, proportion• Medium• Visual symbols/cultural “cues” (cross, wolf,

bunny)

History of Picture Books

• 1658, Orbis Sensualium Pictus (Johannes Amos Comenius) argued by some to be first picture book

• 1744, Little Pretty Pocket Book (John Newbery)

• Other didactic books like Struwwelpeter (1845)

Early Illustrated Texts• Pre-printing press:

illustration limited to scribe’s skill

• Post-printing press (15th century): woodcuts

• Technology of choice for nearly 400 years

• Occasional hand coloring• 19th century: lithography,

photography• 20th century: Color

spectrum increases; improved techniques

Victorian Illustrated Texts • Mid to late 19th century—

publishing/printing changes make extensive illustration more feasible

• Publishing of PICTURE BOOKS (as opposed to illustrated texts)

• Illustration becomes associated with books for children

• Childhood as joyous & pleasurable; illustrations as joyous & pleasurable

Image: Illustration by Kate Greenaway

Kate Greenaway (1846-1901)

Walter Crane (1845-1915)

Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886)

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

Additional Online Resources on History of Picture Books

• http://www.northern.edu/hastingw/picbkhis.htm

• http://www.chfestival.org/publications/Children%27s_Picture_Books_Lesson_Plan.pdf

• http://picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org/• http://picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org/

Good Introductions to Picture Book Theory

• Perry Nodelman, Words About Pictures

• Maria Nikolajeva & Carole Scott, How Picturebooks Work