Viewing and Reading Picture Books

7/30/2019 Viewing and Reading Picture Books

1/22

Viewing and Reading Picture Books

A Literature Companion by Lorraine McDonald, PETAA 2012 Page | 1

Australian Curriculum: English aims to ensure that students:

Learn to listen to, read, view, speak, write, create and reflect on increasingly complex and

sophisticated spoken, written and multimodal texts across a growing range of contexts with

accuracy, fluency and purpose.

Develop interest and skills in inquiring into aesthetic aspects of texts, and develop an informed

appreciation of literature.

Points 2 & 4, Aims,Australian Curriculum: English

Multimodal texts combine language with other means of communication such as visual images,

sound track or spoken word, as in film or computer presentation media. Texts provide opportunities

for learning about aspects of human experience and about aesthetic value.

Content Structure, Texts, Australian Curriculum: English

What is multimodality?Multimodality incorporates different semiotic or meaning-making systems.

A picture book, information book or movie can be described as a multimodal text because each

combine both print and still or moving images. Even more so, a screen based digital text is

multimodal if it combines moving images, graphics, sound and hypertext links. ( p.181)

In quality picture books, the synergy of words and images creates distinctive meanings that are

exclusive to the picture book form. A picture book has more than one mode of meaning making:the visual and verbal texts construct meaning on two levels, through their synchronicity and

interaction.

The picture book is the forerunner of the multimodal texts that now abound in classroom.

Quality picture books are literary texts not readers (which are purpose-written).

Finding congruence between literary elements and verbal/visual details:

Is there congruence between the literary elements and the verbal and visual details on anillustrated page?

Readers/viewers can notice where the verbal and visual correspond. Extra information can be provided in the visual or written text. Finding congruence is a straightforward task that provides opportunities for evidence based

discussion on how the visual and verbal texts work together and the contribution of the visual

text in the elaboration of meaning.


2/22



Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices

Setting

Visual

Verbal

Characters/

characterisation

Visual

Verbal

Plot

Visual

Verbal

Mood/

Atmosphere

Visual

Verbal

Theme

Visual

Verbal

Symbol

Visual

Verbal

Style

Visual

Verbal

Vocabulary

Visual

Verbal


3/22



Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices in Collecting Colour

SettingVisual On a swing

Verbal

Characters/

characterisation

Visual Images of a girl

Verbal This is Rose

PlotVisual

Verbal

Mood/

Atmosphere

Visual Relaxed playful smile on her face: eyes closed

Verbal

Theme Visual

Verbal

SymbolVisual

Verbal

StyleVisual

Verbal

VocabularyVisual

Verbal


4/22




5/22



Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices inAlexanders Outing

Setting

Visual Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, tall buildings

at North Sydney, all viewed from Farm Cove and

park (using my personal repertoire knowledge).

Verbal in the most beautiful place in the whole of

Sydney one warm sunny morning

Characters/

characterisation

Visual duck family, mother duck, mother is turning around

maybe to look at or call to Alexander

assume the last duckling is Alexander (literary

repertoire); he straggles behind and is looking

backwards

Verbal Alexander lived with his mother and his four

brothers and sisters: Alexanders mother was bored

Plot

Visual the straggling Alexander infers that he will cause

some complication; the books title also implies this

(literary repertoire)Verbal they all set of in search of adventure

Mood/

Atmosphere

Visual relaxed and enjoyable beautiful and famous view

of Sydney, people walking, ducks swimming, an ibis

by the pond, a sunny day; ready for an adventure

Verbal most beautiful place, bored, warm sunny morning,

adventure

Symbol

Visual the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are

symbols of Sydney, Australia;

green and gold colours are symbols of Australian

identity;no other suggestion of a symbol for the storyline

evident in the visual text

Verbal no suggestion of a symbol evident in the verbal text

Style

Visual watercolour media, green and gold colours,

detailed drawings

Verbal typical narrative orientation; everyday language

Vocabulary

Visual naming the iconic buildings and maybe the types of

birds in the image would build emergent readers

vocabulary

Verbal beautiful, bored, adventure could be difficult wordsfor emergent readers; Sydney could be a special

word for the setting and for readers from other

places

Theme Visual Alexander is straggling behind and not looking

where he is going, so maybe the significant

message to young readers will be pay attention

and be obedient

Verbal no evidence of a suggested theme/significant

message; this is unlikely as it is the orientation of

the narrative on the first page


6/22



The high congruence between the visual and verbal texts in this picture book is very apparent. In

almost every element, there is a contribution to meaning from both sets of texts. Yet what is

contributed is different, as, for example in the character/characterisation section, where we are told

the motivation for the outing in the verbal text Alexanders mother was bored, while the visual

text indicates the possible motivation for the actual plot the last duckling does not follow the

walking pattern of the other ducklings.


7/22



Applying the literary elements in class:

A limited number of elements can be selected according to the literary sophistication of thestudents.

As students become more and more familiar with the elements, more can be introduced.

The grammar of visual design

Kress & van Leeuwen argue for the use of the term grammar re visual design.

Visual grammar to describe how the elements of the picture combine in different design ways to

construct visual meaning.

Kress & van Leeuwen make the point that theirs is not a universal grammar, but one that is culturally

based in Western Societys mores. They highlight where different cultural interpretations would be

relevant - for example, the Western reading from left to right would interpret that positioning ofimages differently to the Arabic reading from right to left.

The model of visual design follows the three perspectives of the functional model of language

explained in the Australian Curriculum: English. It names and explains:

1. Representational Meanings The visual grammar components that represent the topic: theyconstruct who or what participates in the image, in what kind of activity or process they are

engaged and in which set of circumstances.

2. Interactive Meanings The visual grammar components that create the interaction: theyconstruct the relationship between the participants in the image and the viewer, as well as how

the relationships between the participants are depicted, for example, who is dominant and who

has power and/or status.

3. Compositional Meanings The visual grammar components that realise the composition; theystructure how the entire image (constructed through the representational and interactive

meanings) is composed as a coherent and cohesive meaningful whole.

Components that realise representational meanings

Representational meanings are those that involve the people/characters, places and things depicted

in the image (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006, p.131). There are five components in this visual grammar

that make this kind of meaning. These are listed and briefly defined and then elaborated on with

reference to different picture books.

Participants

Participants refer to any objects, human or animal characters, or any parts of the natural world that

are presented in the image.

Vector

Vector is a technical term for the sight line, or reading pathway, that the reader follows around the

image. Vectors can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal or curvy lines, visible and invisible these oftenfollow where a character is looking, or gazing.


8/22



Interactional processes

Interactional processes depict participants in interaction with each otherthe process indicates

that actions are always involvedin the image. Here the double-headed arrows indicate the

interaction between Susie and the swing.

Shapes

Shapes can be circular and curved; these shapes are seen as natural, organic, and can be part of a

female world. Squares, rectangles and any straight-edged shapes are seen as mechanical, or made

by humankind.

Symbols

Symbols refer to objects, actions or ideas that present something else usually an abstract concept.

Sometimes everyday objects or actions are given symbolic meaning in the text. I suggest that an

object or action or even a phrase or word can become a symbol if it recurs throughout the text and

is invested with meaning by a character.

Colour

Colour is highly significant in visual design. In representation, colour connects with symbol; for

example, red is well known as a symbol of passion (anger/love). A change of colour or colour

intensity can be used to symbolise or differentiate different participants.

In summary, the visual representation of Roses experience on the swing is set up through how the

vectors and shapes construct the two participants. The intersecting vectors create the interaction

and the effect of movement, while the organic curves preview the focus on the womens work with

pandanus leaves that comprises the texts storyline. The red-brown background foreshadows the

location of the story. Appreciating howthe visual image contributes to the whole story supports

even young readers/viewers in moving towards a higher level of comprehensionas they can see

how cohesion can be achieved in a quality literary text.


9/22



Picture 1 Participants in Collecting colour

There are two participants one is a girl (a character, whom we read

is called Rose), and the other is a swing (part of the setting). Students

can place dots on each participant in the image to establish who

and what is in the scene.

Picture 2 Vectors in Collecting colour

The vectors indicated by pale blue lines, show movement in the

image, indicating the activity taking place. Viewers can trace the

paths of the swing with double-headed arrows, reinforced with the

curvature of the words.

The visible swing vector is the strongest, highlighting the lighthearted

mood of the scene. The Rose vectors are the lines of her body and

recreate the back-forth movement she is enjoying. The implicit

curved vector spreads he movement to another part of the

illustration and continues the swinging movement back-and-forth.

Picture 3 Curved shapes in Collecting colour

The curved shapes in the image, indicated by yellow lines, denote a

female world (which is continued as the story progresses) and infer

the naturalness of a child playing. The straight edge of the swings

rope indicates it is part of a constructed object.

The swing could be represented as a symbolof carefree play or

relaxation.

The intense red-brown colourof the background could symbolise the

red-brown earth of the Northern Territory, where we learn, on the

second page, that the text is located.


10/22



Tasks: Exploring representational meanings

1. Introduce the visual grammar of vectors, interaction, shapes and symbols gradually, initiallyusing visual texts that deploy these resources in a straightforward form. Using the opening

image inAlexanders outing, or another familiar picture book, guide students to mark up

examples of the design features for how participants are represented in the text visually.

Electronic whiteboards allow vectors and shapes to be placed on projected images, or they can

be placed on the actual images in books, or drawn on photocopied single pages (copyright law

allows ten per cent of a text to be copied for educational purposes).

A scaffold such as the one shown below could be used with the students. The left column is

adapted to match the representations in the image. The students mark up examples and

complete the right column if appropriate to their level. Possible discussion points are provided

below after Task 2.

2. After a discussion of how these visual components contribute to the meaning of who or whatparticipates, the events the vectors indicate, the type of world the shapes present, and what any

symbol may mean, students create a scene for the text that incorporates two or three of these

design features. They explain to another pair of students how the design features contribute to

how the participants are represented.


11/22



Visual

representation

Mark up examples in the image of the visual representation features

students discuss how the features contribute to what is represented

Participants:

as charactersas setting

Vectors:

horizontal

diagonal, vertical

Interactions:

reaction

(two-way)(one-way)

Shapes:

circular, curved,

rectangular,

sharp angles

Symbol

Colour


12/22



The large range of participants in the

foreground and background ofAlexanders

outing indicate the setting clearly. The

interaction is a reaction as it is one-way

mother duck reacts to Alexanders inattention.

A long horizontal line marks a strong visible

vector of movement the importance of the

ducks walking in search of adventure is evident

and reinforced in the forward motion of the

ducklings. A second, invisible vector can be seen

in mother ducks backward gaze at Alexander,

who continues the vector with his own turning

backward. These opposing vectors presupposethe trouble that is to come. A third set of vectors

follow the palm trees to lead the eye to the

background of the image, with more details of

the setting. At the bottom of the image, the

reading pathway guides us to follow the

dominant visible vector and turn the page

The accumulation of the curved shapes

indicated by red lines, create a dominant natural

world of ducks, palm trees, the pond, the sand,

the ibis and the white cockatoo, despite the fact

that it is near the centre of the biggestAustralian city, Sydney. The rectangular

buildings and pylons in the background denote

their human construction, as befits a city, but

the combination of organic curves and robust

rectangles remind us why our Harbour Bridge

and Opera House are National Heritage listed

and known internationally for their beauty of

form.

Symbols of Sydney are represented in the image

to locate the setting visually, as noted above.

The green and gold colours are clearly symbolic:

they are Australias national colours, and

variations of the green and gold are worn as

the traditional team colours of our national

sporting teams.


13/22



The visual representation of the orientation of Alexanders Outing is a complex one for young

readers. The number of participants, vectors and shapes visually construct the initiating event of the

plot and the natural world with the reaction of a mother duck supporting a young reader/viewer in

predicting what might follow. We are given reading pathways that direct us to notice the detailed

background and to move forward with mother duck on her adventure, to the next page. The effect

of these visual grammar choices suggest that a young reader could tell what the story is about from

viewing the image.

Components that realise interactive meanings

Interactive meanings focus on the meanings produced when participants communicate with each

other through images (Kress & van Leeuwen)

The communicative relationship uses design components to construct visually what the

relationships between the participants are:

Who is dominant? Who has power? How is the relationship between the reader/viewer and the participants in the image

depicted?

Demand and offer

Demand and offer are terms which name the degree of interest or detachment readers/viewers are

positioned to have towards the participants. They are contrasts applied only to animate, or living,

participants.

Demand denotes when a participant gazes at the readers/viewers: the character demands thatviewers look back directly.

Offer denotes when a participant gazes away from the readers/viewers: no contact is established.

We become invisible viewers who can choose whether and when we look at the character.

Social distance

Social distance names how close or distant the participants are from the viewer. Thenear or far

choice creates different relations of interest or detachment. The grammar of social distance is

realised in the type of shot evident in the image (film terms are used here).

A long shot denotes an impersonal public relationship as though the participant and the viewerare strangers.

A medium shot denotes a social relationship the participant and the viewer can have a

conversation, they are acquainted and friendly.

A close-up shot denotes a personal relationship with frequent contactwe are family, or best

friends.

Extreme close-up denotes a highly intimate relationship viewers are closely involved with the

participant.


14/22



Angle/Point of View

Angle/point of view names the degree of involvement and degree of power the view has in relation

to the participants, which depends on the angle of the viewer. Participants are basically placed at

different angles:

At alow viewing angle, with viewers looking down on them, participants are perceived ashaving low status/power

At a high angle, with viewers looking up at them, the participants superiority in knowledge orpower/status is signified

At eye level, an equal point of view is maintained.

Example:An ordinary dayby Libby Gleeson and Armin Greder (illustrator), seventh double-page

spread

Example: Interactive meanings in Collecting colour(page1) andAn ordinary day(seventh double

page spread)


15/22



The image makes an offerto the viewer. This social

distance is reinforced by Rosies closed eyes. The

image is a long shot which places Rose at an

impersonal social distance to the viewer. We see her

swinging but have no contact with her. The oblique,

side-on angle of the shot continues our detachment

but our point of view is one of equality in status we

view Rose from a position that is just a little higher

than her.

In the spread fromAn ordinary daybelow, jack makes

a demand, looking directly out of the page, so that we

notice him. The medium shotbrings our social

distance closer, to a friendly level. The medium and

close-up shots of the traffic imply familiarity here too.

The almostfrontand equal angles from which weview Jack tell us that we are involved as equals in his

world.

Modality

Modality names the degree of naturalistic realism in the illustration

High modalityindicates a more natural image, which the viewer is more likely to regard as real.

Naturalness is indicated by the degree of colour saturation and the use of heavy or faint lines,

shapes and shading.

Modality works on a continuum from high to low typically, strong colour and clear lines construct

a high level of realism/modality.


16/22



Low modality is indicated by pastels and faint lines, which are not perceived as natural or as real.

At the other end of the continuum, very heavily saturated colour or extremely thick lines will appear

exaggerated and unreal.

Colour

Colour is very subjective and creates certain reactions, whether from personal preference or cultural

background, for example, in Western culture:

Colour Western Other countries

Red passion /emotion(love/hate)

danger (stop lights, signs,

warnings)

masculine

China red signifies prosperity, happiness and

luck

South Africa red is the colour of mourning

India: purity, fertility, love, used in weddings

Australian Aboriginals: represents land and earth

Orange excitement, desire, energy, vitality

affordable or inexpensive items,

Halloween (with black)

Ireland: colour for Protestants

Netherland: colour of Royal House

Eastern: happiness, spirituality

Hinduism: Saffron is considered a sacred colour

Yellow warm colours, cheerful, joy,

enlightenment, light-hearted

Chinese culture: sacred, imperial, honour,

masculine

Thailand: represents Buddhism

Egypt: Colour of mourning

Africa: Usually reserved for those of high rank

Blue cool, calm, wisdom, sadness, trust,

conservative

Chinese culture: immortality, feminine

Korea: mourning

Pink sensuous, emotion, feminine,

romantic

Korea: trust

Green knowledge, hope, promise, nature,

abundance

jealousy, greed

Chinese culture: associated with health,

prosperity, harmony, fertility

Colour ofIslam

Ireland: colour for Catholics

South America: death

USA: money

Black evil, mysterious, powerful, fear,

elegance

Chinese culture: neutral, Heavens colour, times

of unknown/winter months; colour for young boys

India: evil, negativity, anger

Africa: Age and wisdom

White purity, innocence, timeless,

mystical, cleanliness, virtue

Chinese culture: white is associated with death

and mourning, the unknown and purity.

Purple passionate, smouldering, caring,

creativity, royalty, wealth

Eastern: wealth

India: sorrow, comforting

Brazil: death and mourning

Grey neutral, uncommitted, non-

involvement, conservative, moody

Associated with Christianity, prayers and lent.

Eastern cultures: associated with helping attitude

and travel

Sepia the past or age

Brown nature, wholesomeness,

dependability, blending in

Japan: no specific name for brown, refer like fox

or tea colour.


17/22



The dominant grammatical tool is social distance. The long shot, in this case a very long shot, or

panorama, displays the environment for the viewer to survey events from a kind of lookout position.

While we do not immediately interact with this world, the front angle denotes it is our world

which, of course, as Australians observing our most famous view it is.

The high angle of mother duck places her as dominant to her ducklings, establishing her authority as

mother. She does not demand our attentionthe image makes an offer as she is only interested

in her ducklings- we are invisible to her.

The degree to which this real and human background is depicted is interesting its choice of pastels

ad faint lines create a less realistic low modality, while the natural world of the ducks and their

environment presents stronger colours, creating higher modality and a sense of realism.

The point of view indicates our equality with mother duck and her ducklings as they waddle across

the centre of the page. As readers/viewers, we are positioned to observe her and her family as

realistic members of our common world.

TaskImages from a picture book could be sketched or digitally created and deliberately transformed in

relation to social distance and modality. When students can explain the effect of the altered

components on the relationships between viewer and participants and the participants themselves,

there is evidence of their developing understanding of how interactive visual grammar components

construct meaning.

Components that realise compositional meanings


18/22



Visual composition focuses on the configuration of the image, that is, how the people, places and

things, and relationships they convey are placed within the image and the meanings attached to

these positions. (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006)

Information ValueInformation value names the values attributed to the arrangement of the participants (people,

places and things) in the image. There are three broad sets of spaces that an illustrator has

available to use.

Each set of spaces contains a certain distinct value in the information it represents. This

information value can be applied to all kinds of images factual images, diagrams, advertisements,

television news and digital texts etc.

Set 1

Given is the information placed on the left of a page; it is known, or familiar, or previously

introduced information; the viewer already knows, or is assumed to know.

New is the information placed on the right of a page; it is unknown previously, newly introduced,

or innovative information; it is the new message to be attended to.

Set 2

Ideal is the information placed towards the top of a page; this space represents the ideal or

optimum position (and the space may be empty).

Real is the information placed at the bottom of a page; this space represents reality, the

practicalities of the real world, what is.

Set 3

Centre is the information placed in the middle of a page; it is the focus of attention and the

nucleus of the information; it is the strongest, most dominant position, even if it is an empty

space, and its value overrides other components. Sometimes, if a participant is placed in the Centre

focus, the Given/New or Ideal/Real components will not be utilised, or will not be as important or as

valued as what is in the Centre.

Margins is the information placed towards (or on) the edges of a page; it indicates that the

participant is dependent on the Centre focus, or peripheral, or subservient to what is in the Centre.

Those on the Margins are often outsiders to the Centre participant. In circular images, the

separation of Centre and Margins becomes a gradual distinction.


19/22



Information value in Collecting colour(page 1)

The value of the information in this images

composition tells us that, placed towards the left

of the page, a girl on a swing is known, or given

information for the reader. This scene is

assumed to be familiar to the audience for this

text.

Placed to the right of the page, the new

informationis that her name is Rose. Rose is

positioned towards the lower end of the page, in

the realworld.

Rose is near the centre and it is implied her body

moves in and out of the centre as she swings. Asthe rest of the text unfolds, we learn that Rose

on the swing is not the central focus of the story,

and this component suggests this is so.

Composition in Collecting colour (page 1)

The salientcomponent is Rose: she grabs

attention in a number of ways. The colours aresaturated and contrast to the background. The

illustrator has used most of the elements of

salience to draw our attention to her.

The lack of framing implies freedom and as

she swings unhindered, she certainly seems so.


20/22



Salience

Salience is the most attention-grabbing part of the image. Salience is constructed through a

number of elements

Relative size Sharpness of focus High contrast (eg. black/white borders) Human figures Animated participants Being in the foreground not the background Colour the application of saturated colours (next to softer colours) and use of red and/or

yellow add Salience.

Information value components (Given/New/Real etc) can be Salient.All of these can draw the viewers eye and create Salience.

Framing

Framing is the component that focuses the viewer on a specific part of an image.

A frame creates boundaries: these connect or separate participants in the illustration, implying they

belong, or do not belong together. Framing can occur within an image as well as around an image;

it can be heavy or light, or absent altogether.

Framing does not have to be anactual frame parts in an image may form a Frame.

Heavy framing can imply oppression, containment, individuality and/or difference.

Light or no framing can imply freedom, lack of confinement and/or group identity.

Repetition of Frames gives a sense ofcontinuous flow.


21/22



An ordinary day Compositional features- framing and salience

Framing is the dominant component of this pages

composition.

The traffic is placed inside five light unstructured

frames and their repetition creates the effect of a

continuous flow.

The frames direct us to perceive a series of fractured

moments, with the glimpses of a whale in each frame

we seem to be seeing the whale emerging as Jacks

imagination forms it.

Lack of framing is important too as Jack and his

prized possessions (the painting and the goldfish

bowl) are placed unconstrained within the image.

While the darker colours of the traffic in their central

position do attract attention, the most Salient image,

for me, is Jack. His human smiling face is significant

as it is the first time he has smiled in the story.

For many viewers, the salience of the traffic would

override my preference.

An ordinary day Composition- Information Value

Jacks position on the left of the page is Given

(known).

The surfacing whale heads are our New

information this is the new information we take

to the next page.

The centre focus on the head and tail of a whale

reinforces the salience of this image.

Jack and two of his symbolic objects are on the

Margins, and perhaps there is an implication that

they are dependent on this imagination.

Framing creating information value

The framed images move from the top to the

bottom of the page in a gradual progression - are

they moving from Jacks Ideal world to become part

of his real world?


22/22


Alexanders Outing Compositional Features Information Value and

FramingCentre of the imagethe ducks, with the parks

environment and Harbour bridge rising from the

centre.

The ducks and the environment all have high

information value as the Centre focus introduces

the setting and characters.

The Marginsthe repeated palm trees form a

frame for the participants in the Centre reinforce

the participants importance to the story.

Alexanders Outing Compositional Features Salience & Colours

The most Salient part of the image, for me, is the

ducksusing elements of the centre and

foreground placement, colour and animation. The

palm trees vie for the viewers attention with their

saturated contrasting darker colours.

Thus, the viewers attention is directed to the maincharacters and their natural environment.

Tasks: Exploring compositional meanings

1. Using post-it notes on a page or pages from a picture book or by marking a projected image ofpages, teachers (with students) label how the composition has been structured.

2. Pairs of students examine known picture books for good examples of Information Value,Framing and Salience.

Each time, the composition needs to be explained in relation to how the texts makes meaning.

3. Students create their own digital narratives on the websites below. They offer web-basedtools that let students create versions of digital books with background scenes, characters,

uploaded images and text.

http://maasd.edublogs.org/digital-storytelling/web-based-digital-storytelling-tools-online-

interactives

http://www.animoto.com/>
http://maasd.edublogs.org/digital-storytelling/web-based-digital-storytelling-tools-online-interactiveshttp://maasd.edublogs.org/digital-storytelling/web-based-digital-storytelling-tools-online-interactiveshttp://maasd.edublogs.org/digital-storytelling/web-based-digital-storytelling-tools-online-interactiveshttp://www.animoto.com/http://www.animoto.com/http://maasd.edublogs.org/digital-storytelling/web-based-digital-storytelling-tools-online-interactiveshttp://maasd.edublogs.org/digital-storytelling/web-based-digital-storytelling-tools-online-interactives

Documents

Viewing and Reading Picture Books