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Q: What are some of the more innovative forms of children’s book illustrations that have emerged over the years? A: While we tend to think of old-time book illustrations as rather bland and formulistic, some of the most intriguing forms of book illustration existed in our past. The harlequinade, a type of novelty book named after theatrical pantomimes, was invented around 1765 by London bookseller Robert Sayer. Composed of a single sheet of paper with illustrations on flaps that open to reveal another picture below, the harlequinade immediately became immensely popular. Also related to the theater were juvenile drama sheets--printed sheets of scenery and characters out of which children created their own miniature theaters, the earliest of which date to about 1810. Around the same time the London firm of S. and J. Fuller invented the paper doll. These loosely inserted cutout figures with removable heads were accompanied by stories in verse, the most famous of which was Little Fanny. Fuller was also among the earliest publishers of peep shows-- books that opened to form a hinged tunnel for viewing. Other firms soon joined in-- the most notable of which were Dean and Son and the German publishers Raphael Tuck and Ernest Nister. Nister's most important contribution was the dissolving picture book in which the sheets were cut horizontally or into a circle so that a new scene could be revealed by pulling a tab. Lothar Meggendorfer (1847–1925) illustrated, designed, and engineered the most elaborate and intricate movable books of the 19th century, primarily during the 1880s and 1890s. Though he was also a popular magazine illustrator, his reputation today is based on his mechanical picture books for children. Beginning in the late 1880s and through the 1890s, his books enjoyed great popularity and were published in a variety of editions and languages. He produced books with movable figures operated by interconnected cardboard pieces sandwiched between sheets of paper, transformation pictures with interchangeable segmented parts, books with pop-up designs, and large unfolding books. The technical wizardry of these books remains unequaled today. World War I brought an end to the publication of movable books and their importation to England from Germany. The lack of fine printing facilities in England and the United States led to a decline in the movable book trade. The emergence of the pop-up book came after the war. This simplified version of its nineteenth-century predecessor endured throughout the 20th century to today. Q: Are picture books just for little kids? A: Not at all. Picture books provide opportunities for older as well as younger children to both enjoy and learn from books. A RIF brochure expands on this topic; Picture books help older kids with comprehension and prompt them to read critically. They can use the pictures to predict what’s going to happen next. The images can teach children to watch, look, and listen for clues, warning signs, and exciting things they might otherwise miss. More experienced readers can learn how to cross-reference the text and pictures in order to “read between the lines.” Reading aloud carefully selected picture books can enhance motivation and learning in content subjects in several ways. Picture books are designed to be more interesting and relevant than textbooks, because they must stand or fall on their appeal to the reader. Similarly, informational picture books increase motivation by focusing on a single concept in more depth than a textbook would. Q: Will the choice of a particular illustrator affect a book’s meaning? A: Indeed it will. Just as authors have individual styles, so too do illustrators have particular styles that convey feeling, mood, and atmosphere. The same story written by Stephen King and Louisa May Alcott would read very differently. Illustrations to such a story would likewise appear distinctly different when drawn by artists with varying points of view. This is why not every author and illustrator make a good match. If an author wants to be sure that a book conveys a certain mood, he needs to choose an artist who is comfortable with the selected style. Technical skill is not a guarantee of compatibility. For a book to give a unified message, the author and illustrator need to be in synch. The situation is further influenced by the artist’s choice of media. Wholly different meanings can be conveyed through different media. Take the following example in which two illustrators depict very different content about the same subject through their selection of media. In the picture book Seneca by author-illustrator Karen Lee Baker, soft watercolors personify the young girl and her horse. The artwork complements a child's simple pleasures of rides through fields, woods, and creeks with her beloved companion. On the other hand, Alvis Upitis's striking color photographs in Horsepower: The Wonder of Draft Horses by Cris Peterson help to convey information. While simple text conveys the history of these powerful horses, readers gain aesthetic appreciation for these sturdy animals through the camera's lens. Q: How can you tell if a picture book is really postmodern? A: Postmodern picture books push the envelope of what a reader expects. Unpredictability and the unexpected are at the heart of postmodernism. To decide if a picture book should be categorized as postmodern, see if the book has at least several of these identifying features:
In the postmodern picture book, the author and illustrator strive to keep the audience off balance and put the onus of comprehension on the reader. |
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