TE 348 Reading and Responding to Childrens Literature

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TE 348 Reading and Responding to Childrens
Literature

• Session Four Learning to Talk About Picture Books

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Art has the power not only to sooth a savage
breast, but to change a savage mind --
Barbara Kingsolver, High Tide in Tucson
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First Role Responses

• 1 Facilitator/Personal Response
• 2 Textual Response
• 3 Critical Response
• 4 Intertextual Response
• 5 Artistic Response

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Literature Discussion Groups

• Next time, we talk about Where the Wild Things
  Are by Maurice Sendak
• Small groups will meet to discuss the book for
  30-45 minutes
• REMINDER This is a class about how to read
  childrens literature. Do NOT focus on
• How to teach childrens literature
• Hypothesizing about how children might respond
  how do you respond as the reader you are today?

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Genres

• Folklore traditional stories
• Contemporary Realistic Fiction - could occur at
  time when written
• Biography - real person
• Historical Fiction - set in past
• Nonfiction - information
• Poetry - essence
• Science Fiction extensions of our reality
• Fantasy - could not happen
• Picture Books V. Illustrated Books (GC page 8,
  number of pages, relationship between
  illustrations and text)

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Working with Caldecott Books

• Each year, the American Library Association
  awards the Caldecott Medal to the artist of the
  most distinguished American picture book for
  children published in English in the United
  States during the preceding year.

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In your groups

• Todd will distribute sets of books
• These books were all published in the same year
• It is your job to figure out (by looking at the
  illustrations) which book was the winner and
  which books were the honor books

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Styles of Art

• Representational literal, realistic depictions
• Surrealistic startling images and incongruities
  that often suggest an attitude of mockery about
  conventionalities
• Impressionistic emphasize light and color
  impression of reality
• Folk broad designation for the artistic
  expression of a particular ethnic groups style
  of representation
• Naïve appears untrained, disregard for
  traditional anatomy and perspective
• Cartoon emphasis on line, 2-dimensional

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Break 10 minutes

• Take a look at books
• Grab food/drink
• Check cell phones
• Use restroom
• Stretch!

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Evaluating Picture Books the Book You Brought
for Today!

• Individually, evaluate the picture book you
  brought using checklist on page 49
• How do the artwork and text work together to tell
  the story?
• What kind of an artistic response could you do
  with the book you brought in today?
• Respond as the reader you are, NOT how you think
  a child would respond!
• Share with your group
• Pick one person from your group to share with the
  class

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Evaluating Picture Books

• Genre unique in that they are categorized by
  virtue of their format rather than their content
  (see also p 31)
• Text - discussing setting, characters, plot,
  point of view, theme, style (pp. 44-48)
• Art (p. 33-44) line (place on paper where
  different colors meet), shape (area or form with
  a definite outline), texture (visual contrasts of
  patterns suggesting movement and action,
  roughness or delicacy), design (elements
  manipulated to express their unique visions
  creation of meaning and feeling), media (material
  used), technique (method used)

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Working with Picture Books

• Using the book Todd gave your group, evaluate it
  in terms of
• GENRE (what is it beyond a picture book?) (p. 6
  chart)
• TEXTUAL/LITERARY ELEMENTS (setting, plot, point
  of view, theme, style) (p. 7, 44-46)
• ART (p. 33-39)
• ART AND TEXT WORKING TOGETHER (use checklist on
  page 49)

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Different Formats for Picture Books

• Wordless books
• Board Books
• Big Books

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Read Aloud Snow White in New York by Fionna
French

• Checklist for Evaluating the Illustrations (p.
  49)

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Assignment for Next Session

• Read CG Chapter 5 (Folklore)
• Bring in a Folklore text
• After you have read the chapter
• NOT a fractured fairytale
• Role Response I Be prepared to discuss Where
  the Wild Things Are