Marantz? Who is Marantz? Well, in addition to being a school librarian for almost 30 years, Sylvia S. Marantz has coauthored several books and written her own. I got Picture Books for Looking and Learning from the library at the same time I got Jalongo’s book. Like Jalongo’s book, Marantz’s work is geared toward teachers and librarians. Unlike Jalongo, however, Marantz focuses primarily on picture book illustrations.
The first two chapters are called “Anatomy of a Book” and “Media and Techniques.” In the first chapter, Marantz gives an in-depth overview of all the parts of a picture book (including dust-jacket, title page, and gutter). I was surprised by how explicit she is in this chapter – don’t we all have enough of an understanding of what a title page is to get along? Yet Marantz opens this chapter by stating that “we need to introduce and define certain terms that will be used throughout our discussions. Acquainting student with these terms will help them better discuss picture books as well” (1).
In chapter two, Marantz again goes into great depth: collages, pencil drawings, scratchboard, and lithoraphs are among the “media techniques” she explains. She makes a good argument for this review at the opening of the chapter. “You [a teacher] may have spent hundreds of hours over the years reading, discussing, and analyzing the words in books with the help of teachers and professors and on your own. But most of you have barely spent minutes looking critically at pictures under comparable conditions” (5).
The next three chapters review a number of picture books by grade-level. For each book, Marantz describes the illustrations in great detail, and relates them to the story. She explains how artistic choices made by illustrators create particular atmospheres for stories, and how they can affect children. It is an interesting approach to picture books that I have not encountered before. I was reminded of film or literature analysis – picking up details and symbols that are discreet and subtle. Like Marantz stated in chapter two, most of us have spent much more time analyzing literature and film. Clearly, picture books can be delved into with a similar analytical lens.
I love the public library! I clicked on the library catalogue bookmark and lo, the system had Jalongo’s book!
