Picture Books | Children's books for mobile devices: PicPocket Books

September 8th, 2009 | posted by: Lynette

Review by Tech Talk for Moms

PicPocket Books reviewed by Tech Talk For Moms today:

Looking for a different way to expose your child to reading? Try downloading a PicPocket Books iPhone app. Your child can enjoy books right on your iPhone or iPod touch. Each book is narrated with the words highlighted in a different color as each word is read. The books are attractively illustrated to keep your child’s attention. I downloaded the book, My Friend Isabelle, a book which teaches children about appreciating differences in people. My daughter read the book several times and thought it was great that she was able to read a book right on Mom’s phone! Check out the PicPocketBooks website, to choose from a variety of well written children’s picture books.

Visit her site at Tech Talk for Moms.

August 10th, 2009 | posted by: Eva

Concepts are often hidden. We don’t learn most of what we know via rote memorization, or by being hit over the head with dry “facts.” Much of the time, we learn by experiencing and taking in knowledge in our own time.

For me and for many, a lot of learning comes with reading. This kind of learning is critical for young children. Reading picture books is so important! An article on one of our new books, “Cucumber Soup,” emphasizes that “Meaningful learning takes place when children experience math and science [and other subjects] in ways that relate to their own day-to-day lives.”

The cute story of various insects that come together to move a big cucumber, subtly instructs. It explores counting, weight, balance, cooperation, and teamwork. With the recipe for “Cucumber Soup” in the back, it also introduces children to cooking in the kitchen (safely – there is no fire involved in this recipe!). Cucumber soup seems like a delicious summer snack to me!

July 22nd, 2009 | posted by: Eva

"Write A Review Wednesday:" My Friend Isabelle

“My Friend Isabelle” (written by Eliza Woloson, illustrated by Bryan Gough) is the story of two young friends. Charlie and Isabelle are the same age and share a love of drawing, dancing, playing at the park, and snacks! Like most friends, they are also different.

What I love about this story is its sweet and simple depiction of young friendship. Young children, before they learn social stereotypes and ideas, are often more accepting and embracing of difference. “My Friend Isabelle” depicts exactly that kind of relationship. Isabelle’s differences, due to Down Syndrome, are explained in an age-appropriate and gentle manner. Regardless of differences, Charlie and Isabelle have a lot in common and enjoy spending “every Friday” together.

This story is a perfect opportunity for discussion about tolerance, acceptance, and even diversity by showing that “differences are what makes the world so great.”

For more information, see Write-A-Review-Wednesday and visit Woodbine House, the mighty Amazon, and our iTunes App of the book!

July 14th, 2009 | posted by: Eva

The B-more Examiner makes a "best" list

There are numerous lists out there, all claiming to include the “Best” of something – “top 100 books” lists and “top music” lists are the most familiar to me. I am always a little skeptical – who makes the decisions of what qualifies as best? What are the criteria? How thorough is the research?

You would have to read or listen to a LOT in order to create such a list. And even then, other people will have different ideas. I wonder if it’s possible to create a definitive “best” list of anything (maybe with divine criteria?) or if such things will always be subjective….

The Baltimore Examiner has given the “Best list” idea a try, with children’s picture books (in English). Their criteria are that the books must:

1. Never tire us. We are willing to read it again and again to our children and they want to hear it over and over.
2. Stay in our hearts and minds, even after the pages are closed, because they tell us something about life.
3. Have a seamless marriage of text and illustration
4. Use language well.

They seem like good criteria to me. Yet I’m sure that what we are “willing to read again and again,” and what “stays in our hearts and minds,” are as many and diverse as the people who read. I am curious to know what kind of board or panel made these decisions, and what its diversity was like.

I recognized 10 of the 25 titles, three of which I consider personal favorites: “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” “Make Way for Ducklings,” and “Where The Wild Things Are.” Other favorites, like “Goodnight Moon” and “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” were not on the list.

Either way, the books on this list will certainly be wonderful to read.

June 22nd, 2009 | posted by: Eva

Marantz talks about picture books

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.

June 10th, 2009 | posted by: Eva

The Eric Carle Museum – one of few

Perhaps you recognize the name: Eric Carle (pronounced “Carl”). He is best known for his 1969 book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and has also written or illustrated over 70 other titles. Along with his wife, Barbara, Eric Carle founded the not-for-profit Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in November 2002.

The mission of the museum is to “inspire, especially in children and their families, an appreciation for and an understanding of the art of the picture book.” According to its website, the Eric Carle museum is “first full-scale museum in this country devoted to national and international picture book art, conceived and built with the aim of celebrating the art we know first.” A quick Google search confirmed this: there really are not many museums dedicated to the art of the picture book.

At first I was not fazed by this. Such a museum sounds cool, I reasoned, but I’ve never heard of other picture book museums so they must not be that important. Upon further thought, however, I am surprised. Why aren’t there many picture book museums? Picture books comprise the first art we are exposed to in our lifetimes! Picture books contribute to development, comprehension, language acquisition, and many other important skills. Ideally, they also foster an early appreciation for a good story, which remains with us for the rest of our lives.

I found only four other comparable museums in the depths of Google. The University of Findlay (Ohio) has the Mazza Museum, a teaching museum of picture book art established in 1982. If you’re ever in Japan, you could visit the Oshima Picture Book Museum . Troisdorf, Germany, offers the picture book museum Burg Wissem . Otherwise, the Eric Carle Museum is your best bet to explore and appreciate the diverse art of children’s picture books. Next time I find myself in Amherst, Massachusetts, I am definitely paying a visit.

June 4th, 2009 | posted by: Eva

The Caldecott Award Explained

The Caldecott Award – what is it? I’ve seen it here and there and have never distinguished it from the numerous other awards that go to lots of deserving literary works. Fortunately, there is Google. After Google, there is the American Library Association, and Association to Library Service for Children, which had the answers to my “caldecott award” search query.

The Caldecott Medal was established first awarded in 1938, and has been given annually ever since. It is awarded to “the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.” It was created almost as a counterpart to the Newberry Medal, which is awarded to distinguished children’s books every year.

The Caldecott Medal is named so in honor of English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. He was one of a group of three prominent illustrators in the 19th century working in England. The engraving on the Caldecott medal itself is taken from his illustrations of “The Diverting Story of John Gilpin.”

The “runner-up” illustrations are given “Caldecott Honor” awards.

Interestingly, I only recognized two of the books on the Caldecott Medal list – “Where The Wild Things Are” from 1964, and “Make Way for Ducklings” from 1942. Apparently the books I read as a child were not the most artistically sophisticated.

The 2009 Caldecott Medal went to The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company).

Click here for more information on the Caldecott Medal

June 3rd, 2009 | posted by: Eva

What Jalongo has to say

I came across references to Mary Renck Jalongo’s Young Children and Picture Books during my Internet searches on the “importance of children’s picture books.” When I realized it was an actual book I immediately checked 2nd favorite research spot: the public library I love the public library! I clicked on the library catalogue bookmark and lo, the system had Jalongo’s book!

I have been going through her book for several days now. It is largely geared towards teachers. There is a lot of information about reading in the classroom, involvement of parents, acquisition of literacy and comprehension, culture, and resources. However, this slant does not detract from the book’s appeal to a general audience. It is very interesting: I had no idea of the depth of facets to children’s picture books!

For example, here is some of the table of contents:
1) The Importance of Picture Books
2) Quality of Picture Books
4) Young Children’s Responses to Picture Books
5) Acquiring Literacy through Picture Books
7) Linking Picture Books with Curriculum

Jalongo covers many aspects of picture books in her work, which is under 200 pages in length. Additionally, she includes recommendation of “quality” picture books for children of all different age groups.

She uses examples from classrooms, quoting real children and analyzing their experiences, to illustrate the chapters. I enjoyed reading the children’s words. They provide a nice contrast to Jalongo’s academic tone (though she is quite readable), and are cute!

These quotes particularly stood out to me:

“Engagement with picture books while we are young forms the basis for becoming a literate adult, one who not only decodes words accurately but also enjoys reading and takes the time to read” (1).

“To realize the full potential of children’s literature, adults must accept two complementary guiding principles: that the purpose of picture books is to engage children with literature, and that the picture book is a major resource in children’s acquisition of literacy” (2).

“Although children certainly do achieve important learning goals through picture books, the process must begin with enjoyment, rather than with a dreary, adult-directed lesson” (2).

“Picture books embody at least three stories: ‘the one told by the words, the one implied by the pictures, and the one that results from the combination of the other two’ (Nodelman & Reimer 2003, 295)” (12).

Would I recommend this book? Yes, at least to flip through. In it’s entirety it is probably most appealing to teachers of young children with picture books in their classrooms. However, Jalongo makes interesting points about the importance of picture books beyond the classroom setting as well. It benefits all of us to be aware of the integral part picture books play in our children’s growth and development.

Are you an author or a publisher?