Picture Books in the Golden Age

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Picture Books in the Golden Age

• English 505
• Dr. Roggenkamp

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What is a picture book?

• Different from an illustrated text or novel
  with pictures
• Book in which illustrations and text are equally
  balanced, equally important
• Words depend on the pictures to tell part of the
  story, and vice versa
• Neither element can stand alone
• Together, they complete the storycreate a third
  story between them

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Picture Books and Illustrated Texts

• A picture book is not the same as an
  illustrated story there the words alone could
  tell the story and the illustrations simply break
  up the words or decorate the text. . . . In the
  best picture books, the illustrations are
  absolutely necessary. They carry parts of the
  story or narrative and in some cases the language
  is dropped and the pictures alone are all that is
  needed (Libby Gleeson, Making Picture Books).
• See also Perry Nodelman, Words About Pictures

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Adults and Picture Books

• We tend to read just the words
• Children (especially pre-literate children) both
  hear the words and read the illustrations at
  the same timeget a much fuller sense of the
  picture book

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Factors in Picture Book

• Physical formatcover, shape, size, feel in our
  hands, kind of paper used, etc.
• Way type is laid out, spaced on page location of
  page turns
• Borderswhite border or not, shifting borders
• Color, shade, saturation
• Line, proportion
• Medium
• Visual symbols/cultural cues (cross, wolf,
  bunny)

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History of Picture Books

• 1658, Orbis Sensualium Pictus (Johannes Amos
  Comenius) argued by some to be first picture book
• 1744, Little Pretty Pocket Book (John Newbery)
• Other didactic books like Struwwelpeter (1845)

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Early Illustrated Texts

• Pre-printing press illustration limited to
  scribes skill
• Post-printing press (15th century) woodcuts
• Technology of choice for nearly 400 years
• Occasional hand coloring
• 19th century lithography, photography
• 20th century Color spectrum increases improved
  techniques

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Victorian Illustrated Texts

• Mid to late 19th centurypublishing/printing
  changes make extensive illustration more feasible
• Publishing of PICTURE BOOKS (as opposed to
  illustrated texts)
• Illustration becomes associated with books for
  children
• Childhood as joyous pleasurable illustrations
  as joyous pleasurable
• Image Illustration by Kate Greenaway

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Kate Greenaway (1846-1901)
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Walter Crane (1845-1915)
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Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886)
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Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)
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Additional Online Resources on History of Picture
Books

• http//www.northern.edu/hastingw/picbkhis.htm
• http//www.chfestival.org/publications/Children27
  s_Picture_Books_Lesson_Plan.pdf
• http//picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org/
• http//picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org/

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Good Introductions to Picture Book Theory

• Perry Nodelman, Words About Pictures
• Maria Nikolajeva Carole Scott, How Picturebooks
  Work