journal

Well crafted picture books have different elements that make them outstanding and most effective for the targeted kids. These elements are color, shape, line and texture, characters and icons, composition and point of view. These elements enable the teacher or parent in identifying how good or why the kids may like the book. Again, these elements assist in teaching children who are ready so as to become competent in not only spatial literacy, but also gestural and visual literacies. This discussion will analyze how these elements work in accomplishing the above mentioned objectives. Again, it will highlight how I have applied these elements in crafting a picture book.

The most significant element of picturebooks is color. There are three basic aspects of color which are hue, shade, and saturation. Hue refers to the color spectrum. There are basically two classification of hue; warm and cool. Warm hue includes red, orange, and yellow, while cool hue includes green, blue, purple, and brown. Shade of color refers to the mixing of color with white or black. Saturation is the degree of purity of the color. Through using color, an effective illustrator strategically complements the story’s meaning hence assisting children to trace the narrative (Coats, 2013).

Shapes are also vital elements that can be used to convey feelings in literature. For instance, a triangle which rests at its base makes the reader feel more at easy while a triangle resting on its point on its danger of falling create uneasiness. Different shapes of lines also evoke different feelings. Horizontal lines may evoke stability and comfort, while vertical lines may make the reader to feel confined and powerless. Circles evoke the feeling of comfort and sense of completeness (Coats, 2013).

Different color and shapes of lines convey various messages. To separate figures from background, lines can be used. Again, to show unstable or energy, bright contrasting lines are used. They are also employed in creating the sense of picture; for example, curved lines around the feet of a character shows motion, while wavy lines around the head may indicate confusion, anger, or dizziness (Coats, 2013).

Texture does not only aid in representation of the book, but also its physical characteristics. While brush strokes show the sense of seriousness, watercolors evoke a light feeling (Coats, 2013). Texture also evokes the desire to touch hence attracting kids to the book.

Characters and icons are the player in the story. Icons, line drawings with flat color that only slightly depict what they represent, are sometimes used to represent characters. Through an icon, the ideas, philosophies, emotions, and entities are depicted (Coats, 2013). The factor that icons are not tired to specific culture, they give the character a universal feeling. For successive identification of readers, the illustrator has to position the characters and objects in a manner that it allows them to view the scene. Last but not least, the elements have to be arranged in relation to each other. This lining is known as composition. It conveys the story message, hence helping the flow of the book (Coats, 2013).

All these factors have been considered when crafting my picture book. Various colors have been employed to meet the objectives. My book integrates both cool and warm colors. However, the warm colors are used extensively hence showing the book is most effective for young children. Similarly, all other elements have been used to meet the specific aims. Attached below is the link to my book https://storybird.com/books/cwq6mbza8p/?token=cnhxhqgaxy .

References

Coats, K. (2013). Children's literature & the developing reader. Electronic Version. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/