Picture books represent a unique literary form that blends stories with art.

In a picture book, the illustrations are as important as the text, and both

work together to tell the story. When you share picture books with children,

be sure to pay attention to the illustrations—reading picture books means

exploring the art as well. This article can help you get more out of picture

books by showing you how to use the illustrations to engage children and

enhance their reading experience.

Hook Kids In With Illustrations

We are told, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Well, children do it all the

time. A child’s first impression of a book is usually shaped by the

pictures. So involve children in choosing books with wonderful, eye-catching

illustrations that beg to be explored. Conduct "picture walks" through books

by leafing through the pages to look at the images and discussing what you

see before you read. That way, the illustrations will draw in even the most

reluctant reader.

Illustrations can do even more than draw a child into a book; they can hook

children into a lifelong love of reading. For our youngest children, pictures

are an introduction into the world of books. Long before they can read,

children respond to images in an effort to place themselves and the others in

their lives into the world around them.

Picture books aren't just for young children. Older children are often more

motivated to read picture books than books without illustrations because they

see them as more fun and easier to read. Picture books are also appealing as

a break from longer novels because most can be read in a single sitting.

Bring Books to Life

Pictures enable children to explore the world within their own imagination

and make connections to characters and events they see depicted in books.

When you help children connect with characters and events, you make the book

more real to them.

Here are some ways that illustrations bring picture books to life:

• Illustrators usually tell stories with pictures.

• Authors use illustrations to depict specific scenes of high emotion or

action.

• Illustrators often use a variety of techniques to convey mood and tone

as well as character and plot.

When illustrations reflect people, objects, and situations familiar to

children, the images help validate their emotions and experiences. The

process of making an emotional connection can help a child learn empathy and

compassion for others.

See the World

Illustrations convey meaning and carry information, especially in non-fiction

books where pages are often filled with commentary that is not in the text.

Be sure to "read" your way around the pages—read and discuss the

captions, tables, charts, and the information conveyed by the illustrations

themselves. Storybooks, although fictional, can also convey a great deal of

information. A story about a trip to a farm or to the moon may have

illustrations that can teach kids a lot about these places. Realize that it

takes time to explore picture books when you are using them to learn about

the world.

Expose children to pictures of the unfamiliar, or use images in books to

confirm and expand upon what they already know. Illustrations in children’s

non-fiction books can expose children to new ideas, different people, and

places they’ve never seen. Or careful exploration of the illustrations may

uncover new facts about familiar objects. Whether fiction or non-fiction, a

picture book can help children gain knowledge and move them to ask new

questions about history, inventions, nature, other cultures, and more!

Build Reading Skills

Picture books help young children understand that words convey meaning, well

before they are aware of the text. Pictures can help increase vocabulary, an

important building block for reading. Books can help young children to

identify:

• Colors, shapes, numbers, and letters.

• Names of people, places, animals, and everyday objects.

Picture books can also help build background knowledge that is essential to

successful reading. A child who has never been to the zoo, a farm, or a beach

can still learn all about these places by exploring picture books. Select

books with simple or realistic images so that kids can point to objects and

learn names.

Picture books help older kids with comprehension and prompt them to read

critically. They can use the pictures to predict what's going to happen next.

The images can teach children to watch, look, and listen for clues, warning

signs, and exciting things they might otherwise miss. More experienced

readers can learn how to cross-reference the text and pictures in order to

"read between the lines." Choose books whose illustrations convey meaning not

contained in the text, and help older readers play detective by going back

and forth between the story and the pictures.

Explore Art When You Read Together

Picture books present a perfect opportunity for adult-child interaction,

another critical element in developing a lifelong love of books. Talking

about what the child likes or dislikes about illustrations is an easy way to

generate conversation around a book and its plot.

Pre-Readers: Choose books that have bold, vivid, and colorful illustrations

of everyday objects.

Art Tip! Play "What's that?" by pointing to objects on the page and

having the child name what they see. Or read the story, stopping periodically

to ask the child to find the picture of the object or character you just read

about.

Beginning Readers: Choose books with simple storylines and illustrations that

closely match what is going on in the story.

Art Tip! Help children use pictures to keep track of the story as they

go. Suggest that they retell the story as they read it to you. Encourage them

to predict what will happen next based on the pictures they are seeing. Help

them pay attention to the clues the illustrator left to foreshadow what is

coming.

Independent Readers: Choose books where the illustrations tell a story of

their own in fiction, or where they provide information of their own in

non-fiction.

Art Tip! Consider reading the text aloud first without showing the

illustrations. Then have children reread it while exploring the pages

themselves. Discuss how the illustrations contribute meaning to the story.