Textbook Assignment 2

Picture Books and Traditional Literature

(K) What do you already know about the topic?

As I grew up, I learned that picture books and picture storybooks are the same thing.  They simply tell stories along the way. It is important to introduce youngsters to appealing picture books to encourage them to enjoy reading at a young age. However, not all picture books seem interesting to children. It is imperative that we know the difference between a book that will interest a child and a book that will never be picked out. The cover of a book is significant. That is what gives children either a good or bad impression. Students often go for the books that look fun, colorful, and entertaining.

As a teacher, I like to use wordless picture books especially with my English language learners. It gives them the opportunity to enjoy a book just like everyone else without a language impediment. Most illustrations support the story and students are able to understand the gist.

When I hear the words “traditional literature”, I immediately think about stories that start with “Once upon a time.” Traditional literature implicates stories that have their roots in the tales of many years ago.

(W) What you learned after you completed reading.

It is impressive to learn about the different criteria in a book.  Children will often pick books that are of interest to them. The theme of the story is imperative. Most of the time children want to read books that are significant. If they are able to connect with the books they will definitely continue reading. Children also want books that don’t talk down to them. Certain authors know that children are very smart and they don’t use little or easy words just because the books are meant for them to read. In contrary, they use big words that will help improve their vocabulary and knowledge. Children definitely like this and will most likely pick these books that are challenging for them. The illustrations of a book are extremely important too. It is imperative that the reader can understand the different characteristics of the characters by simply looking at the pictures. Some books are really good at pointing out details that are vital to the story. This can also help to identify the mood and tone of a book. For example, a book that is black and white will often be scary and will cause suspense. Without a doubt, illustrations give clues about what the story will be about.

The physical part of a book is something to really think about. Sometimes paying a little more for a book can really make a difference. It was impressive to learn that there is books that have stickers that mean they are simply too dumb to win an award. Wow! I didn’t know that was possible. It is critical to understand the cover of a book is what a child first perceives. Some books have covers that are a two-page spread. This means that the illustration they present in the front continues in the back. Some books just have a review in the back and if we really think about it, a child will definitely pick a book that has pictures on both sides and not just words.

What happens when you take off the cover from a book? Does the book have the same reproduction of what the paper cover is? Sometimes the paper cover falls out or is destroyed and the child would not be as interested if there’s not an appealing cover left. End papers are the papers that are in the very first page to cover the ugly fold you have in the front of books. It is worth to see if it’s a simple white or if it has a special design or color that coordinates with the cover of the book. The title page gives you a sense of what is going to happen in the book. It provides some kind of entrée of the text. There is also different kind of binding in books. They all have different purposes. As a librarian, knowing what books to order with library binding is important. For instance, if it is a Caldecott winner, it will definitely be worth to get the library binding which will allow multiple openings and closings. The spine of a book has the most important information, including the title and author. The gutter is what is in the middle of a book when it is opened. It needs to flow well. Pictures should not be cut off or disproportioned.  There is also different kind of quality paper. Glossy paper will often cause a glare, especially if you wear glasses and thin paper will be destroyed very easily.

Traditional literature includes a multiple kinds of literature including myths, legends, folk tales, and fables. Myths began as tales that explained natural elements. They are most familiar by Greek and Roman Mythology. Legends are often about historical events. Most of them are believable but not true.  Folk tales are basically tales from the folk. The most common are fairy tales. Fables often have to do with animals and convey a moral. Traditional literature also has its criteria to determine the quality of the various types.

 (L) What you still need to learn.

The videos and the links were very informative, however, I would still like to learn a little more about how to distinguish picture books among the different ages. Will a student in the fourth grade be as excited as a kinder student about a book? Is there a special laminating paper to use in order to protect paper covers?

How can we make myths a little more interesting? Some students are just not into them.

(S) How you will share this information with others

Everything I learned about picture books and traditional literature will definitely help me as a future librarian. I will share this information with my current students to show them how important the physical of a book is. I will also present the different criteria about traditional literature.