"Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light." -Vera Nazarian

Picture books are one of the few places where both words and pictures are combined in order to convey a message. Sometimes there are even wordless books where the story will only be told by pictures and not words. There are also a wide span of genres of fiction found in most picture books such as: folklore, fantasy, science fiction, realistic fiction, and historical fiction. Picture books can also be nonfiction, biographies, poetry or songs. These books are created for a wide range of audiences, ages, and interests. Usually picture books are about 32 pages or multiples of 8 (8, 16, 24, 32, etc.) with double page spreads. Next time you read a picture book, look for these distinctive features!

Each picture book has its own personality. They present certain cultures and a specific form of art that goes with the culture. A good amount of research must be done in order for these texts to be accurate. In fact, there are six different categories of art an illustrator can use. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is an example of Representational Art. Cecil the Pet Glacier is an example of Surrealistic Art, while Monet Paints a Day is an example of Impressionistic Art. An example of Folk Art and Naive Art is the book, Picture This. There is also Outline Style and Combined Styles.

Credit: Google Images

Credit: Google Images

Credit: Google Images

Credit: Google Images

For young children, there are different types of picture books such as:
Board Books- Goodnight Moon
Participation Books- Where is the Green Sheep?
Concept Books- The Big, Bigger, Biggest Book
Alphabet Books- The Butterfly Alphabet Book
Counting Books- Maisy's Twinkly Crinkly Counting Book
Poetry and Song- Why Otters Don't Wear Socks and Nursery Rhymes
Storybooks- Pinnocchio

Credit: Google Images

What to look for in a good Picture book
-Language is rich
-Interesting words used in interesting ways
-Illustrations are artistically excellent
-Size, shape and overall design of the book are appropriate to the subject or story

Credit: Google Images

What to look for in a good Storybook
-Text and illustrations establish the mood setting, characters, and theme of the story
-Illustrations expand on the story appropriately and do not merely duplicate what is described in the text
-Layout and design are visibly appealing

Storybooks can be used for all ages! You are never to old to use a storybook for your students. Sometimes the older students need it for a different perspective. For example, one of my professors used the story, Smiley Shark in order to present theme to the class. Everyone got the theme right away because the picture book not only had words but pictures to go along with those words to focus on foreshadowing and the overall theme.

Credit: Google Images