For lovers of children's literature, the headline of a recent New York Times article came as a shock: "Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children."
In the article, author Julie Bosman noted that the picture book "has been fading," a victim of both the economic downturn (picture books are costly) and parental pressure to have kids reading chapter books at an earlier age.
But the article looked only at publishers and bookstores, leaving out the place where many parents and children connect with picture books -- the local public library. At the Takoma Park, Md., Library, where I work as a children's/teen librarian, picture books still account for one of our biggest circulation categories. Instead of paying up to $18 each for a picture book, parents are instead checking them out for free from the library.
Yet Bosman did, unfortunately, get it right when it comes to the issue of parents urging their kids to read chapter books at earlier ages. As the children's librarian, I increasingly encounter parents who want their 3- and 4-year-olds to read chapter-book series like "The Magic Tree House" instead of picture books, even those picture books that have won the prestigious Caldecott Medal, given annually by the American Library Association for the best-illustrated children's book.
Is this necessarily a bad thing? No, but it's not necessarily the best thing for kids and reading, either. As a public librarian, I firmly believe that it's up to parents to determine what their children read. Yet parents themselves often need and welcome guidance as to the best reading choices.
That's definitely the case with picture books, which make a wonderfully rich reading experience for children long after they've made the jump to chapter books. Ask any reading expert, and they'll tell you that the vocabulary in many picture books is generally much more sophisticated than that in beginning readers, early chapter books or series books.
But the text, of course, comprises only one-half of a picture book. The illustrations also are an integral part of the book and must be "read" as well. For the youngest readers, the illustrations usually are what they focus on when they snuggle up with you for family story time. And this is a good thing, as focusing on the illustrations gives young readers lots of practice in visual literacy -- a key skill in our highly visual world.
In the best picture books, the text and illustrations are inseparable, each of them carrying a part of the story. Picture-book illustrations shouldn't just show what's written in the text, but instead add detail, depth and color that stretch the story.
For example, in this year's Caldecott Medal winner, "The Lion and the Mouse," illustrator Jerry Pinkney sets the classic Aesop fable in the Serengetti and gives the mouse a family. With these artistic decisions, Pinkey's illustrations give the traditional tale an entirely new spin, enriching our understanding of Aesop's story.
It's also important for parents to know that picture books come in all types. Some, like those of Laura Vaccaro Seeger and Denise Fleming, are aimed at the very young. These books feature simple texts and bright illustrations, making them just right for toddlers and preschoolers.
Other picture books are best for older children. For example, several of the books by author/illustrator Patricia Polacco, such as "Pink and Say" and "The Butterfly," not only have lengthy texts, but they also deal with death and other difficult issues that are better understood by older readers and even adults.
At our library, we try to help guide parents and children by placing "For Older Readers" stickers on books that are focused on difficult issues, have lots of text or are based on previous knowledge. For example, both "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Jon Scieszka and "The Three Pigs" by David Wiesner require young readers to know the original story and to have at least a rudimentary understanding of satire.
Overall, children thrive on a varied diet of reading choices, including picture books. Just ask your local librarian if you need help finding the right mix for your child's reading pleasure.
If you've got a hankering to know more about children's literature, or just to read some great stories, head on over to the amazing new daily blog by children's-book expert Anita Silvey at http://childrensbookalmanac.com/.
Silvey, who started the blog in late October, promises to write about a different children's book each day for an entire year. In addition to telling how famous children's books came out, or giving brief biographies of famous authors or illustrators, Silvey also notes other children's-literature-related events for particular days.
Silvey eventually plans to turn the blog into a book. Meanwhile, checking out her blog is a wonderful addition to the day of any fan of children's literature.
(Karen MacPherson, the children's/teen librarian at the Takoma Park, Md., Library, can be reached at Kam.Macpherson@gmail.com
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