From: Chris Dowling <cdowling>
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 12:48:51 -0800

I have been reading picture books for decades, but I have only been reviewing picture books for three years or so. I have, however, been reviewing other kinds of books since 1973, so it was interesting for me to begin to think about how I do it, and how it is different.

I always like to talk about how the pictures were made: the media used by the artist. If the book doesn't indicate that, I try to make an educated guess. My undergrad degree is in English and art history, so I have a bit of vocabulary, but as anyone who has tried it knows, describing art is hard. And I strive mightily to describe it clearly in a way that gives some sense of what the pictures are like, what they evoke, how they make you feel, and especially how they are tied to, reflect, and support the text.

In a picture book review, I try to devote a third to a half of the review to the images. I try to let readers know if the text and art are placed separately, if the text floats on full-bleed pages, if the words squiggle and run all over the art -- stuff like that. Stuff that gives a sense of what is happening here.

More and more, I see picture books that don't seem to be meant for children at all, but for adults to give to each other. That is not a sin, but I do try to indicate that somehow, even subversively if necessary.

That's the first round of thoughts. I look forward to more.

GraceAnne A. DeCandido ladyhawk at mail.well.com


~~~~~ Chris Dowling School of Education, UW-Madison 225 N. Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706 608.236.4339, cdowling at facstaff.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 02 Sep 1998 03:48:51 PM CDT