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[CCBC-Net] April Part 2: The Demise of the Picture Book?
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From: Susan Dubin <sdubin>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:39:16 -0700
Very interesting observation, Marc. As a librarian, I see many of my students gravitating to graphic works. Even very young children like to
"read" stories on the computer and enjoy the interactive nature of that medium. DK nonfiction somewhat reflects the computer model with small "bits" of information scattered around the page rather than presented linearly. I could envision a creative storyteller using the same type of story technique-- telling a story through pictures that may or may not be in a
"what happens first, what happens next" format -- rather small pictures clustered around a central theme. Caldecott Award winner David McCauley used that idea to some extent in Black and White.
All that being said, children still are checking out and enjoying well written and engagingly illustrated picture books. Many of my students love to read them even as they get to 5th and 6th grade. Some choose picture books for their pleasure reading, sharing them with their friends on the reading rug. Many others are interested in writing and illustrating their own books. Both activities are encouraged in my busy library. Hopefully, with children engaged in good literature, they will demand good picture books for themselves now and want them for their own children as they grow up.
Hoping for the best, Susan Dubin Off-the-Shelf Library Services
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bookmarch" <bookmarch at aol.com> To: <ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu> Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 11:04 AM Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] April Part 2: The Demise of the Picture Book?
>I suspect that we are talking about a few overlapping trends. As Jane says,
>the demographics have favored teenagers for the past decade or so (the baby
>boom echo), hence the explosion in YA literature. Eventually young love
>will lead to marriage or at least to families, and there will be a baby
>boom echo echo, and there will be an explosion in very young children.
>
> The digital world is something else. the classic picture book is, as you
> all know, a result of printing technology -- 32 pages reflecting efficient
> ways for machines to fold sheets of paper. Since the digital world does
> not have that constraint, there is no reason why an illustrated story
> should unfold in 13 beats (the number of spreads, thus page turns, you get
> if you subtract title page, table of contents, etc.). To me, that means
> that true illustrated story telling in the digital world is more like
> animation -- it is defined by time, by how long the experience of
> reading/hearing/seeing it lasts, then it is by page turns. Wonderful --
> but I then think we will need a whole new set of artists, designers, and
> authors to figure out what the ideal form of storytelling is in the world
> of digital animation. And while they do that, we will continue to have the
> more familiar form of storytelling in picture books.
>
> Marc Aronson
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 04/21/08 13:47:06 Eastern Daylight Time, JaneYolen
> writes:
> I find I have been selling lots of picture books lately, some artfully
> disguised as "inspirational" books, some as "novelty" books, some as
> graphic novels.
> Each time we have a new baby boom, there is a rush to publish more
> children's
> picture books.
>
> The real change in the last ten years is the push towards baby picture
> books.
> Just as the ten or so years before, we were all talking about picture
> books
> for older readers. That seems mostly gone except for Rob ert Sabuda's
> amazing
> pop up creations and some generalized Americana history picture books.
>
> Reality check: books on the page in general are being threatened by the
> electronic culture, but I don't foresee a quick death of picture books.
> Maybe some
> retrenching until the next baby boomlet comes along.
>
> As for foreign sales--that is an economic problem more than anything.
> British
> publishers, for example, need to have the translation rights in order to
> print enough books to make their originated books a success. And they
> print the
> majority of their picture books there in paper, not hardcover.
>
> Jane Yolen
>
>
> **************
> Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S.
> used car listings at AOL Autos.
>
> (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp00300000002851)
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
Received on Mon 21 Apr 2008 01:39:16 PM CDT
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:39:16 -0700
Very interesting observation, Marc. As a librarian, I see many of my students gravitating to graphic works. Even very young children like to
"read" stories on the computer and enjoy the interactive nature of that medium. DK nonfiction somewhat reflects the computer model with small "bits" of information scattered around the page rather than presented linearly. I could envision a creative storyteller using the same type of story technique-- telling a story through pictures that may or may not be in a
"what happens first, what happens next" format -- rather small pictures clustered around a central theme. Caldecott Award winner David McCauley used that idea to some extent in Black and White.
All that being said, children still are checking out and enjoying well written and engagingly illustrated picture books. Many of my students love to read them even as they get to 5th and 6th grade. Some choose picture books for their pleasure reading, sharing them with their friends on the reading rug. Many others are interested in writing and illustrating their own books. Both activities are encouraged in my busy library. Hopefully, with children engaged in good literature, they will demand good picture books for themselves now and want them for their own children as they grow up.
Hoping for the best, Susan Dubin Off-the-Shelf Library Services
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bookmarch" <bookmarch at aol.com> To: <ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu> Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 11:04 AM Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] April Part 2: The Demise of the Picture Book?
>I suspect that we are talking about a few overlapping trends. As Jane says,
>the demographics have favored teenagers for the past decade or so (the baby
>boom echo), hence the explosion in YA literature. Eventually young love
>will lead to marriage or at least to families, and there will be a baby
>boom echo echo, and there will be an explosion in very young children.
>
> The digital world is something else. the classic picture book is, as you
> all know, a result of printing technology -- 32 pages reflecting efficient
> ways for machines to fold sheets of paper. Since the digital world does
> not have that constraint, there is no reason why an illustrated story
> should unfold in 13 beats (the number of spreads, thus page turns, you get
> if you subtract title page, table of contents, etc.). To me, that means
> that true illustrated story telling in the digital world is more like
> animation -- it is defined by time, by how long the experience of
> reading/hearing/seeing it lasts, then it is by page turns. Wonderful --
> but I then think we will need a whole new set of artists, designers, and
> authors to figure out what the ideal form of storytelling is in the world
> of digital animation. And while they do that, we will continue to have the
> more familiar form of storytelling in picture books.
>
> Marc Aronson
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 04/21/08 13:47:06 Eastern Daylight Time, JaneYolen
> writes:
> I find I have been selling lots of picture books lately, some artfully
> disguised as "inspirational" books, some as "novelty" books, some as
> graphic novels.
> Each time we have a new baby boom, there is a rush to publish more
> children's
> picture books.
>
> The real change in the last ten years is the push towards baby picture
> books.
> Just as the ten or so years before, we were all talking about picture
> books
> for older readers. That seems mostly gone except for Rob ert Sabuda's
> amazing
> pop up creations and some generalized Americana history picture books.
>
> Reality check: books on the page in general are being threatened by the
> electronic culture, but I don't foresee a quick death of picture books.
> Maybe some
> retrenching until the next baby boomlet comes along.
>
> As for foreign sales--that is an economic problem more than anything.
> British
> publishers, for example, need to have the translation rights in order to
> print enough books to make their originated books a success. And they
> print the
> majority of their picture books there in paper, not hardcover.
>
> Jane Yolen
>
>
> **************
> Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S.
> used car listings at AOL Autos.
>
> (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp00300000002851)
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
Received on Mon 21 Apr 2008 01:39:16 PM CDT
