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Alphabetter: Concept Books
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From: Megan Schliesman <schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu>
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:48:47 -0500
Thanks to everyone who took part in our discussion of gender and picture books.
Let's now move on to our topic for the second part of August:
*Alphabetter: Creative Concept Books. *Twenty-six letters aren't much to work with. So how do you create a book about the alphabet that offers up something fresh and new? During the second half of August, we invite you to talk concept books---alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers,
comparisons....you name it. What are some of the qualities you look for in a concept book, and what makes your favorites stand out from the crowd?
A new book that has me excited is "Which Is Round? Which Is Bigger?" by Mineko Mamada (Kids Can Press). This concept book asks a question about a pair of objects two times. The first time, the answer is obvious. But wihen the question is asked a second time with the turn of the page, at least one of the objects has undergone a transformation, and the answer is open to interpretation and discussion. For example:" Which is round? " The illustrations show a round apple, and a standing animal--I'm not sure if it's an armadillo or anteater, but it's very definitely not round. So the answer is obvious. With a turn of the page, the apple has been eaten and all that's left is the hour-glass shape of the core. And the animal is curled up into a round ball, asleep. "Which is round?"
It reminds me in a sideways sort of way of George Shannon's "Tomorrow's Alphabet," in which each letter of the alphabet starts out as a sort of riddle, because the letter stands for the promise of things to come: "B is for eggs, tomorrow's birds" and "T is for bread, tomorrow's toast."
I appreciate concept books like these that take me by surprise in how they approach their subject matter, and encourage young readers and listeners to think critically even as basic concepts are being taught.
Megan
-- Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
My regular hours are T-F, 8-4:30.
Received on Wed 21 Aug 2013 01:48:47 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:48:47 -0500
Thanks to everyone who took part in our discussion of gender and picture books.
Let's now move on to our topic for the second part of August:
*Alphabetter: Creative Concept Books. *Twenty-six letters aren't much to work with. So how do you create a book about the alphabet that offers up something fresh and new? During the second half of August, we invite you to talk concept books---alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers,
comparisons....you name it. What are some of the qualities you look for in a concept book, and what makes your favorites stand out from the crowd?
A new book that has me excited is "Which Is Round? Which Is Bigger?" by Mineko Mamada (Kids Can Press). This concept book asks a question about a pair of objects two times. The first time, the answer is obvious. But wihen the question is asked a second time with the turn of the page, at least one of the objects has undergone a transformation, and the answer is open to interpretation and discussion. For example:" Which is round? " The illustrations show a round apple, and a standing animal--I'm not sure if it's an armadillo or anteater, but it's very definitely not round. So the answer is obvious. With a turn of the page, the apple has been eaten and all that's left is the hour-glass shape of the core. And the animal is curled up into a round ball, asleep. "Which is round?"
It reminds me in a sideways sort of way of George Shannon's "Tomorrow's Alphabet," in which each letter of the alphabet starts out as a sort of riddle, because the letter stands for the promise of things to come: "B is for eggs, tomorrow's birds" and "T is for bread, tomorrow's toast."
I appreciate concept books like these that take me by surprise in how they approach their subject matter, and encourage young readers and listeners to think critically even as basic concepts are being taught.
Megan
-- Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
My regular hours are T-F, 8-4:30.
Received on Wed 21 Aug 2013 01:48:47 PM CDT
