University of Koblenz- Landau
Campus Koblenz
English Department
Seminar: Children’s Literature/ Area Studies
Course Leader: Dr. I. Martin
Students : Susanne Weimer ; Karolin Kröck ; Sandra Seithel
Term: WS 05/06
Date: December 2 nd , 2005 (12 o’clock)
 Telling stories with pictures is older than telling stories in writing.

In the Middle Age the stained class, carving and other decorations on medieval Cathedrals and churches were a way for the people to learn and remember the stories of the Bible.
 The first book for children was the Orbis sensalium pictus by John Amos
Comenius 1658
 In the early 19 th century the books were devoted to teaching moral principles for example The Struwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann.
 Today the selection of picture books seems limitless.
Definition:
 No universal definition
 Combination between words and pictures
The picture storybook:
 The pictures merely complement the story
 Often mirroring the plot.
 Illustrations are used to emphasize or complement the story, but they don’t play a crucial role.
 Message depends upon the pictures

Pictures give information, help to
 “The interplay of narrative and illustration is integral to the book as a whole.”
( www.picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org/using/definition.html
)

The picture book:
 The illustrations are the core of the book.
 The text is secondary.
 The pictures don’t underestimate the importance of the story.
 Fusion: story, art and design
The illustrated book:
 Pictures are merely extensions of text.
 Transition or junior books

More text only small pictures
“A picture book is text, illustrations, total design; an item of manufacture and a commercial product; a social, cultural, historic document; and foremost, an experience for a child.” (Barbara Bader)
Elements:
 32 pages is standard (though titles can be 24-48 pages)
 Illustrations dominate text
 Illustrations integrate with the narrative to bring story to a satisfying conclusion.
 Word count is generally less than 500 words. Although picture books can have over 2000 words or have none at all, as is the case with wordless picture books.

Overall design serves to build a relationship between the text and the illustrations, this includes the front matter, back matter, and the book jacket
Types:
Toy books:
 Include board books, pull-tab books, flap books, pop-up books, cloth books, and plastic books (bathtub books)
 Can be simple ore complex

 I ntroduction to children’s literature
Concept books:
 Foster visual literacy and language development in children
 Introduce to shapes, colours, the alphabet, counting, and more difficult concepts
 Alphabet books introduce children to the ABCs and counting books introduce numbers and counting
Wordless books:

Tools to help children develop language and narrative skills

Text is absent or minimal

Opportunity to retell the story over and over.
Easy readers:

Sometimes called beginning books or readers
 Transition books for children (picture books to chapter books)
 Minimal or no assistance from an adult
 Larger typefaces, short sentences, sight words, and extra space between words and lines
 The stories are motivating, because children can identify with the main characters.
 Often children can get information which they can use in their real life.
 Listening to stories in class is a social experience and can help to get a better working climate
 Children enjoy listening to stories over and over because they like to imitate structures which are characteristic for these stories.

 Listening to simple stories can help children to understand the pronunciation of a language.
 Picture books can help to introduce new vocabulary. Children can combine new vocabulary with the pictures.
 Picture books may reflect the culture of other countries and societies.
 Picture books can link to other subjects the child is learning about in school. So a picture book can be easily combined with many other subjects.
 Children like stories and we have to support their interests by offering them different books.

With picture books we can open children a way to literature.

Children will recognize the language when they will see the pictures.

Children can learn to listen to someone else. They have to be quite to understand what was said.
 Books can give someone a sense for art.
 With picture books children can learn visual and auditive
 You can work with picture books in many different ways.
 Picture books are helpful to introduce a new topic
Macmillan children’s readers: Pip the Pirate (Level 1):
Written by Cherly Palin
Illustrates by Josè IgnacioGòmez
 Can be helpful to introduce vocabulary in one of the first lessons
 Very interesting pictures.
 Some sites with activities.

Picture Dictionary: Children can work on their own.
 Macmillian children’s readers Level1-6; Useful for every class in primary school

Same grammatical structures are used many times

Vocabulary gets repeated

Winnie the witch lived in a black house.
It had black carpets, black chairs, a black bed with black sheets, and a black pictures on the wall.
Naturally Willbur the cat was also black. The only problem was, Winnie just couldn’t see him – until one day she decided to use just a little magic.....
Children like witches, perhaps of the experiences reading the harry potter novels.
 less chunks of language

Activity book and a big book
1. Lesson: Winnie the witch
2. Lesson: Winnie’s song
3. Lesson: grammar prepositions “Where is Winnie’s broom?”
The aims of the lesson:

Reactivate the vocabulary from the story
 The pupils should sing Winnie’ song with the right Movements.
 The pupils should pronounce the new prepositions in the right way.

They should put the right picture under the right preposition on a working sheet.
 Speaking practise ( dialogue)
Literature:
Niemann, Heide; Mit Bilderbüchern Englisch lernen; Seelze- Velber 2002
Gaffal, Andrea, Kreis, Renate (etc.); Storytime, Teacher’s Guide; Braunschweig 2003
Picture book:
Dale, Penny; Ten in the bed; London, Boston, Sydney 1988
Winnie the witch, Korky Paul, Valerie Thomas, Oxford university press, ISBN: 0-19-272358-8

Palin, Cherly: Macmillian cjildren’s readers: Pip the Pirate, Oxford 2004
Websites: www.picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org/using/definition.html
(22.11.2005) www.englishbox.de
(22.11.2005) www.realbooks.co.uk/ (29.11.2005)
Hamburger Bücherkiste für Englisch an der GS: Ifa link
Magazins:
Grundschulmagazin englisch 4-2005 August September S. 19 Oldenbourg/Cornelsen
Grundschulmagazin englisch 2-2005 April Mai Primary English S. 3-5
Oldenbourg/Cornelsen