A Picture Book Primer: Understanding and Using Picture Books [Paperback]

Everything you want to know about picture books can be found in this simple and straightforward guide. After defining the picture book and describing its history and technological evolution, the author helps you better understand and appreciate picture books by describing how they're made-their anatomy, types of illustration, layouts, design elements, and typography-various types of picture books (genres, formats, styles), how picture books work (the art of the story), and how they relate to child development and literacy. Picture book reviews, building a collection, using picture books with various age groups, and issues such as multicultural literature, classics, and controversial titles are some of the other topics covered.Denise I. Matulkais librarian and archivist for the Lincoln Journal Star Newspapers in Nebraska. She has worked as an Early Childhood educator, a Youth Services Librarian, and an America Reads Coordinator. She is also the author ofPicture This: Picture Books for Young Adults(Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997), and in 1999, she created a website dedicated to picture books-www.picturingbooks.com, which this book is based on.

[Matulka's] discussion of the art terms and techniques related to picture books is especially helpful for readers who approach picture books from more of a literary rather than an artistic background. Children's Literature Association

Matulka's straightforward approach and easy tone make this book accessible and appealing to anyone interested in picture books, including librarians, teachers, and aspiring picture book writers. This book would be an excellent supplement for children's literature classes. Reference & User Services Quarterly

Chapter 1: What is a Picture Book?
Chapter 2: Anatomy of a Picture Book: Supporting Parts (Paratexts)
Chapter 3: Anatomy of a Picture Book: Picture Space, Design, Medium and Style
Chapter 4: Format or Genre?
Chapter 5: The Art of thelc)