Book Chapter: "Picturebooks"

Since I am most concerned with selecting picturebooks for my preschool program, I went back and reviewed the chapter in one of my textbooks regarding the subject. I love this textbook; I think it's an invaluable resource for any children's librarian.

The chapter on picturebooks covers a wide range of information. There is a brief definition of picturebooks and then an in-depth discussion of the art and artists in the picturebook world. This is fascinating to read about but it is not my primary concern for this programming. It has gone into my considerations, however. I always try to look at the illustrations of the books. I know there was one book I didn't choose because I felt the illustrations would be too overwhelming for a child of this age. This is something that I probably wouldn't have given much thought to before previously reading this chapter and knowing that illustrations are as important as content.

The rest of the chapter focuses on themes and subjects of picturebooks. Most picturebooks deal with familiar subjects for children and this is important. Kids love to see their own experiences and images reflected back to them through books. It makes it much easier for them to engage in the story and invest in it. However, fantastical books that engage their imagination are incredibly important as well. I'm hoping to strike a balance between the two in my selections for storytime.

Kiefer, B. (2010). Picturebooks. In Charlotte Huck's Children's Literature: Tenth Edition (pp. 154-223). New York: McGraw-Hill.