3321 Blog 5

Picture books are stories that have illustrations to coincide with the text of each page. It is through the pictures that the setting, plot, or mood of the story can be better conveyed to children of all ages. These types of books can be used often to help children better understand the world around them and helps them to think more critically by being more observant. Picture books can also help children to connect with a concept that they may be learning. As for limitations, the books should be age appropriate and be meaningful for the children being read to, as well as being entertaining.
To select picture books that are true to form, the pictures should match the text and should relate to the setting, the characters, and the plot. It should appeal to the age group and be age appropriate while avoiding sterotypes. I find myself choosing picture books first by knowing what the message of the story is and the message I want to get across. I then check the words, comparing them to the age I'm reading to so that younger children won't lose interest if its too wordy. I also check the pcitures and the colors used in the illustrations so that it will be appealing. I like to use pictures books because I feel the child's interest can be stimulated to become great readers and the books can also be great teaching tools. I have used picture books as teaching tools with my own sons and with classrooms in the past. I especially like to have children look over the picture carefully and see how it relates to the text. With the Mercer Mayer Little Critter books there is usually a mouse, cricket, or grasshopper somewhere on each page and my sons and I loved to look for whichever one was used in a particular story. My sons both love to read to this day.