Picture books

Typically, the first books that children will read are picture books; they should, therefore, be a positive experience for children and them that reading can be fun. Picture books also play an important role in a child’s development.

• When books are read to children, and as they look at the pictures, language development and auditory discrimination are stimulated.
• Early concepts of reading such as how to turn the pages and which way to hold a book come into play.
• Concepts of print such as recognizing sound-symbol relationships and the position and order of words are introduced.
• It teaches children that shapes and symbols on the page have meaning.

Readers can use the illustrations to find further meaning, value symbolism, and practice higher level thinking skills. It allows people of all ages simple, aesthetic pleasure (Wikibooks, 2020).

What are picture books?

Typically picture books have pictures on almost every page. The illustrations are so essential to the story that sometimes they could tell the story by themselves. In fact, there are picture books with no words at all. Sometimes the pictures expand the story line or give more significance to the words. The books are either intended to be read aloud to children or for children to read themselves with guidance (Wikibooks, 2020).

Types of picture books

Wordless books –  Children must rely on pictures and their imagination to figure out the storyline. They teach children about book structure typically before they are able to read words.  These types of books often encourage children to invent words for the story which promotes language skills on multiple levels.

Alphabet books – This type of book can have an audience of a large age range. They usually present letters one at a time, usually with a theme such as animals, foods, ocean life, or some kind of device, and show pictures that start with the sound of a letter. Most are intended for the pre-reader or beginning reader, however there are rather complex alphabet books that can be enjoyed through adult age. One example is The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg, where the letter is related to an action that begins with that letter. The easier books encourage print-sound correlations, phonics skills, and vocabulary.

Counting books –This type of book introduces children to numerals and words that represent numerals. It allows children to practice one on one correspondence. Children count hidden pigs in Arthur Geisert’s Pigs From 1 to 10. Counting books for older children focus on math concepts such as addition, subtraction, or multiplication. Inez Ramsey, Professor Emeritus in Library Science, James Madison University has identified the criteria she uses to evaluate counting books. First, it must be clear what is being counted. The children must be able to identify the objects. The numbers themselves must be clear, especially for young children. It should also be clearly accurate. The number of legs on spiders, for instance, may be easily confused with the number of spiders. There should be plenty of open space and uncluttered illustrations. Even though a book is advertised as a counting book, advanced math concepts may be taught as well.

Concept Books – These types of books are intended for children ages 2-4. They teach concepts such as opposites, fast/ slow shapes, and seasons. Eric Carle’s My Very First Book of Colors is a wordless book in which a child is to match a color block to a picture of an object with that color. Concept book topics may include: how to draw, time, calendar/days/months, clocks, colors, and opposites.

Nursery Rhymes – Nursery rhymes are short, traditional poems or songs for young children that often feature simple, rhythmic language and repetitive patterns. These rhymes are typically passed down through generations and are a staple in early childhood education. They serve not only as a form of entertainment but also as a tool for developing language skills, memory, and phonemic awareness. Nursery rhymes often include playful themes, whimsical characters, and engaging narratives, making them an essential component of picture books designed for the youngest readers (Copilot, 2024).

Early reading/pattern book – Intended for children ages 5-7. These books are easily decodable and predictable. An example is Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? By Eric Carle.

References

Copilot. (2024). [Large language model]. https://copilot.cloud.microsoft/.

Picture book illustrations. Choosing high quality children’s literature. (2020). Wikibooks.org. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Choosing_High_Quality_Children%27s_Literature/Picture_Book_Illustrations.