workshop: Analyzing Children's Literature
After finishing the previous activity, it should be clear how visual images can enhance the story by adding details not included in the print, creating humor, or completely transforming the story by juxtaposing the printed text with surprising or unpredictable imagery. There are a number of ways you can analyze children's picturebooks for these types of multimodal elements. The following framework (Hassett, 2010) provides four helpful elements to:
- explore with readers during read-alouds or shared readings to model how text works and
- explore with writers as elements of author craft students might integrate into their own writing projects.
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Locating Meaning in Typeface: Meaning extends beyond what is communicated in the word. The use of graphics, arrangement, size, color, and font can all contribute to the overall meaning. Example from Jabari Jumps, by Gaia Cornwall: The words fall down the page as Jabari plunges deeper in the water. When he bursts back up to the surface, the ‘Whoosh’ explodes across the page in direct contrast to the font on the previous page, while mirroring the expression of joy on Jabari’s face.
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Use of Interactive Narration: The character or narrator makes a direct address to the reader, as a necessary and active participant in the story. Here, ”we can clearly see how the reader’s role has changed” (Hassett, 2010, p. 94). Example from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems: After the bus driver tells the reader not to let the pigeon drive the bus, the pigeon engages the reader in a direct conversation to change their mind.
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Images Expand Meaning: Meaning is created through the combination of modes (truly multimodal). “Printed words and images blend together on the page and can no longer be separated” (Hassett, 2010, p. 95). Example from This is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen:As the little fish narrates what he believes is happening, we see a very different story unfolding within the illustrations. This is an example of what Serafini (2014) refers to as contradictory interplay between visual and text.
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Multiple Perspectives-The Sociocultural Context: In the strongest sense, this dimension “requires the reader to interpret across many social and cultural realms, as well as across many different story lines” (Hassett, 2010, p. 96). This could also be more subtle as it relates to providing multiple perspectives that change or lead to multiple interpretations. Example from Albert’s Tree by Jenni Desmond: Albert’s tree is crying because it’s afraid of a big, hairy monster. The monster turns out to be Albert, while the ‘tree’ turns out to be an owl.
Keep these multimodal elements in mind as you consider the types of texts you share with students and the range of opportunities you provide for students to construct their own multimodal representations. While reading development will naturally progress away from reliance on visuals once students can fluently decode text, there are still a number of ways to teach and engage the visual at any level of literacy instruction.
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Download the Workshop packet if you would like to conduct a similar analysis activity with your own children's literature.
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This book list curated by Professor Dawnene Hassett (University of Wisconsin-Madison) offers texts that emphasize multimodal and highly interactive elements.
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