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What
DO authors and illustrators do?
Following are suggestions of ways to discuss that
question. Many of these ideas were developed for the Vermont
Red Clover Award program -Vermont's Children's Choice Picture
Book Award. I had a small part in helping to develop the program
as I was writing my 'author and illustrator books'.
Study
the work of a favorite author:
If they have several books, plan an 'Author Week',
comparing and contrasting their different books. Start by
reading and discussing What Do Authors Do?
Looking at a story
- a few questions to consider:
-
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What is the most exciting part of the story?
-
Read the first couple of pages. Do they make
you want to continue reading the story? Why? or Why not?
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Do you like the characters? Would you choose
any to be your friend? Why? or Why not?
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Does the author use a lot of words? Few words?
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What words does the author use to describe
some of the characters? To describe action? To describe the
setting?
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Do the illustrations help tell the story?
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Do the illustrations tell you anything the
words do not?
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Read several of the author's stories. Are
they all funny? . . . or sad? How are they different? How
are they the same?
Study
the work of a favorite illustrator:
If they have several books, plan an 'Illustrator Week', perhaps
working with the school art teacher. Compare and contrast the
different books. Start by reading and discussing What Do
Illustrators Do?
Some illustrators, like me, write their own stories. Many
do not. Usually authors have little, if any, opportunity to
makes comments or suggestions to the illustrator. They can
talk to the editor or art director who may or may not convey
their suggestions to the illustrator.
Discuss the author's point of view:
How would it feel for an author to have very little input
about how her book will look?
Discuss the illustrator's point of view:
Would she want an author to tell her how to illustrate?
Looking at the illustrations-a
few questions to consider:
-
What media did the illustrator use to make
these illustrations? (If you aren't certain, you can often
find this information buried in the Library of Congress information
at the front of the book.)
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Does the illustrator draw the pictures with
lines? Are the lines thick? thin? Are they outlines? Are
they broken lines? Does the illustrator make texture with
lines? Shadows?
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What tool was used to draw the lines? Pencil?
Pen? Brush?
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Some illustrators don't use lines. They might
use just color. Find some examples.
-
Find examples of the illustrator's work in
different books she has illustrated. Does the illustrator
always do the illustrations the same way?-use the same technique?
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Find an illustrator who uses white space
around their pictures. Does white space make the pictures
easier to see?
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Do the illustrations have lots of detail?
Very little detail? Show your students examples of both styles.
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Do skies always have to be blue? Is dirt
always brown? Are trees always green? Take a look-you might
find some surprises. Maybe the illustrator uses a combination
of colors or colors you would not have thought of using.
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Find a quiet story. Are the illustrations
done with soft, quiet colors?
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Find an energetic, fast moving story. What
colors does the illustrator use? Are the illustrations energetic
and active?
How
is the Book Designed?
Looking at book
design-a few questions to consider:
-
What shape is the book? Is it big? Is it
small? If you are studying several books by the same author,
are the books all the same shape? Different shapes? Does
the shape and the size work with the illustrations?
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Look at the typefaces used in the book for
the text and the title. Are the typefaces different? How
are they different? Are there silly, funny or playful typefaces?
Are there serious typefaces?
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Does the cover of the book tell you something
about the story? What does it tell you?
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Look at the end papers. Sometimes they are
illustrated. Sometimes they are colored paper. If the end
papers are colored, why do you think they are that color?
Do they pick up or complement another color in the book?
Same
story-different author and illustrator:
Will they tell it the same way?
Many author/illustrators retell and illustrate
favorite fairy tales. Find several examples of the same tale-for
instance, there are at least six versions of Little Red Riding
Hood. I found two or three versions of Jack and the Beanstalk when
I was working on my book about illustrators. Read all of the
versions and discuss the similarities and differences in both
the text and illustrations, using some of the questions listed
above. -A classroom project from a school in Vermont
In conjunction with this project, read What
Do Authors Do? and What Do Illustrators Do? Both
books look at different ways authors and illustrators might
approach the same story.
Meet
an author:
Invite an author to visit your school:
Who publishes the author you'd like to invite? Most publisher's publicity
departments should be able to help you contact that author. Often a good
children's bookstore can be helpful too.
Author visits are not cheap and are only worth
doing if everybody in the school, students and teachers, are
well prepared! Get together with another school in your district
and share travel and lodging expenses.
Visit an author's web site:
If you would like a good index of 'authors on the web', try: Children's
Literature Web Guide
Also read: Book Links, (September 1998)
© Eileen Christelow & Vermont Center
for the Book
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