Picture Books - Text Introduction Text and illustration work together to create meaning in picture books. Both tell parts of the story. It is a good idea to examine the text separately from the illustrations in a picture book. In doing this, you will be able to see what effect the illustrations have on the narrative. Text in picture books is usually limited to around 100 words. While the illustrations in a picture book often dominate the design, the text is also very important. The role of text is to tell the story in a way that suits the design. This is achieved through tone and style. Another important aspect of text in picture books is design. This incorporates the size of the text, the font and colour of the text as well as the layout (placement of the text). Tone and Style The purpose of a picture book influences the tone and style a composer will use. A picture book aimed at toddlers will use a very relaxed writing style, using simple words, usually with a calm, happy tone. A picture book aimed at teenagers telling a horror story will have a very dark tone. One way tone can be created is through the writing style. A relaxed, friendly tone is often created through the use of a first person narrative, using a conversational style (this is called an informal register). This will encourage a friendly link between the narrator and the responder. This style will enable a responder to empathise with and feel equal with the character. The use of short, informal language will further encourage interaction between responder and narrator. The illustrations will need to match this style, potentially using mid shots, eye-level angles and an 'offer' perspective On the other hand, if the written text is composed in a formal register, serious tone and is in third person from the point of view of an external narrator, the text will be less personal. Generally, this will create a style where the responder is encouraged to analyse the picture book from an impersonal view, meaning that the engagement with ideas and themes is more important than engagement with the main characters. The illustrations used to match a style such as this will be impersonal, possibly using more landscape-orientated shots.
Transcript
Picture Books - TextIntroduction
Text and illustration work together to create meaning in picture books. Both tell parts of the story. It is a good idea to examine the text separately from the illustrations in a picture book. In doing this, you will be able to see what effect the illustrations have on the narrative.
Text in picture books is usually limited to around 100 words. While the illustrations in a picture book often dominate the design, the text is also very important. The role of text is to tell the story in a way that suits the design. This is achieved through tone and style. Another important aspect of text in picture books is design. This incorporates the size of the text, the font and colour of the text as well as the layout (placement of the text).
Tone and Style
The purpose of a picture book influences the tone and style a composer will use. A picture book aimed at toddlers will use a very relaxed writing style, using simple words, usually with a calm, happy tone. A picture book aimed at teenagers telling a horror story will have a very dark tone. One way tone can be created is through the writing style.
A relaxed, friendly tone is often created through the use of a first person narrative, using a conversational style (this is called an informal register). This will encourage a friendly link between the narrator and the responder. This style will enable a responder to empathise with and feel equal with the character. The use of short, informal language will further encourage interaction between responder and narrator. The illustrations will need to match this style, potentially using mid shots, eye-level angles and an 'offer' perspective
On the other hand, if the written text is composed in a formal register, serious tone and is in third person from the point of view of an external narrator, the text will be less personal. Generally, this will create a style where the responder is encouraged to analyse the picture book from an impersonal view, meaning that the engagement with ideas and themes is more important than engagement with the main characters. The illustrations used to match a style such as this will be impersonal, possibly using more landscape-orientated shots.
Examine the visual text below and comment on the tone and style.
When designing a picture book, the text needs to suit the overall design. The size of the text is an important consideration. How large or small the font is will determine how much notice the responder is to take of the text. Large font, for example, may intrude on the effect of the illustrations and small font may emphasise the importance of the illustrations.
By evaluating the size of the font in a picture book you will be able to determine the relationship of the text with the illustrations. The questions that you need to determine the answers to include:
Are the illustrations or the text more important to the overall effect of the picture book? What role does the text play in the picture book? Does it add to the tone, the characters, the plot
or themes, or are the illustrations more important in developing these ideas?
Look at the example below. What role do you think the text plays in this book?
Font/typeface
The font, or more appropriately typeface, of a picture book also plays a significant role in the overall design of a picture book. When considering typeface you also need to consider whether it matches the content of the text or the stylistic features of the illustrations. Again, you will need to examine the relationship between the typeface and the illustrations. The questions that you need to determine the answers to include:
Is the chosen typeface used to match the text content or the illustrations? How does the typeface relate to the illustrations? Are there any similarities between the style of
the typeface and the style of the illustrations? Does the typeface add to the meaning, the tone or to the expression of characters or themes?
Look at the font chosen below. Comment on the type of font chosen and how this relates to the illustrations.
Many picture books are in colour and the colour of the typeface is often an important element of design. Aside from needing to be incorporated into the design of the textbook, colour has important cultural connotations. You should revise the cultural assumptions associated with different colours in the English Skills subject. The questions that you need to determine the answers to include:
How does the colour of the text relate or add to the tone, mood, meaning, characters, plots and themes of the picture book.
Does the colour of the text complement the colours in the illustrated images? (By determining this you will be able to describe whether the text and the illustrations should be viewed as a whole or separately.)
Layout (placement)
The layout of text in picture books is a crucial element of the design. The layout needs to look appealing as well as suit the relationship between the text and the illustration. How prominent the position of the text is will determine what the composer would like the responder to pay attention to.
If the text is positioned on the top right-hand corner of a double spread, for example, the composer wants the responder to consider the illustration in reference to the text. This means that you will usually look at the illustration first, then consider the text.
If the text is positioned at the bottom of the page then the composer wants the responder to consider the text in relation to the illustration. Other techniques that are used include running the text through the picture. This has the effect of merging the text and the illustrations seamlessly.
Another aspect of layout includes an element of phrasing. Consider that, if the text were presented without illustrations, it would be presented in paragraphs in prose form. In picture books, prose is split up. Usually this is done either by sentences or phrases, but is also sometimes done by separating words. You need to consider the effect of phrasing. As an example examine the following:
Consider the different effects of the four examples:
Example 1 is in simple prose form, it is a complete sentence that uses rhyme. (e.g. Spain and plain).
Example 2 is similar, but it is divided into the two phrases of the sentence. This has the effect of emphasising the two ideas as well as the rhyme between the words 'Spain' and 'plain'.
In example 3, the sentence is divided into smaller phrasal chunks, emphasising the rhyming effect.
Example 4 encourages the reader to emphasise the word 'falls'.
1. The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
2. The rain in Spain Falls mainly on the plain.
3. The rain In Spain Falls mainly On the plain.
4. The rain In Spain Falls Mainly on the plain.
When considering the phrasing of the written text in a picture book, you will need to consider why the composer has chosen particular phrasing. Some possible descriptions of phrasing include poetic, prose-like, rhythmic.
Describe the layout of text in the following examples:
