Multicultural literature today is characterized by rich language, captivating illustrative techniques, and authentic stories within all genres. Never before have so many possible topics and cultures been available in books to share the diversity of both local and global societies as well as to validate the life experiences of readers. In the…

Scholars agree that reading pictures is a multifaceted act. Interestingly, children often look at illustrations more closely and "see" details in picture that are missed by "skipping and scanning" adults. Although the illustrations in picture books are a "source of aesthetic delight," "everything" about the illustrations conveys "information about…

In this article, the author shares a current analysis of data that complements findings from earlier, related research that confirms the emotional aspects of reading experiences. The data from the earlier study is based upon comments by graduate students in online discussion groups, where they share their thoughts about the professional readings…

There exist three essential relationships in the human experience: relationship with oneself, relationship with others, and relationship with the natural world. This article focuses on one of these relationships and how children's literature may be used to support and enhance it: relationship with the natural world. The author chose this…

David Wiesner's 2007 Caldecott Medal-winning "Flotsam" blends the events of everyday life with the surreal. As he often does in his picture books, Wiesner plays with size and scale, opening "Flotsam" with a full-page illustration of a sand crab and the enormous eye behind it before pulling back on the second page to reveal the creature's actual…

In this article, the author relates the creative process involved in the way he writes and illustrate picturebooks. His understanding of the analysis and creative processes focusing on picturebooks is informed from two distinct, yet complementary, perspectives. First, the author is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education and Children's…

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" is a story about Georges Melies that the author began thinking about over 15 years ago and took about two-and-a-half years to complete. The book is about a boy named Hugo Cabret, an orphan living secretly in the walls of a train station in Paris who becomes involved in a mystery that ties him together with a mean old…

During the post-convention of the 2006 National Council of Teachers of English Conference, members of the Children's Literature Assembly organized and sponsored a day-long workshop on the subject of developing visual literacy within the context of picture books. The workshop featured children's book illustrators (LeUyen Pham, Margaret…

Teachers have the privilege and responsibility of helping children discover the joy of reading. This principle underlies the mission of The Children's Literature Assembly (CLA) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Unfortunately, as teachers and librarians in this country face the demands of the "No Child Left Behind Act" and of…

During the past three years, the author has been exploring Grade 5 students' processes of reading and understanding contemporary picturebooks with Radical Change characteristics and metafictive devices, and examining how students use their knowledge of these characteristics and devices to create their own texts. "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other…

Stories provide an effective medium for children to learn and practice reading skills, but the role of literature is much broader than an educational tool. Literature provides an aesthetic experience with one of the arts. Children experience the power of story that has existed across cultures and across centuries, giving evidence of the power of…

Literature provides abundant examples of how to apply the wisdom of the past to today's problems. But literary examples are not enough. If children are to take an active part in questioning the past, they need to understand how to read history the way historians and even amateur historians do. In this article, the author provides examples of how…

This article features the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and its award-winning books for beginning readers. The award-giving body was established in 2004 by the Association of Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to honor the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children's literature known as…

Quality multicultural literature offers readers opportunities to read about characters from various cultures, lands, and background. There are many talented authors, such as Deborah Ellis, who have added to the wide range of multicultural literature available for today's youth. Through her books, Ellis immerses readers in cultures and societies…

In this article, the author relates how a lost dog gave her the idea for writing her book, "How to Steal a Dog." Her tale of serendipity began when she, a dog-lover, walked into a garden center near her home and saw a sign for a lost dog taped beside the cash register. She states that, although her story is about a girl who stole a dog and…