Postmodern Picture Books

 

Not Your Mother's Bedtime Story

Origins

In 2008, I took a course called "Children Writing Pop Culture" which was taught by Professor Darcy Rhyno at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Part of the content of the course was investigating the effect postmodern thought was having on literature in the genre of the picture book.  One of the books we were introduced to was "Black and White" by David Macaulay which was published in 1990.  This work is considered to be one of the first successful picture books that was based on a postmodern aesthetic (it won the Caldecott Award in 1991).

I bought "Black and White" and added it to my large collection of picture books.  I have never used it in a Language Arts lesson in my classroom, but I am planning to do so in the near future.

I am currently taking a course at MSVU called "Literature for Children and Young Adults" with Dr. Jane Baskwill.  As part of this course, I am tasked with creating a book log which I can use in my practice as a teacher.  Since creating a list of postmodern picture books has been something I have been wanting to do, I am going to take this opportunity to get it done.  As I investigate these books, I will thinking of and looking for ways I can use them in  my classroom.

 

 

What is a Postmodern Picture Book?

I am going to draw on some online resources to define what Postmodern is and what a Postmodern Picture Book is.

 

Postmodernism is a response to the assumed feeling of being completely sure of reality. It comes from realizing that reality does not merely exist, but is built as an individual mind tries to understand its own particular and personal reality. For this reason, postmodernism is full of doubt about explanations which claim to be valid for all groups, cultures, traditions, or races, and instead focuses on the relative truths of each person. In the postmodern understanding, interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually. Postmodernism depends on real, actual experience over societal ideas. Postmodernism denies the existence of any firm principles, and it does not have feelings of hope of there being a truth which will explain everything for everybody.

Thank you, PBS, for helping me with this definition!

  

http://www.quotessays.com/postmodern.html

Postmodern picture books are a specific genre of picture books. Some characteristics of this type of book include:

• a non-linear narrative form
• an awareness within the book that it is a book
• the inclusion of the reader in creating the meaning of the text (often addresses the reader directly)
• a call being made upon the reader to make connections to other books or knowledge
• a non-standard design layout and a variety of styles of illustration
• a multi-modal presentation
• a story in which the writer of the story is a character
• characters that aware that they are in a story and can may maker reference to the author

What would we do without Wikipedia?

  

Black and White by David Macaulay

Macaulay, D. (1990). Black and White. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.

 

I thought it appropriate to start my log with the book which prompted my interest in this genre.

Any book that starts out with a warning is just begging to be read!

 

Black and White is actually four stories.  Each double page spread is divided into 4 sections, each one for a different narrative.  You can read each of the four stories separately, but at a couple of points they drift into one another.  Each story's illustrations are done in very different styles which adds to the feeling the reader has that the stories are independent of one another.

 

The title page showing the lay out of the four stories.

Previous to reading this book, I had never encountered anything like it.  Four separate stories all bumping into each other, jostling for my attention as a reader!  It added a level of enjoyment to reading that I had not experienced before.  I was thinking not just about the narratives, but about how the stories were constructed, how they tied together, how the author had cleverly built a whole out of a bunch of parts, but still managed to maintain the parts as separate entities.

 

All the stories blending into one.

The best feature of "Black and White" is that it has a satisfying way of helping the reader find the answers to the questions it compels the reader to ask.  In the story "Seeing Things", a young boy is taking a train trip on his own for the first time.  An old woman enters his train compartment at one point, but the old woman looks rather like a burglar.  The reader asks, "What is going on  here?" and then finds the answer to that question while reading one of the other stories "Udder Chaos". This happens numerous times throughout the book.

If you like reading books that have lots of "Aha!" moments in them, "Black and White" is for you!

Because "Black and White" has been around for some time and is arguably the most well known Postmodern picture book, there are a number of resources available online about how you might use the book in your classroom.

Carol Hurst, an educator working in Florence, MA, has a great page with some interesting ideas about using Macaulay's "Black and White" across the curriculum.

The website readwritethink.org has a lesson using "Black and White" with older students.

 

Shortcut by David Macaulay

Macaulay, D. (1995). Shortcut. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Another book by David Macaulay.  This is the sort of book you need to read many times to truly understand, although that is true of many picture books.  Each section of the book tells a separate story, but they are all interconnected.  Seemingly random occurrences are actually important events which explain other parts of the story told in the book. 

The book is a relatively long one for a picture book and is actually divided up into chapters.  There is not a lot of text and many pages are full illustrations with no text at all.  The illustrations are bright and expressive, contributing much to overall quality of the story being told.

I would use this book to develop my students understanding of cause and effect and how a story does not have to be linear.  The book also presents a good example of how experiences and events in our lives which seem insignificant can, in reality have massive effects on others.  Helping students make connections between their actions and the lives of others can have far-reaching consequences as they begin to understand the interconnectedness of all living things and the responsibility we have to be mindful of how what we do affects others.

The Red Book by Barbara Lehman

Lehman, B. (2004) The Red Book.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company

This is a wordless gem.  I am a big fan of wordless books because they force me to focus on the images which is one of the areas of reading that I need work in!  I also like using them with my students because it shows them that words are only one way to communicate and that a story can be told in many ways, other than through alphabetical symbols on a page.  This book would also be useful for exploring imagination and how to develop a storyline from a single idea.  Or even how to create a sequel for a story that has an open-ending.

 

 

The first character (could be a boy or a girl, but I will refer to "it" as a girl) finds a red book in the snow, picks it up and takes it to school with her where she opens it and finds a grid map showing an island.  The pictures in the book zoom in to show that on that island there is another boy finding a red book, too.  When this second character opens his red book, he finds an image of a city full of skyscrapers which just happens to be the location of the first character.  Both characters happily realize what is happening. 

The first character buys a bunch of balloons from a man on a street corner and floats up, up and away, dropping her red book as she climbs higher and higher.  The second character, who has been looking intently at his red book, starts to cry when he can no longer see his new friend on its pages.  It all ends happily as he catches sight of the balloons descending with his friend attached.  The last page shows a third character on a bike with the red book tucked under his arm as he looks back through the page at the reader!

 

 

Round Trip by Ann Jonas

Jonas, Ann. (1983). Round Trip.  New York:  Greenwillow Books

 

 

 

One cover,

 

two images!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ann Jonas is a genius.  Her book "Round Trip" is a remarkable work of art.  Using a black and white pallet, she creates the story of a trip to the city.  The book presents one complete story, but the reader must flip the book in order to read the second part (the first part is the trip to the city and the flip is the trip back home).  Jonas makes the contrast of white and black work for her as she uses the same drawing to represent telephone poles along a roadside and the trusses of a big city bridge and all that changes is the reader's perspective. 

There are limited words used in this story which is good for readers who find too much text challenging.  The words are really secondary to the illustrations in this case anyway.  I would use this book to discuss perspective with my students and perhaps have them create their own upside down book using shadows and light.

 

  

 

Do Not Open This Book Written by Michaela Muntean Illustrated by Pascal LeMaitre

Muntean, M. and Lemaitre, P. (2006) Do Not Open This Book!. New York: Scholastic Press.

This book is a delight!  So very clever and funny...I wish I had written it!

This is my favorite interior book sleeve EVER!

The story is about a pig (why are there so many stories with pigs?) who is trying to write a book and finds himself/herself being disturbed by a rude intruder who happens to be you, the reader!  The pig implores, commands, insists that you not turn the page because the story is not written yet, but of course, all of this only compels the reader to flip to the next page!  An interesting paradox is created and this would be a good book to use to introduce students to that topic.

The pig does eventually get the book written, with the reader's help, and then takes to his bed to dream about winning a book award.  It is too adorable.

There is so much to look at on every page that I could spend a solid hour just going through the book, enjoying its nuances.  I can see using this book to encourage reluctant writers because I think they may be able to relate to the desperation of the pig in trying to a story done as many hesitant writers often feel.  The pig also gives some solid suggestions about how to go about writing a story which is quite instructive, but is a humorous way.  Parts of speech, types of words (sweet or salty, etc.), where writing ideas come from are all talking points presented in this book.

 

Spells by Emily Gravett

Gravett, E. (2008).  Spells. London:  MacMillan Publishers Ltd.

 

I love stories about frogs and this one is a special one.  The little green frog wants to have some adventures and especially to kiss a beautiful princess.  When he realizes he is in possession of a book of spells, he tries to concoct one that will turn him into a handsome prince.  At this point in the book, the pages are split in two halves so the reader can manipulate how the frog looks as he goes through various transformations until he finally reaches prince-hood and meets a beautiful princess. 

 

Things don't exactly turn out the way the frog prince wanted them to though. 

I love the interactions I got to have with this book, flipping half pages and creating some incredible creatures with unconventional tops and bottoms.  It is a fun book, one that I know many of my students would enjoy spending time with in a comfy chair.

This book could be used to teach the use of humor in storytelling and how the tiny details an illustrator adds can really add to a narrative.  The tattoo on the frog prince's bare bum is brilliant!

Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett

Gravett, E. (2007). Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears.  London:  MacMillan's Children's Books.

 

 

Another lovely tome from Emily Gravett!  This book is multi-modal which makes it very hands on.  One page features a huge fold out map of the Isle of Fright!

 

 

There are also intentional holes and cuts in the book which are fun to run your hand over and fold out pages to explore.

 

 

 

The book is an encyclopedia of Little Mouse's fears.  Each fear is depicted in a two-page spread with the Latin term for the fear noted along the top.  So many phobias!

 

 

I think this book would be good to use to help students talk about the things they are fearful of and maybe create their own encyclopedia of something (wouldn't have to be fears).  Many children do have deep-seated fears and Little Mouse addresses quite a few of them (including having bathroom accidents, loud noises and getting lost.  It is a positive experience for children to know they are not alone in their anxieties. 

 

 

 

 Wolves by Emily Gravett

Gravett, E. (2005). Wolves. New York:  Simon and Schuster.

 

 

 

Another Emily Gravett book!  This one features a rabbit who goes to the library and gets more than he bargains for!  As rabbit reads his book, he brings the wolf to life.  Oh no!  Poor rabbit!

 

 

 

 

But wait!  The author is sensitive to our needs! 

 

 

 

 Thank you, Emily! 

 

 

 Making friends is always nicer than eating them!  This book is a good example of an author knowing her audience.  I could use this book to discuss audience awareness with my students so that when they write for others, they need to think about the viewer.

 

Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett

Gravett, E. (2006). Meerkat Mail. London:  Macmillan.

 

 

 

One more by Ms. Gravett!  This book is about a  meerkat's travels around the world to visit his mongoose family relatives in order to get some peace and quiet from his siblings. 

 

 

 

 

Everywhere he goes, he sends his family a postcard and these are done as inserts in the book which the reader can fold out and read.

 

 

 

 

 

I would use this book to show my students how fiction books can often have a lot of factual information which a resourceful reader can pull from the pages.  In "Meerkat Mail" there is much to be learned about the habitats of meerkats and other animals.  Gravett has done lots of research for this book and I love the way she combines what she knows with a made up story about Sunny the Meerkat!  Books are entertaining and educational.

Dragon Quest Written by Allan Baillie Illustrated by Wayne Harris

Baillie, A. and Harris, Wayne.  (1996).  Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press

This book is an adventure book as you can pretty much gather from the title!  The book directly addresses the reader, entreating him (it is specifically addressed to a boy which is disappointing) to come along on his quest to slay the last dragon (obviously not too concerned about vanishing species). 

The reader is embodied by a boy who carries out the reader's role in the tale which is fraught with dangers such as snakes, poisonous webs, witches, trolls and vampire bats.  There are many frightful creatures throughout the book which appeal to one's imagination.  At the end of the story, the warrior and the reader reach the place where they should find the dragon, but the dragon is no where in sight.  However, the book ends with a surprise, the revelations of which brought a smile to my face.     

I think this book is aimed quite directly at boys and I can think of many of my former students who would be interested in participating in the adventure told in this book.  I might use the book to address reasons why the author/illustrator decide to make the reader a boy and also to discuss extinct and endangered animals. 

Time to Get Out of the Bath, Shirley by John Burningham

Burningham, J. (1978). Time to Get Out of the Bath, Shirley. London:  Jonathan Cape Ltd.

This is an interesting book in which Shirley, the little girl who is the title character, slipping off to fantasyland during bath time.  As Shirley's mom natters on about the routine matters of everyday life, Shirley has escaped down the drain with her rubber duck, floating away from her reality and into an adventure in a medieval land.  There are really two stories happening simultaneously, one of Shirley's mom talking to Shirley and the other of Shirley's journey through time and space.

The illustrations are done in a style that seems a bit rough in terms of art for picture books.  However, maybe because they are unexpectedly unpolished, they are refreshing and add to the overall feeling the book conveys.

I would use this book to dialogue with my students about imagination as well how boredom is actually a good thing which can results in some wonderful discoveries!  This book also provides some talking points about family and relationships between parents and their children.

Bad Day at Riverbend by Chris Van Allsburg

Van Allsburg, Chris. (1995) Bad Day at Riverbend. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin

 

 

 

 

 

It would be easy for a librarian to become angered by this book if he/she quickly flipped through it as on first impression it would seem as though someone has been at it with a pack of crayons!  But, if he/she knew anything about the imagination of Chris Van Allsburg, his/her alarm would be over in a flash as it dawned on him/her that the colorful scribbles are an important part of the story.

Who has been defacing this book???  Oh, it's the author.

The people of Riverbend, a small town in the Wild West,  have become very concerned as a strange, greasy, shiny, slimy substance has begun to take over parts of the town.  The townsfolk call upon the sheriff to take action against this threat, but before the fatal shot can be fired, the cause of their concern disappears. 

Now, how we gonna deal with this dilemma?

And the cause of all this ruckus in Riverbend?  A reader who has created a story out of the pages of his/her "Cowboy Coloring Book", a story in which the characters don't realize they are part of a coloring book and meant to be scribbled on with crayons (ie. the strange substance)! 

Nothing like a kid and his/her imagination!

Chris Van Allsburg is one of the most clever writers I have ever had the pleasure to read and I adore all of his books.  He expects his reader to be intelligent and insightful and he unfolds a story in such a way, that he gets exactly what he expects.  I always feel just a little bit smarter after experiencing  Van Allsburg's books!

I would use this book as a way of talking to my students about how the reader creates the story he/she reads.  Reading is never a passive activity...it is a creative one.  The boy/girl scribbling in his/her coloring book creates a story out of a plain coloring book.  When you read, you "color" it with your ideas, thoughts, experiences and perceptions.
 

Chloe and the Lion Written by Mark Barnett and Illustrated by Adam Rex

Barnett, M. and Rex, A. (2012). Chloe and the Lion.  New York:  Hyperion Books

I read this books for the first time sitting in a very quiet public library and it was all I could do not to burst out laughing.  Author Mac Barnett illustrator Adam Rex have created a very funny book!

The book is about the author and the illustrator getting into a spat over the storyline.  In some ways, Chloe, the main character, becomes incidental, but she does use her words of wisdom to get the adults to finish the book and become friends again.

"We all add something to the story", says Chloe.

The beginning of the conflict between writer and illustrator!

 

The lack of a picture is worth a thousand words!

In this statement I believe she is including the reader who has to negotiate her/his way through a plot that drifts in and out of what is supposed to be the central narrative.

One of my favorite parts about the book is how the lion is depicted in three very different ways by three different illustrators as the story progresses.  Even though we all have our own individually constructed idea of what a lion looks like based on experience, a lion, depicted in art, does not look the same depending on the person doing the drawing.





I would use this book to encourage my students in their creative endeavors.  We are all artists and each of us has a unique perspective which deserves to be shared.  I like the idea of having students work with a partner or in a small group, each one taking turns as writer and illustrator.  Chloe and the Lion is also a good book to use to provoke conversation about how to deal with conflict and about how you should never let anyone stop you from telling YOUR story.

Chester by Melanie Watt

Watt, M. (2007). Chester.  Toronto:  Kids Can Press Ltd.

I first read this book with my daughter Julia when she was 5 years old.  We were both quite taken with it and enjoyed the naughty antics of Chester as he constantly interrupts the author as she tries to write her book.  He editorializes and scribbles on the book using his red marker.

 

 

He and Watt battle back and forth each trying to control the story.  It is amusing and great fun for kids to see Chester vying with the author to maintain control over his image as it is being portrayed in the book, all the while knowing it is really just Watt playing both parts and in effect arguing with herself!

 

The reader is totally pulled into the story and is put in a position to pick one point of view over the other.  Do I want to read Melanie Watt's story or do I want to read Chester's?  Their good natured argument shows the complexity of relationships and students could benefit from a lesson on the difficulties of friendships. 

 



The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Written by Jon Scieszka and Illustrated by Lane Smith

Scieszka, J. and Smith, L. (1989). The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs.  New York:  Viking Penguin
 

 

This Postmodern book falls into a subcategory called "Fractured Fairy tales" because breakdown the narratives of traditional fairy tales by changing the perspective from which they were originally told.  In this book, the story is told from the point of view of the wolf in which he proclaims his innocence and explains that his eating of the pigs was just one big misunderstanding.

There are quite a few "Fractured Fairy Tale" books on the market now as everyone rushes in to profit on the popularity, but Jon Scieszka among the best.

This book is very useful for teaching students about perspective and about how those who tell the story have the power.  While Mr. Wolf tries to convince the reader that he has been wrongly convicted, there are clues to the truth throughout the book which a clever reader will spot.  Books such as these can also serve as a good jumping off spot for story writing as some students might like to try fracturing other fairy tales.

 

 

The Frog Prince Continued Written by Jon Scieszka and Illustrated by Steve Johnson

Scieszka, J. and Johnson, S. (1991). The Frog Prince Continued.  New York:  Viking Penguin

This is my favorite Jon Scieszka title because I like the slightly more sophisticated tone of the story even though it is still very humorous and fun.  This book starts up from where the story of the Frog Prince left off.  Unfortunately, the Prince and Princess are not living happily ever after (despite the promise) and the Prince decides he would be better off being a frog again. 

He sets out through the forest looking for a witch who can turn him back into a frog, but those he meets (the witch from Hansel and Gretel for example) are too preoccupied with their other fairy tale roles to help him out properly. 

 

In the end, he returns home to find his Princess desperately worried about him and realizes that she does truly love him despite all her nagging.  The Prince kisses the Princess and...

 

Let's just say they live "hoppily" ever after!  :-)

I would use this book to teach a lesson on how important it is to pay careful attention to the illustrations in a book as they can add so much depth to your level of enjoyment and comprehension.  This book has an abundant amount of detail in each of its wonderfully rendered illustrations and so is a good example of how paying careful attention can prove valuable.

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales Written by Jon Scieszka and Illustrated by Lane Smith

Scieszka, J. and Smith, L. (1992). The stinky cheese man and other fairly stupid tales. New York:  Viking Penguin.

This book is pure, unadulterated foolish from start to finish and my students absolutely love it!  A copy of this book is in constant circulation in my classroom and I have had to replace it a number of times because it has been so well loved.  The Caldecott Award Selection Committee got it right with this winner!

From upside down text to direct references to the reader, this book is a Postmodern marvel.  It is a very busy book in terms of being very text heavy and with a lot of illustrations.  Having a dialogue about how to read this book is a good lesson to share with a small group with each child giving their ideas about what to do with this unconventional book!

The author calls the stories he tells in this book "Fairly Stupid Tales" as opposed to "Fairy Tales".  There are lots of traditional characters, twisted around and turned into parodies of themselves.  Here is the tale know to us traditionally as "The Ugly Duckling" with Scieszka's twist.

 

 

The irreverence is palpable! 

 

 

And this is a book that you want to read to the very, very end as the author and illustrator are up to their funny business even on the end pages.

 

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Wiesner, D. (2001) The Three Pigs.  New York: Clarion Books.

 

 

Another Caldecott Medal winner here!  While reading academic articles for my course, I found a lot of authors referenced this particular book.  I think the reason that it is chosen as an excellent example of a postmodern picture book is because the illustrations are remarkable, the traditional story is so familiar, the humor is easy to understand, and it has so many interesting elements (cartoon pictures, semi-blank pages, text falling off the page, mock-up pages, etc.). 

 

 

The story is one in which the pigs are masters of their own destiny and not the hapless victims of the wolf.  I think that is why he makes no reference to the word "little" in the title!  They make paper airplanes of the fairy tale book pages and fly away to other stories that include nursery rhymes and a dragon story.

 

 

 

 

The book is a fun experience, but I can't help feeling sorry for the poor bewildered wolf.  Never have the fortunes of a canine fallen so low! 

 

Because this book is so well known there are lots of ideas on the internet about how a teacher might use this book in the classroom.

 

Here's a great one from Teachingbooks.net

The Wisconsin Media Lab has a great page on using this book to teach the skill of synthesizing!

Flotsam by David Wiesner

Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Clarion Books. 

 

 



It is difficult for me to express in words how much I love this book which is appropriate since it is a wordless book!  This is the kind of book that you think about days after you read it and no matter how many times you pick it up, you feel the same sense of exhilaration.

A boy on a beach finds a mysterious camera.  He begins examining it, and has the film he finds inside developed at a local shop.  The photographs he finds on the film are fantastical scenes of underwater life, including robotic fish, underwater aliens, and a turtle with a whole world in his back. 

Also amongst the images is of a young girl holding a photograph or a boy holding a photograph of a girl holding a...and on and on.  A microscope has to be employed for the boy to see all the photographs all the way back to the original owner of the camera, waving through time to his modern counterparts. 

The boy carries on the tradition and tosses the camera into the sea to be found by the next adventurer!

I would use this book to stir student's imaginations.  There are so many questions left unanswered as this story ends and every one of them deserves to have a story told around it!  I think it could also inspire some writing in terms of found objects and their significance.

 

Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne

Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the Park. New York: DK Publishing, Inc.

This is a very well known book in school circles and can be used to teach subjects across the curriculum.  It tells about the same experience from 4 different points of view or voices. 

 

 

 

 

There is social commentary and notes about stereotyping and perspectives.  The artwork is thought-provoking and definitely sets the mood which is sombre and reflective.  I love the way Browne uses different font styles and sizes to communicate each voice as separate and distinct.  Using gorillas as characters rather than humans is an interesting choice and a wise one I think because it gives the reader the freedom to see the story more purely without the type of judgements that sometimes accompanies the use of human characters.

 

 ReadWriteThink.org has a writing lesson on teaching voice using "Voices in the Park". 

 

 Schools Linking Network has a bunch of cross curricular lesson plans.