A Picture Book Learning Experience

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Picture books are so much more than just bedtime stories. They are a uniting link between wonder, creativity and lifelong exploration of the world around us. Whether I am reading to a toddler, a teenager or myself, picture books are at the origin of new discoveries, new experiences and great delight. Each picture book has the power to ignite curiosity and to become a springboard for a deep dive in many creative, hands-on explorations. I wanted to share with you how I glean enrichment ideas as I read a picture book. 

The origin

I do not remember when I started looking at picture books as more than mere stories. It  might have been in my childhood when my sisters and I re-enacted our favorite stories. Or it might have been later when I became a mom. But I distinctly remember when I came across the Five in a Row curriculum.  This picture book based curriculum made so much sense! And that is when, after following the curriculum for a while, I started to create my own. Every single picture book can be a launching pad for new discoveries. I just have to pay attention to what I am reading and not just to the words. If I read carefully, study the illustrations closely and pause to digest it all, so many wonders emerge!

The threads

When I first read a new picture book I read for pure enjoyment of the story. When I read it a second time though, many threads, some visible, some invisible,  jump at me (often they are already obvious the first time around). These threads become the springboard for exploring the story and its background more deeply. These threads can be anything from:

• The moral of the story
• Its historical background
• The costumes in the illustrations
• The feelings, explicit or implicit, evoked by the story
• An art portrayed in the story or the illustrations
• The ideas that surface
• The topic of the story itself
• Anything that ignites your curiosity

The threads can be as concrete as a lighthouse or a specific bird or as hidden as the virtues displayed by the hero.

The Gino Bartali effect

I know I have mentioned this before, but it is such a perfect example of what happens to me when I read a picture book that I want to mention it again. When I first read the picture book, Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero, by Megan Hoyt, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, many invisible threads lifted off the page.  From cycling and the Tour de France to the happenings in Italy during World War II as well as Gino Bartali himself, it sent me down quite a few rabbit trails. Some in which I have never, ever been interested in in the least: cycling and the Tour de France. I honestly always thought the Tour de France boring and  I do not enjoy riding bikes at all. Others I have always had a passion for such as World War II in general. But the point is that this picture book opened my horizons and sent me exploring new things.

How to see the threads

The threads can jump off the page, such as World War II in Italy with Gino Bartalli, or be hidden in the illustrations. For example I went down a serious costume rabbit trail after reading Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. 
I did not even realize  that both picture books were illustrated by Iacopo Bruno until right now.  Interesting… This triggers my desire to know more about this illustrator and his art. And here I go, a new rabbit trail! It’s as easy as that, lol! And highly addicting. You can find more about Mesmerized here.
But all this to say that often the threads are obvious, but at other times they are very delicate and can easily be missed. There is no scientific way to find them, observation and personal interests are the main “thread detectors”.

Extracting the threads

In my head I have a small checklist of what to look for and I make mental notes of each thread. Here is a free printable checklist for you (no worries it’s much neater than what it looks like in my head, lol).

1- Main topic(s)

• Who/what is this book about?
• Where does the story take place (country, natural setting, etc…)
• When does the story take place (specific time period? Timeless?)
• What tickles my curiosity?

2- Theme(s)
Sometimes these can be harder to find.

• What virtue is displayed?
• What is the main message?
• What feelings are triggered?

3- Object(s)

• Can I derive any hands-on activities from this story? 
• Is there any recipe? 
• A craft? 
• A new skill to learn about or to practice?

4- Illustrations

• How does the color palette of the illustrations affect the story?
• What is the medium used? Is it familiar or new?
• Soak in the details, sometimes marvellous things are hidden in the smallest details.
• Can they be used for an art activity?

5- Characters
This circles back to the main topics and themes. 

• What can I learn from this character?
• What has been the historical impact of this character?
• What intrigues me that I would like to learn more about?
• Why is this person important?

6- Setting

• Why was this specific setting chosen for this story?
• Geography: country location, traditions, cultures, languages, climate, etc…
• Natural settings: what can I learn from this? Habitat study

Once I answer all these questions I can dig into my bag of magic tricks, also known as my narration prompts. From these narration prompts I can derive endless enrichment activities surrounding picture books. My imagination, and my children’s imagination, are the limit.

Don’t forget the children!

Oftentimes I do not prepare anything ahead of time. All these questions have become second nature, not just for me but for my children as well. The questions and inquiries will pop out on their own and we will head down rabbit trails together. This is my favorite! This family style learning where everyone is united in new discoveries. Very often my children surprise me with their questions, as they are something that did not jump at me. Each person’s perspective is different and exploring picture books together helps us to understand each other better. It is a magnificent family bonding tool! Of course the same process can take place with chapter books. And it does. But with a picture book it just happens more organically and briskly. It is easier to keep up the excitement and go down rabbit trails promptly.

Not all picture books need to be enriched in this way. Sometimes it happens organically and other times it is better to just enjoy the story. Activities that spring from a picture book should come from wonder and curiosity. They should not be a form of busy work. This is an adventure. A voyage of discovery. From babies discovering a new animal on the page to a teenager writing their own picture book, stories unlock a chance for all of us to immerse ourselves into a new adventure.
Love,
Mattie
PS: For more ideas on how to enrich a picture book, dive into our Picture Book Explorations and in the Booklists.