Running Head: LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

Literary Analysis: Award Winning Picture Books

Allison Blansett
University of Maryland, College Park

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

Part I
How can one sift through the thousands of picture books in the library or monitor the
hundreds of books that students come into contact with? According to Kathleen Horning (2010),
one must critically analyze literature through the processes of evaluation and review (p. 1). When
analyzing literature, the process includes evaluating the text, the illustrations, and the
integration of the two (Horning, 2010, p. 87). Breaking the picture book down into parts allows
the critic to evaluate how its components fit together (Horning, 2010, p. 87).
As already noted, picture books can be broken down into text and illustrations; however, text
can then be broken down into structure, patterned language, predictability, pace, and the
components of these elements. An important thing critics must look for is patterned language
such as rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and questions (Horning, 2010, p. 89). When these elements
are working together in the text of a story to create a patterned language, the text will hold the
attention of the reader and children will be more engaged in the reading. The use of rhythm and
rhyme orchestrates the sound of the story when it is read out loud through variation in line
lengths and a pleasing repetition of sounds and sentences that appear throughout the story
(Horning, 2010, p. 90). Both rhyme and repetition also contribute to the predictability of a story
through the repetition of sounds or repeated lines that can encourage a child to supply the last
word in a couplet or a phrase in a sentence (Horning, 2010, p. 90). While rhythm, rhyme, and
repetition work together skillfully to create patterned language, questions add variety to the
sound and rhythm of the text because they are generally read with a different intonation
(Horning, p. 2010, 91). Questions are also important because they encourage the child to give an
answer, or at least think about the questions, involving the child in the story and making it more
interesting (Horning, 2010, p. 91).

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

The parts evaluated by illustrations include pictures, visual elements, composition, and
media, along with the style of the illustrations. Line, shape, texture, color, and value are
important components of the visual elements and have a big impact on how the reader views the
illustrations. The critic should analyze how these components work with the components of
composition, such as dominance, balance, contrast, gradation, alternation, variation, harmony,
and unity. For instance, dominance draws the eye to certain reference points in a picture by
working with lines, shapes, colors, and contrast (Horning, 2010, p. 98). In analyzing illustrations,
it is important for the critic to look for things like a predictable sequence, variation or continuity
in the use of elements, what colors are used, what and how shapes are used, etc. (Horning, 2010,
p. 101). The critic must also analyze how the illustrations relate to the story and whether they
clarify the story and take it beyond its words (Horning, 2010, p. 101). Through the following
evaluation of various award-winning childrens books, one may understand in more depth how to
analyze and critique picture books.
Part II
Descriptive
Mac Barnetts picture book, Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, won the Boston GlobeHorn Book Award in 2012. This 40-page fiction childrens book is about a little girl who lives in
a cold town and finds a box of colorful yarn. Black and white pictures with some color
throughout illustrate the story of Anabelles magical box that does not run out of yarn when she
knits. Anabelle knits sweaters for the whole town, brightening it up, until an archduke steals the
box of yarn, only to discover that it is empty when he opens it. However, when the box is
returned to Anabelle, she finds it full of yarn and continues knitting away.
Analytical

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

The use of patterned language, predictability, and pace is implemented effectively throughout
Barnetts writing. Repetition and rhythm work together to create predictability in the text with
the repetition of the phrase Annabelle still had extra yarn (Barnett, 2012). As the main
character knits sweaters for person after person and animal after animal, a child being read this
story would be able to supply the phrase extra yarn at the end of the sentence Anabelle still
had . . . as this statement is a pattern in the story after Anabelle knits something (Barnett, 2012).
Repetition and rhythm are also present as the text balances lists of the people, animals, and
objects that Anabelle knits sweaters for with short sentences containing three or four accented
beats throughout. For instance, repetition is found in the passage She made sweaters for all the
dogs, and all the cats, and for other animals, too, followed by the sentence Soon, people
thought, soon Anabelle will run out of yarn (Barnett, 2012). The repetition of phrases such as
all the . . . and soon . . . soon creates rhythm as one reads aloud, followed by the statement
But it turned out she didnt (Barnett, 2012). This pattern of Anabelle knits a lot of sweaters,
she must be running out of yarn, but she still has extra yarn, then Anabelle knits more sweaters
continues throughout the first half of the book, contributing to the element of predictability that
enables children to predict what happens next or what phrase comes next. The pace of the text
creates drama in the turn of a page as the child is being read to. For example, Anabelles teacher
and class do not believe that Anabelle has enough yarn to knit sweaters for everyone and the
page of this segment ends with them protesting that it is impossible. As the page is being turned
it creates a sense of what is going to happen next and causes the reader to ask a mental
question: Will Anabelle be able to knit them all sweaters? With the turn of the page the reader
finds out that Anabelle did indeed have enough yarn to knit sweaters for the whole class.

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

Along with the authors effective use of predictability, pacing, rhythm, and repetition, the
illustrator does a good job of using dominance in order to connect important parts of the text to
the illustrations. The way Klassen creates dominance in his illustrations is by making something
brighter. In this case, he illustrates a town, people, and objects with shades of black, gray, and
white, while the box of yarn that the main character finds contains bright, multi-colored yarn.
This causes the yarn to stand out in the pictures as Anabelle knits countless sweaters in the town.
One page in the book contains only the sentence Things began to change in that town, (2012)
accompanied by a two-page illustration of the town with yarn knitted sweaters covering all of the
buildings, animals, and other objects (Barnett). The colorfulness of the yarn standing out in the
illustrations gives the sense that the town is becoming brighter as Anabelle knits sweaters and
brings color to the life of the town. This technique contributes to pointing out the ideas and
themes that the writer is trying to convey to the reader through the illustrations.
Sociological
It can be interpreted that two major messages in Extra Yarn are the idea of creating world
peace, or peace in a community, and the idea of being selfless. In the book, Annabelle knits
sweaters for a boy who bullied her, a man who doesnt want a sweater (may be homeless), an
antagonizing teacher and class, and for the rest of the town. As this is happening, the statement is
made that things began to change in that little town and it is connected to the illustration of the
bright-colored yarn covering everything that is black. This visual image of colorful yarn covering
the town portrays the impact that the yarn has made in unifying the town and bringing color and
brightness, which could symbolize love and peace, to the dark little town. The idea of being
selfless may provide the generalization that those who are selfless will live more happily than
those who are selfish. In the story, as the world finds out about the miracle box of yarn that

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

Annabelle has, a wealthy archduke travels to the town to buy the box of yarn from Annabelle;
however, she refuses to sell it for any price. The archduke then steals the box of yarn; when he
gets back to his house and opens the box of yarn to knit, he finds it empty, gets angry, and throws
it out the window, cursing the little girl with unhappiness. But when the box of yarn floats down
a body of water, it eventually reaches Annabelle and she is happy again, despite the ugly curse.
Descriptive
Mordicai Gersteins picture book based on a true story, The Man Who Walked Between the
Towers, won the Caldecott Award in 2004. This 36-page book is about the street performer
Phillippe Petit, who walked on a tight rope between the World Trade Center twin towers in New
York City. Written as a non-fiction book for children, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
is filled with many colorful illustrations, including some pages with multiple illustrations. This
book is written in third person in order to tell about Petits adventure walking between the
towers, and reminisces the absence of the towers at the end of the story.
Analytical
In The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, Gersteins use of patterned language and
pacing effectively creates engaging text for children to listen to. Throughout the story, Gerstein
incorporates rhythm and rhyme in a poetic manner, giving pleasant sound to the reading. He asks
questions throughout the story, such as Who would come and get him? that do an effective job
of involving the reader in the actions taking place in the story (Gerstein, 2003). The pacing of
this story contributes to the intensity of the actions taking place by creating a sense of drama
when the reader turns the page. For instance, as Petit prepares to start walking the wire, there is
an illustration of his foot stepping onto the wire with the text As the rising sun lit up the towers,
out he stepped onto the wire written just before the turn of the next page. This gives the reader

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

anticipation to find out what happens when Petit begins walking on the wire (Gerstein, 2003).
Each page has only a few sentences that are not very lengthy which results in effective pacing.
The abbreviated text helps retain the attention of children.
Illustrated with ink and oil paintings, Gerstein is able to bring the story to life through the use
of line, bright colors, and other elements of illustration. The use of vertical lines throughout
illustrations points the readers eye to the tall height of the twin towers as they rise dramatically
on the pages. Horizontal and diagonal lines are also used on various illustrations in order to
capture the actions taking place as Petit performs on the street and walks on the wire between the
towers. Gerstein also does a great job using the illustrations to extend the text with the painting
of a bird flying at the same level as Petit as he is walking on the wire, accompanied by the text
. . . as if he were walking on the air itself. Many winds whirled up from between the towers, and
he swayed with them . . . He felt alone and happy and absolutely free (Gerstein, 2003). The
illustration of the wire, the flying bird, and the large-scale scenery that Petit can see from his
view complements and extends the text on that page. Another significant way that Gerstein
creates drama and emotion as he extends the text through illustration is the surprising page
without any illustration at all. On this blank page, the sentence Now the towers are gone are
written in the center with only an illustration of New York City without the towers on the
neighboring page. This lack of illustration with a sentence that reveals unexpected news to the
reader creates a sense of emotion and remorse as one reads about the loss. Through his
illustrations, Gerstein was able to work with the text in a way that took the story beyond its
words and truly extended the plot (Horning, 2010 p. 101).
Sociological

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

In The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, Gerstein takes a memorable, artistic event that
happened over 40 years ago and connects it to a devastating tragedy that happened in New York
City only 13 years ago. This book gives an effective gateway to present a real life tragedy down
to a level that a child can begin to understand. Although this book does a great job of depicting
real-life events, it does not do a great job of accurately representing the diversity in New York
City. The primary racial features represented in the illustrations of this book are those of white
Americans, leaving out the population of African Americans and other ethnic backgrounds that
lived in New York during the 1970s. This flaw adds to the problem of white supremacy in the
underrepresentation of other races in childrens books.
Descriptive
Beautiful Blackbird, written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan, won the Coretta Scott King
Award in 2004. This 36-page, nonfiction childrens book is about the colorful birds of Africa
who believe the most beautiful bird among them is the blackbird. The colorful birds want the
blackbird to decorate them with some of his blackening brew so by the end of the book they
are all decorated with various spots and patterns of black. This book is illustrated with the
medium of collage. It looks as though the birds and objects in the illustrations were cut out of
colorful paper with scissors and arranged on the pages.
Analytical
Bryans use of patterned language creates an energetic and engaging story through the text in
Beautiful Blackbird. Rhythm is very present in the text with phrases such as flip-flop-flapping
of their wings and whirring, stirring of the air (Bryan, 2003). These phrases in particular, due
to Bryans choice of words, sound very much like what they describe. This rhythmic pattern of
words holds the attention of young children as the words are fun, realistic descriptors. The

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

rhythm, rhyme, and repetition work together to guide the reader into reading in an energetic,
sing-song way. Phrases like clean, clear colors that have a repetition of sound add rhyme as
does the repetition of words such as in the sentence Oh so pretty, pretty, pretty! (Bryan, 2003).
Emphasis on ending sounds that rhyme in a poetic way contribute to the sing-song sound of the
story, such as the sentence, Whether large or small, Blackbird was the only bird who had it all
(Bryan, 2003).
Bryans illustrations highlight the text by using bright, bold colors that catch the readers eye
and hold the childs attention. With the use of dominance, Bryan is able to make Blackbird stand
out among the other birds because he is the only black image present in the illustrations. There is
not much texture used in the illustrations which makes them appear very flat, however, the use of
bright colors and bold bird shapes directs the eyes of the reader. With the use of shape, the birds
are represented mostly by curved shapes as objects in nature typically are. In these ways, the
bold characteristics of Bryans illustrations complement the text by enhancing the sing-song,
energetic style of the story.
Sociological
This story involving all colorful birds and only one black bird may send messages about
racial representations to readers. If the character, Blackbird, symbolizes a black person (whether
that be African, or African-American) this book may give a positive message about having pride
in being black. For instance, this book may be good for a young child who feels different from
the other children based on color or another significant feature. This book sends a positive selfimage to the child who feels like the odd-one-out while also sending a message to others about
embracing the differences that the unique person has (represented in the story by the colorful
birds wanting to be like Blackbird and also have some black). Given that the setting of this story

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOKS

is Africa, it also may be enjoyable and relatable for students who are of African descent and/or
students that are learning about African tribes and culture, as this book does a good job of
represented colorful tribal colors that one notices in the clothing worn in traditional African
tribes.
Description
2015 Pura Belpre Illustrator Award Honor Book, Little Roja Riding Hood, is written by
Susan Middleton Elya and illustrated by Susan Guevara. This is a 32-page-long retelling of the
classic folk story with a cultural twist and the inclusion of Spanish words throughout. The main
character, Roja, is sent by her mother to take soup to her sick grandmother which entails walking
through the forest. A sly wolf distracts Roja in the forest and heads to the grandmothers house
with the intention of eating both the grandmother and Roja. However, at the end of the story, the
grandmother and Roja defeat the wolf with the use of their intelligence and self-defense. This
book has realistic, colorful illustrations that highlight Latino culture.
Analytical
In the text of Little Roja Riding Hood, components of patterned language create an engaging
text that entertains children. The text is written in a rhyming pattern, at the end of every line
there is a word or combination of sounds that rhymes with the word at the end of the next
sentence, such as Where are you going in your capa so red? To see mi abuela, Red
suspiciously said (Elya, 2014). Rhyme and repetition work together with a careful choice of
words and sounds to give rhythm to this story as one reads. For instance, the sentence, She set
down her basket, her capa and hood (2014)exemplifies how Elyas careful choice of words
guide the reader in a rhythmic way. The use of questions is also present in the text, in a way that
encourages the child to respond. In one part of the story, Roja is heading through the forest,

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Then from a tree came a question. Who was it? (Elya, 2014). In this segment, the child would
notice the illustration of the wolf hiding in the hole of a tree and would answer the question
mentally or out loud. These components of patterned language that are evident in the text work
together to effectively engage the child in the reading.
While the text has effective elements of patterned language, the illustrations also have
effective components of visual elements and composition. In this book there is a balanced use of
warm and cool primary and complementary colors in the illustrations. The use of colors and the
medium gives the wolf and other characters texture, enhancing the sensual feeling to artwork
(Horning, 2010, p. 97). Guevara also uses dominance throughout the illustrations by making
objects or characters larger in order to make stand out. The effective combination of color,
dominance, and texture enhances the illustrations in a way that they draw the readers attention.
Sociological
The inclusion of Spanish words that flow with this text makes it a good book for a child who
is learning Spanish. It allows the child to hear common words in Spanish in regular context with
giving the opportunity to stop and discuss what the words are translated. However, the
illustrations in this book portray controversial elements, such as stereotypes of Latino culture.
For instance, the wolf is illustrated wearing a bandana and a skull necklace which may
misrepresent Latino males with a gang-related appearance or the misrepresentation that a Latino
dressed in that way means harm. These are controversial elements to be aware of when sharing
this book with children.
Part III
Conducting these critiques was a learning experience that I would not have received if I had
only read Hornings book. Through the tedious process of analyzing these four childrens books

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in order to critique them and make judgements, I learned, with practice, how to look for and find
elements such as patterned language, predictability, pacing, visual elements, composition, and
media.
I now will be more aware of the elements that make a childrens book engaging and
successful and will put this new skill into practice as I pick out childrens books at the library for
the young children that I care for. When I am a teacher, I will then have more experience
critiquing and making judgements about childrens book so that I may do so more effectively for
my future students. I better understand the individual parts of a childrens book and the
significance of how well they work together in order to create text, structure, and illustrations
that appeal to children.
A key issue that came up as I read literature was the misrepresentations of groups of people,
such as Latinos, and the underrepresentation of groups of people, such as African-American,
Asian-American, Hispanic-American, etc. After reading various books and picking them apart, it
is very important, to me, to have books in my future classroom library that have mirrors and
windows for students. It is exciting, as a white American, to read a book like Beautiful Blackbird
that highlights characteristics of African culture and a book like Little Roja Riding Hood that
highlights characteristics of Latino culture (excluding that some of the representations were
stereotypical), just as it is exciting to read a book that mirrors who I am and what my life is like.
With a diverse society, it is important that my future students experience diversity through
reading as often as possible and are able to grow up with diversity as the norm, rather than
feeling as if those that are different from them are strange.

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References
Barnett, M. (2012). Extra Yarn. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Bryan, A. (2003). Beautiful Blackbird. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. An
Imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division.
Elya, S. M. (2014). Little Roja Riding Hood. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons.
Gerstein, M. (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Connecticut: Roaring Brook
Press.
Horning, K. T. (2010). From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Childrens Books.
New York: Collins. An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.