Throughout the years children’s books have changed dramatically. The messages the stories have been trying to convey have not changed much; however, the ways the messages are being conveyed have changed to ways that are more relatable. Based off the two books I have read it seems as if the way the authors are speaking to the readers have also changed. Writers have become more creative while also addressing larger problems in our world today. Beyond the stylistic change in text there were changes in artwork that have also evolved throughout the years. It seems that in the 1950’s the artwork in the children’s books were a bit more frightening. I found this to be typically due to the color pallet and artistic styles that were available in the time of publication.
The messages of many children’s books have changed what they’d like to focus on. I noticed that in Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran the Zoo the message was talking about the power that children had. This was mainly due to the illustrations that were available; it was seen on the 2nd page where the narrator, Gerald McGrew, had switched positions with the zoo keeper. The story continues to speak about the changes that Young Gerald McGrew would bring about; such as “Let the animals go, and start over again. And, somehow or other, I think I could find Some beast of a much more un-usual kind,” (Seuss 4). Seuss allows Gerald to become more imaginative with the animals he stores in the zoo which in turns lets him expand his creativity. I also believe one of the overall themes in the story is to make yourself stand out and not fall into the norms of society. This was mainly through how young Gerald McGrew changes the entire zoo to involve things that are more exotic than the typical lions and ...
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...rs such as black, white, and pink.
In conclusion, the messages these stories have been trying to convey have not changed much but the way they are connecting to the audience has. Dr. Seuss conveys his message by allowing young Gerald McGrew to become more empowered and change things through his own free will; whereas, Daywalt uses crayons to show that they can be used for anything and don’t have to be used for things that are typically colored in a specific way. But, we can see that though the messages are the same the ways that the illustrations are different show the greatest difference between the two stories and how they connect to their audiences. Dr. Seuss shows that a child 's creativity is unlimited and can create things that haven’t been thought of. However, Daywalt is trying to tell his audience that is it okay to be creative and change things as you wish.
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. To Theodor Robert Geisel and Henrietta Seuss Geisel. His father was a successful brewmaster. All of his grandparents were German immigrants. His father managed the family brewery and later was a supervisor of Springfield’s public park system. The family brewery was closed because of the Prohibition his father had to get a different job he got the park system job from the mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts John A. Denison.
Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodore Seuss, has written many poems as well as short stories, and is considered one of the greatest children’s author in history. His silly stories are able to excite children in ways that make them want read. His Wife says,” Ted doesn’t sit down to write for children. He writes to amuse himself;” Little do children know that often, in his stories, there is a lot of political undertone, a few examples include The Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, The Sneethces, and The Butter Battle Book. If you were to really critique some of his books or poems, you might see that some of his themes wouldn’t seem to pertain to children. But what he’s doing, is hoping that they will understand the main idea of the story enough that it challenges them to stand against the crowd of judgment and evil. Take notice of the issues around them, and make a change. He feels that they deserve to know about the issues, just as much as adults do. He is showing them early on, telling them that they do not need adults to make a difference.
I agree whole-heartedly with the conclusions that she drew from her observations. It is very hard to get the whole “picture” from a children’s storybook that has no pictures. The children find it harder to identify with the characters and often find these books boring. Being able to see the pictures helps them to make connections with either the characters or with their personal experiences. For example, all small children can identify with the little monkey, George, in Rey’s Curious George. On page 27 of the book, we see George smoking a pipe because he saw the man in the yellow hat smoking it. At some point in every child’s life, he has seen an adult doing something unfamiliar and wanted to try it, just like George did. This would be a good point at which the child could articulate one of his experiences to a class or friend, helping him to become more comfortable with speaking about and sharing his thoughts.
Despite the importance of preserving nature, commercial growth has taken precedence, resulting in an exploitation of natural resources.
After a four week survey of a multitude of children’s book authors and illustrators, and learning to analyze their works and the methods used to make them effective literary pieces for children, it is certainly appropriate to apply these new skills to evaluate a single author’s works. Specifically, this paper focuses on the life and works of Ezra Jack Keats, a writer and illustrator of books for children who single handedly expanded the point of view of the genre to include the experiences of multicultural children with his Caldecott Award winning book “Snowy Day.” The creation of Peter as a character is ground breaking in and of itself, but after reading the text the reader is driven to wonder why “Peter” was created. Was he a vehicle for political commentary as some might suggest or was he simply another “childhood” that had; until that time, been ignored? If so, what inspired him to move in this direction?
Particularly in the passage¨The Stripes Will Survive,¨ the author Jacqueline Adams presents the idea that zoos are going to protect animals that are going extinct. In the passage it says, ¨Educational programs help the local people understand the need to protect Siberian tigers.¨ This piece of evidence shows the reader that zoos are trying to protect as many animals as they can. These places are trying to make it more comfortable and inviting for the animal. Also, the passage mention that, ¨Siberian tigers in the wild has doubled.¨ This tells the reader that what the zoos are doing actually makes a difference. These tigers were about to go extinct, but with the help of zoos they are no longer endangered.
Whalley, J. (2009) ‘Texts and Pictures: A History’ in Montgomery H and Watson N (eds), Children’s Literature Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan in association with Open University, pp.299-310
Children literature is a term that refers to the texts written for children. The artist uses creative ways to ensure that children are provided with educational books, touching on a variety of themes. This paper will include comparison of two characters from the two texts, “Hana's Suitcase: A True Story,” authored by Karen Levine and “Charlotte’s Web,” written by E.B. White, with the aim of understanding ways in which problems are solvable as indicated by selected characters.
Norton, D. E., & Norton. S. (2011). Through The Eyes Of a Child. An Introduction To Children’s Literature. Boston, MA, 02116: Eight-Edition Pearson Education
According to literary critic Clifton Fadiman, “Theodor Geisel Seuss provided ingenious and uniquely witty solutions to the standing problem of illiteracy among children (qtd. in Kaplan).” Due to various influential figures and profound experiences during his lifetime, as well as expert use of creative literary techniques, Theodor Seuss Geisel’s children’s books continue to compel readers of all ages – allowing them to escape into different worlds filled with nonsense.
Seuss has made several contributions to literature. In numerous, if not all of his writings, Seuss uses funky rhymes, outlandish characters, and ties his story together with a heartfelt theme. (4) In relation to his works, Seuss himself said it best, “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple”(5); and I believe that this can relate to his works. The majority of Seuss’s books were children’s books, which contained an underlying message. By using his imagination and the way he arranged his words, he was able use the simplest words to create the biggest impact. Although he was immensely involved in his books, Dr. Seuss had a personal life as well. Behind the scenes, was a woman named Audrey Stone [Geisel], who greatly impacted and influenced his books later on in his life. (6) Because Seuss was successful, he received several awards. Some of these include: Lifetime of Contribution to Children’s Literature, An Academy award for “Gerald McBoing-Boing” (Best Cartoon, 1951). An Emmy for “Halloween is Grinch Night”. (7) It is obvious that Dr. Seuss’s writings have been and will continue to be loved and
... (eds), Children’s Literature Classic Text and Contemporary Trends, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan in association with Open University
Jones, Marnie. "The Threat to Imagination in Children's Literature." International Journal of the Book 3.2 (2005/2006): 71-76. Print.
A children book is an extremely substantial and significant form of literature. It educates, affects and amuses at the same time. Although its main audience are the small children, the majority of adults in fact enjoy this type of literature as much as children do. This can be explained by the capacity of children literature to deal with great themes and topics that are too large for adult fiction. (Philip Pullman) For its great importance, the style and technique by which it is produced, is a major concern for both of the authors and critics. One technique has a particular impact in the children book, that is to say, illustration. Bearing the visual nature of children in mind, we understand that their books should be delivered with
However, educational benefits zoos provide are minimal because animals are in their unnatural environment and behave differently. In his book Wild Animals in Captivity, Rob Laidlaw describes how animal behavior at zoos is completely different from behavior in natural environments. Small spaces and boredom leads to frustration and repetitive actions, such as a monkey rocking back and forth continuously. Laidlaw writes, “At many of the zoos I visit, I see animals doing things their species never do in the wild” (Laidlaw 9). Therefore, what an individual observes at the zoo is untrue to the animal’s natural behavior and the educational experience is false. Moreover, there would be more of an educational benefit from watching documentaries about animals in the wild or reading books on how certain species behave and interact. Even though zoos provide up close interaction with animals, they lack the ability to educate visitors on how animals truly behave. Additionally in a study that further undermines the educational value of zoos, Eric Jenson’s “Evaluating Children 's Conservation Biology Learning at the Zoo” examines the before and after effects surrounding children’s (ages 7-15) knowledge of animals and conservation. He found that the standard unguided zoo experience resulted in negative understanding of animals and their habitats. Only when children were lead by a guide where they more likely to