The Power of Visuals: Picture Books as Invitations to Literacy

Authors

Mary Jo Skillings, California State University San Bernardino

Keywords

reading, literacy education, elementary education

Abstract

When young children are exposed to picture books, they are building important bridges to literacy. Picture books are sometimes defined as a storybook with a dual narrative. That is, the illustrations and text work interdependently, the integration of the visual and the verbal tell the story. The illustrations add a new dimension that extends beyond the words on the page; together, the text and pictures make the story stronger. A well crafted picture book is a feast for the eyes of a young child. The illustrations awaken and develop the child’s visual, mental, and verbal imagination.

Author Statement

Dr Mary Jo Skillings is a professor in the College of Education at California State University San Bernardino

Recommended Citation

Skillings, Mary Jo (2006) "The Power of Visuals: Picture Books as Invitations to Literacy," Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice: Vol. 2: No. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/wie/vol2/iss1/6