Book Review Summary

In Pictures and In Words

Chapter 7

Ideas and Content,

In Pictures and In Words

Katie Wood Ray writes, “as a teacher of young writers it is essential that I understand the importance of seeing an illustration and thinking about the idea work behind it. Idea work is some thing children will need to understand to become proficient writers. Illustrators, just like writers, have to have and develop good ideas for their illustrations”
When turning the pages of a picture book, you will see the result of an illustrator’s idea work. Illustrators are making content decisions just as writers do. The words may suggest the content, but the illustrator  still has to have and develop an idea for how she will picture those suggestions.
Decision making is at the heart of developing an idea. The content is a product of  making many decisions. Some content decisions illustrators must make are, what will I picture in my picture, single or multiple illustrations, what angle will I use, what perspective will I use,  how much background detail, will my illustration extend the words or stick close to them?
If children understand that illustrations are an end result of someone’s idea about content you will be supporting their growing understanding that this is also an essential quality of good writing. Katie Ray Wood writes, “You’ll be helping them learn what it means to grow and shape an idea into engaging, even surprising content.”