Teaching Literary Terms and Devices with Children’s Picture Books
By Hannah Atchison, Youth Services Librarian
English was always one of my favorite subjects. But when it came to learning literary terms, I lost interest quickly. College entry tests included them, so unfortunately, they were a necessity. I dragged my feet through it. The way we teach things plays a huge impact in whether the information taught will be absorbed. Using picture books to teach presents the material in both a fun and accessible way. Picture books can teach literary devices and terms in a way that makes learning them both quick and enjoyable. Here are a few fun reads from the children’s section at our library.
“The Mitten: a Ukrainian Folktale” adapted and illustrated by Jan Brett has magical, cozy illustrations. A mitten is dropped in the snow. Animals looking for warmth on a cold day climb into the mitten and stretch it until even a bear can fit inside. On each preceding page, there is a small picture on the far panel of the next approaching animal. These illustrations can be used to teach foreshadowing and prediction.
“Amelia Bedelia” by Peggy Parish is a beginning reader with pictures about a young woman working as a maid named Amelia Bedelia who takes everything she hears literally. Her misinterpretations of the tasks she is given have hilarious results that make readers of all ages laugh. Idioms can be a tricky concept to teach, but this book makes the experience fun and memorable.
“The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt uses personification of crayons, giving them human characteristics, to present a fun story from their perspectives. The crayons all have opinions about what they would rather be coloring instead of what they are usually used for. Personification is used in a ton of picture books. This is just one popular example.
“They All Saw a Cat” by Brendan Wenzel is about how perspective shapes what people, or animals in this case, see and understand. Each creature name is listed in all caps and the cat’s description is a short summary of the parts that make up a cat, but each illustration of the cat is a little bit different because of the way each creature sees the world and the cat as it relates to them.
“The Whole Hole Story” by Vivian McInerny is a picture book told using the literary method of stream of consciousness. The main character goes on an adventure as she explores the many imaginary uses of a hole. Each thought and experience slip into the next in a whimsical storytelling experience.
“Snappsy the Alligator: ‘Did Not Ask to Be in This Book!’” by Julie Falatko is one of many picture books we have using metalepsis. If you are not familiar with the term, it may help to understand what a frame story is. A frame story is a story within a story, like a folktale, that provides context for the literary piece. Metalepsis works similarly. The story recognizes that there are multiple levels within it: a “self-aware” book. In this story, the way metalepsis is used is by having a continuous conversation between the narrator and the main character, Snappsy, who is correcting them, ending with the narrator joining the story as a character.
“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Bill Martin and John Archambault is a classic from my childhood that uses an abundance of alliteration, words that touch that use the same beginning sound or letter. It is also an excellent example for teaching young children how to hear syllables in words by using the rhythm of the text.
“Poopsie Gets Lost” by Hannah E. Harrison is one of my current favorites. Poopsie is a house cat who is being convinced by “the narrator” to leave her home and explore the jungle outside. During the course of the story, both the reader and Poopsie slowly realize that maybe they shouldn’t be listening to “the narrator” after all. It’s a silly and dangerous adventure that also teaches the concept of an unreliable narrator. Don’t worry. It still has a happy ending.
Everything is better with picture books. Why not make the learning experience more fun? Picture books can be used to teach many things. Maybe there are other tricky concepts they can assist you and your students with. If you need help gathering more suggestions, you know where to find us.
Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Manhattan Public Library serves more than 75,000 people in the Riley County area through curated book and other media collections, knowledgeable staff, relevant programming for all ages, and meeting space. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.
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Hannah Atchison, Youth Services Librarian