Blurred vision: the divergence and intersection of illustrations in children’s books

Abstract

In the evolving world of children’s literature, lines get blurred as formats and genres shift and adapt to the demands of readers and society as a whole. Nowhere is this more the case than in illustrations found within children’s literature. Illustrations, and visuals, play an integral role in children’s literature. In this article, the authors describe an emerging trend that comes from the convergence of picture books, comics and graphic novels. They identify this new genre as blended narrative, in which visual and textual media equally share the burden of storytelling. Specific titles from children’s literature are highlighted to showcase examples of blended narratives.

Keywords:

• blended narratives
• picture books
• comics
• graphic novels
• children’s literature

Notes

1. http://meanjin.com.au/blog/post/the-making-of-five-wounds-an-illuminated-novel-part-one.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matthew D. Zbaracki

Matthew D. Zbaracki is a senior lecturer at the Australian Catholic University, where he teaches children’s literature and literacy classes in teacher education courses. His areas of interest include children’s literature, boys and reading, and reading engagement.

Jennifer Geringer

Jennifer Geringer is a faculty member at the University of Wyoming, where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She is particularly interested in the areas of visual literacy and children’s literature as they relate to early literacy development.