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The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
Visual
Literacy Activities
for
the 2002 Shortlist
by Liz George
LEARNING TO LOOK
This activity is to encourage children to look more closely
and critically at illustrations and to explore in which ways they
support, interact with and extend the meanings of the text. It can
be modelled whilst working with the whole class or a mixed ability
group, it encourages children to offer their personal interpretation
of the illustration and to share and shape their ideas orally in
a collaborative setting.
To do this focus on one illustration from each book (suggestions
below). If possible give children one copy of the picture to share
between two or put one enlarged picture up on the flip chart.
Give them several minutes to look at the picture and jot down their
immediate responses in note form using words or phrases. You may
find the questions below useful to further explore the illustrative
work of each of the Illustrators and to consider the style
and techniques they use.
WRITE IT DOWN
Harvest children’s responses and record their descriptions and comments
on a flip chart. Are there any aspects of the picture that they
find particularly interesting or puzzling?
THE SHORTLIST
SIMON BARTRAM Man On The Moon
Templar Publishing(age range 5+)
NICK BUTTERWORTH Albert le Blanc
Collins (age range 3+)
LAUREN CHILD That Pesky Rat
Orchard Books (age range 5+)
LAUREN CHILD Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Book?
Hodder Children’s Books (age range 6+)
BOB GRAHAM Jethro Byrde, Fairy Child
Walker Books (age range 4+)
DAVID MELLING The Kiss That Missed
Hodder Children’s Books (age range 4+)
NICK SHARRATT Pants
David Fickling Books (age range 2+)
HELEN WARD The Cockerel And The Fox
Templar Publishing (age range 6+)
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Man on the Moon
TELL
ME ABOUT SIMON BARTRAM’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most appropriate
for the children you are working with…
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What
is your immediate response to Bob?
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Who
is he looking at?
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How
would you describe Bob’s position on the page-what effect
does this have on the reader?
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Have
you seen/met a character similar to Bob before?
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Which
parts of Bob remind you of someone/something else?
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Can
you relate to or empathise with Bob-why has he been drawn
in this way?
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When
and where is this story taking place? Consider: time in history,
time of year, time of day
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How
has the illustrator drawn your attention to these details?
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How
would you describe this room?
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Where
would you imagine the ‘man in the moon’ to live? How does
Simon Bartram’s illustration compare with the picture in your
mind’s eye?
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What
do you notice about the composition of this picture?
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Why
has the illustrator chosen to include so many artefacts –what
is their effect?
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How
does the view through the window influence what you think
may happen next in the story?
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How has this pictures been presented for example as a freeze
frame, a close up, a long shot etc.?
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How
much has the illustrator involved you in telling this story?
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How
does the illustrator involve you in the illustration, e.g.
an outside observer, a bystander, a friend, a participant
in the action etc?
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How has this picture been created for example, 3D computer
graphics, pen and ink, watercolour etc?
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How
does the use of colour influence the mood and atmosphere of
the picture?
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Are
there any other characters in the picture?
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What
do you notice about the layout and font of the text, how does
it influence the way you speak the words and how does it interact
with this picture of Bob?
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How
would you describe the style Simon Bartram has used to draw
the characters, realistic, caricature, cartoon, etc?
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What
sort of a story do you think this is going to be judging from
this, the first page?
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Do
you notice any humour or jokes, how has the illustrator engaged
your attention?
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Albert Le Blanc
TELL
ME ABOUT NICK BUTTERWORTH’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most appropriate
for the children you are working with…
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When
and where is this story taking place? Consider: time in history,
time of year, time of day
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How
has the illustrator drawn your attention to these details?
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Who
is the central character on this page?
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How
has the illustrator created the focus on the bear?
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What
is the effect of the light coming through the window?
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What
do you think the bear will feel like- can you describe the
touch?
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How
does the shape and attitude of the bear influence your response
to him?
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What
is the response of the other toys in the shop?
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How
has this pictures been presented for example as a freeze frame,
a close up, a long shot etc.?
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How
would you describe the atmosphere in the shop?
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How
has the illustrator involved you in telling this story?
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How
does the illustrator involve you in the illustration, e.g.
an outside observer, a bystander, a friend, a participant
in the action etc?
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What
do you notice about the use of colours in the illustration?
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What
do you notice about the application of the colour and attention
to detail?
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Why
has the illustrator chosen to use for example pen and ink,
pastel, crayon, water colour etc?
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What do you notice about the other toys in the illustration
for e.g. facial expression, bodily gestures, emotions, position
in the picture etc?
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Who/what
do you think they are?
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What
are they doing?
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Why
are they there?
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Are
any of the toys familiar to you?
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Does
the inclusion of other, familiar story book characters affect
your involvement with the illustration/story?
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How
would you describe the style Nick Butterworth has used to
draw this scene: realistic, cartoon, nostalgic etc?
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Are
you drawn to revisit the illustration, what more do you learn
from it, in terms of the story being told, the layers of meaning
added by the illustrator etc?
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That Pesky Rat
TELL
ME ABOUT LAUREN CHILD’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most appropriate
for the children you are working with…
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Where
is the scene in this picture taking place?
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What
can you see through the window-where are you?
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What
can you hear inside and out?
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How
would you describe this room?
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What
does the room tell you about Mr Washington, the man who lives
here?
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What
do you imagine is the relationship he has with his cat?
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What
do you notice about Lauren Child’s use of colour and design-why
has she chosen to colour the cat and rat in a similar tone?
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How
is the text integrated into the overall design of the page?
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How
does the layout of the text influence how you read the words
and pictures?
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What
is the effect of the movement created by the cat and rat?
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How
does the image on the TV screen contribute to the mood/atmosphere?
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How
has Lauren Child created the layers of this picture?
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Is
there anything that puzzles or surprises you about her techniques?
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Can
you imagine the rest of this apartment?
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Is
it a good place for a cat or a rat to live?
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Who
would enjoy reading this book?
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Who’s Afraid of
the Big Bad Book?
TELL
ME ABOUT LAUREN CHILD’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most appropriate
for the children you are working with…
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What
are your first impressions when you look at this page?
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Where
are you-inside or outside the picture?
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How
has Lauren Child brought the reader inside the Bear’s house?
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What
sort of house is this?
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Where
is it?
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What
attention to detail allows you to fully create their home
environment?
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What
can you smell, hear and taste from inside this room?
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What
do you notice about the perspective and views the reader is
offered -how does this influence how you read and respond
to the page?
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What
do you notice about Lauren Child’s use of materials, textures
and patterns?
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What
techniques has Lauren Child used in her composition of this
illustration?
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Describe
how you read the images and text -how do your eyes travel
across the page?
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What
do you notice about the text-the size, density of colour,
choice of font, use of upper and lower case, and its layout
on the page?
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Does
the written text influence your interpretation of the characters
and how they speak their lines?
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In
what ways does this page draw on the traditional version of
Goldilocks and the Three Bears and in what ways has Lauren
Child changed the emphasis- how are these changes suggested/depicted?
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How
have the words and images on this page influenced your view
of these characters?
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How would you describe Baby Bear - does he meet the traditional
expectations of this character?
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How
has Lauren Child chosen to depict Goldilocks in terms of her
visual appearance and body language?
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How
has the illustrator framed Goldilocks speech-what effect does
this have on its volume within the room?
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Who
would enjoy sharing this book?
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Jethro Byrde Fairy
Child
TELL
ME ABOUT BOB GRAHAM’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most appropriate
for the children you are working with…
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Which
character do you immediately notice on this page-why?
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How
does the illustrator draw your attention to Jethro Byrde?
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What
attention to detail do you immediately notice?
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How
does this affect your appreciation of the scale?
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What
do you notice about the artist’s use of line, colour and colour
wash- what medium do you think he has used to create this
effect?
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What
movement do you notice in these pictures –how would you describe
it jerky, sudden, subtle, natural?
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What
techniques has the illustrator used to convey movement?
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How
does the illustrator involve you in the picture for e.g. are
you an outside observer, a bystander, a friend, a participant
in the action etc?
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Do
you notice any humour, what form does this take?
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What
is the relationship between the written text and the illustrations
on this double page spread-how do you read it e.g. pictures
first, text first, picture and text together?
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How
would you describe these illustrations-realistic, warm, comic,
cartoon-like, gentle, sympathetic, lively, expressive etc?
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How
has the illustrator triggered your response to this picture?
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What
emotions are being expressed - how does it make you feel?
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How
has the illustrator controlled your emotional responses?
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Where
is this picture taking place-what clues are you given?
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Describe
the setting-what in your mind’s eye, can you see, hear, taste,
smell, beyond the picture?
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Why
do you think Bob Graham has chosen to make it so minimal?
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How
is the picture presented for example as a cartoon strip, a
series of fragmented images, a freeze frame, a close up etc?
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Does
the text work without the illustration and vice versa?
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In
what ways does the picture compliment, elaborate, embellish,
or extend the detail of the written text?
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The Kiss That Missed
TELL
ME ABOUT DAVID MELLING’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most appropriate
for the children you are working with…
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Look
at the series of illustrations on this double page spread.
Which of the pictures has most impact and why?
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How
do your eyes move across the pages to read the visual images?
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How
do you read these pages, i.e. all the pictures or all the
text first, the text and picture together?
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Does
the way that you read the pages affect the flow of the story
and your understanding of it?
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How
have the pictures been presented for example as a cartoon
strip, a series of fragmented images, a freeze frame, a close
up etc.?
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These
are quite noisy pages-what can you hear? How does this affect
your understanding of this place and the people who live in
it?
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Describe
what you can hear in the courtyard when the King delivers
his message, “Follow that kiss!” How do you know that it sounds
like that?
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How
has David Melling depicted the relationship between the King
and the Queen?
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How
much has the illustrator involved you in telling this story?
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Are
the illustrations similar to pictures you have seen before?
What do they remind you of?
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Why
has David Melling chosen to set the picture of the Knight
at an angle going across the gutter of the book?
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What
is the effect of bordering this illustration with a crystal
frame?
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How
would you describe the character of the horse and in what
ways does our understanding of his character help us to start
interpreting the character of the Knight?
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What
do you notice about the use of colours in the illustration?
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What
do you notice about the application of the colour, why has
the illustrator chosen to use for example pen and ink, water
colour etc?
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Does
the use of light and dark affect your response to the picture?
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What
do you notice about any figures in the illustration for e.g.
facial expression, bodily gestures, emotions, position in
the picture etc?
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Who/what
do you think they are?
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What
are they doing?
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Why
are they there?
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How
would you describe the style David Melling has used to draw
the characters, realistic, cartoon, etc?
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Why
has the illustrator chosen to dress them as he has? How do
their clothes influence your interpretation of their character?
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Do
you notice any humour or jokes, how has the illustrator engaged
your attention?
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Are
you drawn to revisit the illustration, what more do you learn
from it, in terms of the story being told, the layers of meaning
added by the illustrator etc?
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What
do you notice about the interaction of the words and the pictures?
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Pants
TELL
ME ABOUT NICK SHARRATT’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most appropriate
for the children you are working with…
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What
is going on in this picture?!
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How
has Nick Sharratt created the movement and atmosphere in this
illustration?
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What
is the mood on this page?
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How
does this picture make you feel?
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Can
you imagine the scene beyond the edges of the page?
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What
can you hear as you look at the picture?
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Who
do these pants belong to?
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How
has Nick Sharratt suggested the characters?
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Do
these pants need people?
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Choose
your favourite pair and describe the sort of person they might
belong to.
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How
do you look at this page?
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Which
parts of the page stand out most and why?
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Look
at the different patterns and textures, how has Nick Sharratt
drawn your attention to this detail?
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Can
you notice the scary pants, what effect does their position
have on the story being told on this page?
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What
do you notice about the line/brushstrokes, why has the illustrator
chosen to use for example pen and ink, watercolour etc?
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How
does the illustrator involve you in the illustration, e.g.
an outside observer, a bystander, a participant in the action
etc?
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How
would you describe this illustrative style?
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Do
you notice any humour or jokes, how has the illustrator engaged
your attention with this?
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Who
do you think will enjoy this book?
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The
Cockerel and the Fox
TELL
ME ABOUT HELEN WARD’S ILLUSTRATION…
Please select/adapt questions, which you think are most
appropriate for the children you are working with…
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What
is happening on in this page?
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Does
the text work without the illustration and vice versa?
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In
what ways does the picture compliment, elaborate, embellish,
or extend the detail of the written text?
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How
has Helen Ward created the tension between the two groups
of characters?
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What attitudes and emotions are being expressed - how does
it make you feel?
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Describe
the settings-in what ways has Helen Ward differentiated them?
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Can
you describe the murky wood and what it would be like to try
and walk through it?
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How
has Helen Ward integrated words and pictures?
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What
effect does the layout of the words have, as they are placed
above the animals on the left of the page?
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When
and where is this story taking place?
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Consider:
time in history, time of year, time of day
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How
has the illustrator drawn your attention to these details?
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What
is the focus of this illustration, how is your attention drawn
to it?
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What
do you notice about the use of colours and tones in the illustration-how
would you describe them?
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Do
the colours affect the way this story is being told and your
responses to it?
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Why
do you think Helen Ward chose to leave the background white?
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How has she used light and dark in this illustration?
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Where
has Helen drawn your attention to detail in this picture,
what effect does it have on you?
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How
would you describe Chanticleer at this point?
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What
medium has the illustrator chosen for these illustrations?
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What
do you notice about the animal figures in the illustrations
for e.g. facial expression, bodily gestures, position in the
picture etc?
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what
do you think they are?
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what
are they doing?
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what
is their relationship to one another?
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are
these familiar animals?
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Why
do you think Helen Ward has chosen rare breeds to illustrate
this story what effect does it have on its setting?
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How
does the illustrator involve you in the illustration, e.g.
an outside observer, a bystander, a friend, a participant
in the action etc?
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How
would you describe this illustrative style?
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Who
do you think will enjoy this book?
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