3. The Sample of Narrative Text
The sample of narrative text presented below is summarized and retold from the picture book entitled The Royal Raven by Hans Wilhelm.
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Orientation Orientation
Eve Event 1
Event 2
Event 3 Event 3
Resolution
Coda
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Ibid
THE ROYAL RAVEN
One day, there was a raven named Crawford who wanted to be special and different with the other ravens. He did not want to be
like the other ravens because their feathers were all black. He thought that the color of black was boring and not pretty.
The next day, Crawford decided to change his appearance. He wanted to be as beautiful as swan or hummingbird. He would do
anything to get a perfect appearance like what he really dreamt of. In the evening, he came to the witch. He asked her to change his
feathers to be colorful.
Old lady, can you help me to change my features to be beautiful and colorful? I hate these boring black feathers Crawford
asked. What a poor little raven Okay, I will do it if you give me some
of your feathers’ tile. Suddenly, after the old woman said Abracadabra , Crawford
changed to be a beautiful bird like a peacock. His boring black feathers became colorful and shiny. Crawford was happy and he
came to his friends to boast about his beautiful new look.
In the shiny day, when Crawford was flying, the princess of a palace saw him and caught him. Then, Crawford lived in the palace.
Unluckily, when the prince and the princess had a dinner, Crawford made some noise and broke everything in the dining room. Because
of Crawford’s mistake, he was punished and locked in a cage. Crawford was very sad and he wanted to be free.
Finally, he had an idea to escape. He took all his colorful feathers. When the princess saw Crawford changed to be an ugly
bird, she released Crawford from the cage. After that, Crawford went home and met his friends.
Moral: What God gave to us is a gift that must be grateful.
B. The Definition of Picture Book
Picture books are books which present the balanced combination of written words and pictures in order to create a meaningful story. As barbara Z. Kiefer
points out, picture books are those books consisting pictures and texts which blend each other to create a whole artistic meaning of a story, moreover, the equal
portion between pictures and texts presented in picture books ties together to provide not only pleasure but also valuable experience for readers.
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Similarly, Terry Miller states that picture books refers to books which can help readers to
understand its story through observing its illustrations which are presented to increase the value of its written words.
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Based on what theorits state about what definition of picture books are, the statements can be assumed that picture books
are books which are made through balanced combination of written words and illustriations to achieve valuable meaning of story and the combination between
written words and illustrations give vicarious experience to readers by observing each illustration which vividly describes its written words or story.
More importantly, a good picture book generally has good narration which is reflected on the mixture of written words and pictures. The beautiful and vivid
pictures presented in a good picture book clearly explain the story written in the texts. These descriptions of a good picture books explained above is in line with
Barbara Z. Kiefers‟ opinion which examines that a great act of telling a story in a well-designed picture book is found through the combination of illustration and
written text, for example, the illustrations help showing the meaning of the story, actions, characters‟ expressions, changing settings and the development of the
plot.
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This can be understood that every good picture books generally present written words and illustrations which support each other to make a story in
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Barbara Z. Kiefer, Charlotte Huck’s Children’s Literature, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010, p.
156
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Terry Miller, The Place of Picture Books in Middle-Level Classrooms: Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Vol. 41, No.5, 1998, p. 376
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Barbara Z. Kiefer, op-cit, p. 156
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