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.
10
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.
11
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.
12
This can be understood that every good picture books generally present written words and illustrations which support each other to make a story in
10
Barbara Z. Kiefer, Charlotte Huck’s Children’s Literature, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010, p.
156
11
Terry Miller, The Place of Picture Books in Middle-Level Classrooms: Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Vol. 41, No.5, 1998, p. 376
12
Barbara Z. Kiefer, op-cit, p. 156
picture books more comprehensible and interesting because the illustrations describe beautifully what written words or texts tell.
However, every a well designed picture book has description of how the text and illustration interact. This is in line w
ith Nikolajeva and Scout‟s statement in
Kelly Broker‟s journal entitled
Using Picture books to Empower and Inspire Readers and Writers in the Upper Primary Classroom. Nikolajeva and Scout
points out: There are five ways that the text and the image interact within picture books:
1. Symmetry ─ the words and pictures are equal; 2. Complementary ─ each element provides information; 3. Enhancement ─ each extends the meaning
of the other; 4. Counterpoint ─ the text and image tell an unequal story; 5. Contradiction ─ the words and pictures assert the opposite of each other.
13
From the explanation of some theorists above, it can be concluded that picture books are books which present the illustrations are as important as the
words in telling the story. They are combination between illustration and words which relates or opposite each other to create a whole meaning of story. The
illustrations in picture books reflect the same stories which the texts are telling. In other words, picture books have illustrations that mix with the narrative or text to
present a satisfying ending or conclusion.
C. Picture Book as a Model to Teach Writing Narrative Text
The use of picture books as models or prompts in teaching writing skill are to provide students opportunities to give response and model both the texts and
the illustrations. The use of picture book in writing instruction is supported by Kelly Bo
oker‟s statement. She asserts that when teacher introduces picture books to children or students, they are encouraged to respond to and copy the texts in
picture books with their own imagination even they can represent the story
13
Kelly Booker, Using Picture books to Empower and Inspire Readers and Writers in the Upper Primary Classroom: Literacy Learning The Middle Years, 2, 2012, p. 2
instead of watch and listen to story told by someone.
14
What Kelly Booker states above means that picture books can be a model for students to write their own
writing because the picture books gives students an example of interesting story which offer them opportunities to explore their imagination and they even can
represent the story in the picture books with their own version. Likewise, Terry
Miller adds that the combination of expressive language and beautifully vivid illustrations which describe unique and different characters, setting, or plot line in
picture boooks can be picked as a prompt which stimulates students to create their own imaginative and creative narrative writing.
15
As Terry Miller explains above, it can be assumed that illustration and language or text presented in picture books
are able to be used as a stimulating prompt which can direct students to write a good story imaginatively by their own.
Furthermore, the students are also able to copy or change the texts of picture books, for example, changing the story characters and the story ending
with their own imagination and words. This point of view are similar to what Terry Miller states “Students can create stories from illustration alone, change the
endings, add new characters to the stories, or create new stories with the similar plot devic
e.”
16
Terry Miller‟s statement above can also be understood that because picture books present narrative, students can learn and model components
of narrative writings such as character developments, story endings, dialogues, settings, point of views, emotions, plot line, etc. to create their own writings.
In a similar way, Susan Anderson McElveen and Connie Campbell Dierking suggests that picture books provide models for students to see the
example of target skills they must have and study how the author used target skills including brainstorming, focus, elaboration, organization, and convention,
moreover, the target skill they learn from the model will be used in their own
14
Ibid, p. 3
15
Terry Miller, op-cit, p. 379-380
16
Ibid
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