Children’s reading and interpretation of picture books starts from the cover

Interpreting picture books requires interpretation from many aspects. First, let’s start with the interpretation of the cover.

Some teachers may say, the cover is so simple, why should we interpret it?

A friend has a 5-year-old son. There are at least more than 200 picture books at home, but he can read one in 5 minutes. What is there to say about such simple words? Woolen cloth? Although my friend is a university professor, he actually doesn’t understand picture books and thinks picture books are too simple.

In fact, interpreting picture books carefully is not as simple as imagined.

Perry Reimer said in the book "The Joy of Children's Literature":

Before starting to read a book, the cover is the most important factor that affects the reader's expectations. The drawings on the cover or jacket usually cover the most critical elements of the story.

1. Grab the picture on the cover and ask questions

For example, the picture book "Library Lion":

"Library Lion" mainly talks about one day in the library. A lion came and everyone was startled. Fortunately, the lion is very well-behaved and does not make any noise. The children like him very much and think he is the most comfortable cushion in the museum. One day, something happened, and the quiet lion roared desperately at Mr. Ma Bin.

Mr. Ma Bin was very angry. The lion disrupted other people's reading and violated the library's regulations. He walked quickly to Miss Mai's office, shouting "The lion broke the rules! The lion broke the rules" as he walked. But when he found Miss Mai fell to the ground, unable to move, and there was no one next to her, he realized that the lion was asking him for help, to save Miss Mai.

Facing the angry Mr. Ma Bin, Ms. Mai said: "Sometimes, as long as there is a legitimate reason, you can break the rules even in the library." At this time, the lovely lion because of his Zhi violated the rules of the library, left the library sadly, and never came back.

Everyone began to miss the big lion, including Mr. Ma Bin, who decided to do something. Finally, on a rainy day, Mr. Ma Bin found the lion squatting at the door of the library, eager to enter the library, and took it into the library again. Just like that, the lion who once broke the rules is back! The children, including Miss Mai, cheered.

The author of this picture book is Michelle Knudsen, a well-known American children’s book writer who has worked in libraries for many years. She believes that “the library is a magical place full of infinite possibilities, and its door is always open. Open and welcome everyone, even a lion

From the cover, a lion is squatting behind a little girl, reading quietly with the little girl, with a boy leaning against his back. The lion is also reading a book. Behind them is a large bookshelf.

This picture immediately arouses the children's curiosity and raises many questions:

Books. Why are there lions in the library?

Can lions understand picture books?

Aren’t people in the library afraid of lions in the library? What story will happen?

As the children read the pictures on the cover, they will ask questions one after another.

So when we tell the story to the children, we can start from it. Start with the cover and let the children ask questions to stimulate their interest in reading.

2. Think about the story on the cover.

Another example is the cover of the picture book "Five-year-old Granny Goes Fishing". It shows an old woman sitting on a chair, with a little tabby cat wearing a hat standing next to her. She is obviously a very old woman, but why is she only five years old? Their curiosity made them eager to learn the full story.

A 98-year-old grandmother and a five-year-old tabby cat always accompany each other and spend every day calmly and contentedly. , the little cat will energetically go to the far river to go fishing, but the old lady would rather stay at home. She always says: Oh, I am already a ninety-eight-year-old old lady.

One day, it was the grandma's ninety-ninth birthday. She asked Cat Boy to buy her ninety-nine birthday candles, but Cat Boy only brought back five candles. So, the ninety-nine-year-old grandma became a five-year-old. Grandma. A five-year-old grandma can do many interesting things, such as going fishing in a far-off river...

The grandma smells the flowers in the fields, jumps over the river, and jumps into the river again to "fish." ". Finally, the old lady said: "Why didn't I think of turning back to five years old earlier? "

A 99-year-old grandmother was infected by a 5-year-old tabby cat and returned to being 5 years old. What does it feel like to be 5 years old? I'm afraid many adults have forgotten it. In the story, Yoko Sano is full of emotions Reminisce with us: It turns out that when I was 5 years old, I felt like a butterfly, like a bird, like a small fish. It was so unrestrained. In addition to being happy, everyone should have a childlike innocence. Well, this is what this book is about. The key is, even if you live to be 99 years old, you must still have a childlike innocence. People with a childlike innocence will not grow old or be afraid of old age.

The internationally renowned Japanese picture book creator Yoko Sano can easily turn a very old ninety-eight-year-old grandmother into a five-year-old woman without using magic or a time-traveling machine. …

When reading a picture book, you must first interpret it from the cover, think about the questions that can be raised in the picture, and read the connotation and theme of the picture book from the expression of the characters on the cover.