Towell and Smilan (2009)
Through a workshop about Trinidadian artists and poets, educators learn how to discuss illustrations and texts of multicultural picture books with their students. Many people do not realize that text and images are actually symbolic representations of what they stand for. For example, the word "dog" is just a textual symbol for a real life dog. This applies to images as well, although we see an illustration of a dog with four legs does not mean this is the same symbol of a dog for everyone. Culture needs to be carefully inserted into the curriculum because it "is fluid and ever-changing" (3). Culture needs to extend past the classroom into community and nature. There are many traditions and talents of diverse cultures that need to be addressed. To engage the students in a discussion about a piece of art work or a picture book, they need to explore their five senses, emotions, and prior knowledge. By giving their perspective and reflection, they will teach their peers which is a step closer to becoming 'successful citizens in a global society'.
Hellman (2003)
A narrower category of picture books is the postmodern picture book. These place a value on multiple narratives and embraces multiculturalism. There are several characteristics to address: lack of a linear pattern, sarcasm, ambiguities, shifting view points, multiple narratives, and jokes that are present in the images but not in the text. There is also a wider range of readers for postmodern picture books than traditional ones. Adolescents understand the hidden meanings and jokes. When reflecting and analyzing a piece, ask students to look at the use of white space, borders, text placement, picture/word size variation, and pictures that overflow their boundaries. Art educators should discuss both the content of the piece or book as well as the physical form.
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