Week 4: Picturebooks
Instructions for Weekly Online Activities/Assignments

ENGL 231: JC Clapp (North Seattle Community College)

Due no later than Thursday, October 22, 2009 by 11:00 p.m. PST:  Choose one Caldecott Award Medal winning illustrator that looks interesting to you (for a complete list to choose from, go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal.cfm). Seek out several books that the illustrator illustrated to use as examples in your post/answer.  Then, create a comprehensive post (in paragraph form) that answers these kinds of questions:

• What medium does this artist use?

• What terms would you use to describe the style?

• How does the illustrator use line, shape, and color to extend the meaning of the story?

• In what ways do the illustrations help create the meaning of the text?

• Does this illustrator vary the style or technique depending on the type of book being illustrated?

• How has the artist created balance in composition?

• How many books has the artist illustrated?

• How do earlier books compare to the artist's most recent ones?

You're not limited to these questions, nor do you have to answer every one, but they should give you an idea of the kinds of ways you might look carefully at the work of the illustrator you chose.  Include a link to the artist's website that shows examples of their work in your post.  Don't forget to include the bibliographic information about the books you referred to by the artist. Title your post with the name of the illustrator you chose.

Due no later than Monday, October 26, 2009 by 11:00 p.m. PST:  Read all of your classmates posts with the goal of simply becoming more familiar with various illustrators.  Then, see if any of your peers assessed the same illustrator that you did.  If so, compare your findings and assessment with that of your peer.  Participate in a discussion by responding to at least two posts.