To use picturebooks well in a shared or interactive read aloud, it helps to know how a picturebook works. How Do I Look? has recently been reprinted and is now available for purchase.
The resource is built from Christine Braid’s study in the Diploma of Children’s Literature along with her years of classroom experience. The resource helps teachers to understand how pictures add layers of meaning to text and how text and pictures work together to tell a powerful story.
The book is in three parts: the working elements; applying the knowledge to lessons; and example lesson plans. It also includes a booklist. The booklist is a start rather than comprehensive, but includes many titles considered classics.
The main purpose of the resource is to enable teachers to access all the potential of a picturebook. Teachers will then be able to identify books that work for their learners, creating an ongoing and ever growing list of resources for classroom practice.