Evie's Dream Kit: The Interplay of Words and Images in Picture Books
Open Access
Author:
Santarelli, Rosemary
Area of Honors:
English
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Paul David Chidester, Thesis Supervisor Lisa Ruth Sternlieb, Thesis Honors Advisor Charlotte Amalie Holmes, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Picture book illustration fairy tale children's literature
Abstract:
The association of words and pictures is a practice as old as recorded history. From prehistoric cave drawings to illuminated manuscripts to Sunday morning comics, the combination of the verbal and the visual is a primary form of human communication, and more specifically, of storytelling. For many people, the process of telling stories is a reciprocal one: a group of words or phrases can conjure an image just as an image can evoke a narrative. While the verbal and visual often physically exist independently of one another, they are often inseparable in the mind, especially when relating or listening to a story. In children’s literature, this fusion of the senses is especially prominent. This thesis will explore the difference between child and adult readings of fairy tales, the balance of words and images in the picture book, and the process of writing and illustrating an original children’s story entitled Evie’s Dream Kit.
