Pictures. . . as important as the words!

Hello Morley friends! This week I thought it’d be fun to look at a couple of stories with illustrations that really make the story come to life. Illustrations are the pictures in books, and often they are as important as the words. Click on the book COVER to hear the story Grumpy Monkey read by author Suzanne Lang, illustrated by her husband Max Lang. Thanks to Max Lang’s marvelous illustrations, you really get a sense that Jim (the monkey) is in a super cranky mood!

If you want to hear another story featuring featuring a grumpy character (also with amazing illustrations) Click on the book COVER to hear Grampa Grumps, by Katrina Moore.

Here are some questions to think about after you’ve listened to the stories. I always love to hear your ideas, you can share them in the comments or send them to allyson.yee@burnabyschools.ca:

• Do you have a connection with one or both of these stories?
• Sometimes we are just grumpy like Jim and we don’t want to be cheered up, that’s okay. If you are feeling this way, what are some things you can do to stay safe and not take out your grumpiness on others?
• How do the illustrations (pictures) help us understand the way the characters are feeling?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is another work of fiction that is so successful because of the pictures!

Here are some videos starring author Jeff Kinney. Watch Kinney draw and hear him talk about the process in the first video. In the second video Jeff Kinney answers questions about different characters, his favourite kids books, the popularity of the series and more!