It is such a pity that picture books in New York's bookshops are not appreciated enough to be bought by parents for their children. The books' colourful and detailed pictures are complements to the descriptive captions and explanations. They are most suitable for children. Mere words in books are not yet suitable for children, especi- ally young ones.
I understand that parents are concerned about the school syllabus which advocates textbooks filled with chapters of words. However, children need to start from the basics when it comes to languages. Graduation from pictures with accompanying words to mere words is encouraged. Only after being exposed to both elements of a book, can children move on to the latter with a greater sense of understanding. Parents are making the wrong move.
Parents should listen to the experts about picture books. Such books "can develop a child's critical thinking skills." "From picture to picture, as the reader interacts with the book, their imagination is filling in the missing themes...Some of the vocabulary in a picture book is(sic) much more challenging than in a chapter book. The words themselves, and the concepts, can be very sophisticated in a picture book." Thus, analytical, imaginative and linguistic skills are developed through picture books!
Some parents actually think that their children's skills will be advanced with the alternative. I beg to differ. Their children still can "work to read" with picture books. If their children try to go back to picture books, their parents should not be unduly worried. 80-page chapter books for 6-year-olds seem to be a too huge leap. It is no wonder one of them reverted to picture books.
I may be an adult but I still read picture books. Perhaps it really is for the "comfort element" but literary classics when read with illustrations, are easier to digest. Would you rather read House of Mirth as a children's classic or a Penguin/ Signet classic?
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