In Whistle for Willie, the pictures dramatize the story beyond the calm verbal recitation. The contrasting bright and pale illustrations dominate by covering the whole page and the text is placed conveniently and calculatedly within the contents and structure of the illustrations. The story seems simple enough. It’s about a boy named Peter who frets because he cannot call his dog because he doesn’t know how to whistle. However, it really is much more complex that that. The lines in the story signify the emotional states that Peter experiences as the story unfolds. For example, the horizontal lines stand for Peter’s emotional balance, the curves indicate his fluctuating moods, and the horizontal lines stand for the tension that he experiences. Pay close attention to the story as it travels alongside the illustrations and notice how the moods not only change, but come to life.
I read kids books is what I do. It's just me, reading kids books and writing my thoughts. I have a M.Ed. in Children's Literature, so in my years of researching children’s literature, I’ve found that children’s literature is essential to the personal and academic development of all children because it is a window that not only opens, but also reflects the diversity of our human experience. More importantly, it lets young readers and readers of all ages know that children and people like them are worthy of being in books. If you have any questions, comments, observations, or if you just want to say hello, send me an email.
