SB_ Dragons Riders of Berk_ Rough_ RiverPhan (2024)
Children’s books research
1. Children’s books research
‘We’re going on a bear hunt’
Author: Michael Rosen
Illustrator: Helen Oxenbury
Publisher: Walker
Visualstyle;
The visual styles of the images
are like sketched cartoons with
not many details in
characteristics justplain and
simple illustrations. The title of
the book is multicoloured, which
is partly adapted to the verbs
and objects. For example the
word ‘going’ is in green because
it’s an adventureand its outside,
so the colours are based on
what colours they/wewill see. Also the word ‘bear’ is in different
shades of brown/orange, becausethat’s the colour that the bear
is.
Insidethe book itself the colours of the pictures are still similar
but towards the beginning the pictures startto get a little busier
as they startmoving places so the scenery starts to change and
get moreinteresting. Then the images that start to say “We can’t
go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh no! We’ll have to go through
it!” are black and white, the pattern created makes this book very
predictable for new readers, and the colored pages show the
sounds of whatever activity the previous pagewas talking
about. The sounds come two at a time and repeat themselves
three times – each time growing larger (louder).
Layoutof text and images/ text per page;
The pages are double spread so you get more of the full image.
The black and white images are often a closer shot than the
colourfulones. I think this is becauseit is showing moreclearly the
problem they havecome across. Then the colourfulimages where
2. they have overcomethe problemare sometimes a much wider
shot. This is becauseyou get a bigger shotof the scenery which is
the focus of the colourfulpages as the text on the colourfulpages
are the sounds of whatthe place they are at makes. For the text
on the black and white pages the text is repeated, this is because
they keep coming across similar problems wherethe haveto ‘go
through it!’ this is almost like a famous chantthat children will
learn and recognizeit as this book’s phrase, making it easy to
recognize. This is why the text is repeated. The text on the black
and white pages is laid out in the sameway throughout. Which is
to fit around and in the images, this is to emphasizethe fact that it
is the people on the page that are saying it. As I said the colourful
pages have text that is based on the sounds, which is like
describing the actions and movements they are making without
having to useactual text/speech. These sounds arerepeated
three times for example ‘Splash splosh!Splash splosh!Splash
splosh!’ and each time the text gets bigger which exaggerates the
sounds and makes you imagine them in your head making the
book more exciting. Also these repeats are in a box with a
coloured framearound it which is changed throughoutto go with
the colours on the pages that it’s on. The same font is used
throughoutjustwith different font sizes in the sounds to
emphasizethe volume.
Pages/pagesizes
As you turn into the book the firstdouble page is justbeach
scenery giving you a preview of how the book is going to look and
what it is going to be like. In total there are 40 pages, which
includes a double page spread page of the bear walking away
looking quite sad (no face shown but shrugged shoulders) making
him look like he’s miserable/disappointed that he didn’t get into
their house, making us think he possibly didn’t wantto hurt them
but maybe justwanted to be friendly, and which also includes the
blank double page spread of the beach scenery.
3. ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’
Author: Eric Carle
Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: The World Publishing Company in 1969, later
published by Penguin Putnam.
Visualstyle:
The illustrations in this book are hand drawn cartoon style, very
simple but textured and look almost like they’remade out of
paper (like paper images stuck on the page). The images are all
very basic and are all about the caterpillar (wherehe goes and
what he eats). The pictures appear to be watercolour based also.
Layoutof text/images/ text per page
Most of the pages are large images with small amounts of text at
the sides. But some of the pages are just images, like for example
one of the sun and one of the caterpillar eating/going through the
apple. This is becausethe explanation/story behind that certain
object was told on the previous page, and then it shows you in full
on the next one. Making it more interesting for children so not
every page includes lots of writing. On one page it is based on
text but also with a picture of the apple with a hole in fromthe
caterpillar. The text is very big on this page; this is so it is easy to
read and becauseit is an important piece of information as it is an
update about what the caterpillar has eaten and telling us that he
is still hungry. Which is carrying the story on more.
Pages/Pagesizes
As the story goes on and
the caterpillar begins to
eat more and more, the
pages get quite
interesting and obscure
in the way they are laid
out. As you can see the
pages become cropped
and smaller so you can
4. see as the days go on whathe eats each day, and as you turn the
pages the text is revealed which gives you the details of whathe
ate and whatday he ate it. And as the portions get bigger and
bigger each day, the pages get bigger, and each piece of food
always has a hole in it fromthe caterpillar.
Altogether the book has 26 pages, making it quite a shortand
simple but popular book.
‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’
Author: Judith Kerr
Illustrator: Judith Kerr
Publisher: Collins
VisualStyle:
Throughoutthe book the illustrations
are hand drawn cartoons. They havea
very watercolour effect. The front cover
is very basic with a very basic blue title.
Throughoutthe book the images are
mostly based it the kitchen sat at a table,
and the background is blank, this gives a
very basic and quiet design in all the
images. The tiger is also satat the table
on a chair uprightwhich is non fictional
and creates somehumor as it looks funny and is out of the
ordinary.
Layoutof text/images/ text per page
The layout of the text throughoutthe book and in the title is very
simple and there’s not really much to it. This is because the book
throughouthas a very simplistic touch to it, which is what makes it
interesting and quirky. The text/narration on the pages is black
and the same text as the title, and the text usually appears at the
bottom of the page and sometimes in other areas around the
images. The images are always on a white background and these
images are mostly of the little girl, the tiger and/or her mother sat
at the table. The white background brings outthe images and the
illustrations of the people and the tiger to make you concentrate
on them rather than what’s going on in the background.
5. Pages/Page sizes
In total the book has 32 pages and quite a few of the pages are a
double page spread, for example the page where the little girl is
stood up hugging the tiger, the tiger’s body fits on both pages.
This shows how largethe tiger supposedly was, and makes you
picture in your head justhow much space he would have taken up
in their house.