The purpose of this study was to develop a checklist whose validity has been tested in assessing children's books. Participants consisted of university students who had taken a course in children's literature. They were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Participants in the…

Presents an annotated bibliography of 14 picture books with copyright dates from 1980 to 1984. David Macauley, Ed Young, and Richard Bartlett based their selections on illustration and design criteria that they most admired. (JK)

There is no definite statement which can be made about the types of pictures children prefer. Inadequately controlled variables, incomplete reporting, and a variety of sample problems do not allow generalizations to be drawn from the existing research. (Author/CB)

Concludes that children should be encouraged to read since they may prefer an author's word picture to that presented by the visual media and that today's young adults continue to prefer the same types of reading materials as those listed in past surveys. (RL)

Through interviews with 145 children enrolled in two public schools, this study sought to answer five questions: (1) Do children consider page size, type, and illustration position important in their selection of tradebooks? (2) Are there differences between grades, sexes, and among reading ability groups in their consideration of the importance…

Focusing on the various problems involved in designing and producing a picturebook, this document consists of opening remarks by Kenneth Morantz; a discussion of design in the context of publishing, by editor Stephen Roxburgh; a discussion of what separates children's book publishing from the rest of the trade as well as what contributes to the…

Examines the interplay of text, illustrations, and book design elements, using examples from children's books. Discusses the impact of book design on young readers' responses, and presents ideas for acquainting children with specific book design elements. Suggests that class activities in book design can improve children's visual and verbal…

A study examined the responses of children at several age levels to seven visual elements presented to them on book jackets. Subjects ranged in age from kindergarten to fifth grade. The pairs of book jackets that were selected represented contrasting treatments of seven visual elements: (1) action, (2) color, (3) style, (4) characters, (5) detail,…

The elements of design (line, shape, color, value, and texture) are the artist's lexicon rather than words, and the meaning of these elements is carried in their expressive properties in picture books as well as in paintings. Line can convey repose when horizontal, stability if vertical, and action when diagonal or curving. The element of shape…

Discusses informational books for children, how they have improved, and how to teach children to select the book best suited to their purpose and gather pertinent information from it. Notes that well-designed books have an attractive format, adequate white space and margins, and thoughtful placement of illustrations and text. (SRT)