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 has the same capacity as line to convey solidity or delicacy, movement or repose. Colors--which in their hue, intensity, and value have come to convey emotional qualities--can also by their combination set a mood or tone for the story. Typeface, the placement of type and its relationship to the pictorial design, can also enhance the unity of the design and underlying theme. Observations of 67 children ages 7 to 10 as they responded to picture books revealed that many children looked at the illustrations before they read to help them with written text. The children's verbal responses in particular showed their diligent attempts to understand the picture book--its medium and its message. They became increasingly aware of the artist as a person to be communicated with and became aware of the range of choices available to the artist. In addition, the children seemed to understand that these choices were made to express some fundamental meaning. (HOD)