Report on Picture Book
Panel Discussion Event at the outstanding Politics and Prose Book
Store in
Washington D.C.
"‘You motivate kids to be readers by giving them something great to read. It's as simple as that,’ said Mr. Scieszka…”
If you live in the greater Washington
D.C. area, or are visiting, the
must-see book store is Politics and Prose on Connecticut Avenue NW. There you
will find not only a wide and diverse collection of books for children and
teens, but Politics and Prose also hosts many interesting author and book
events—we know because the NCBLA has experienced the staff’s warm hospitality
first hand!
Karen MacPherson, the
children's/teen librarian at the Takoma Park Maryland Library, recently
reported on a fascinating panel
discussion that took place at Politics and Prose. Panelists included: author
and children’s literature historian and expert Leonard Marcus; Neal Porter
editorial director of Neal Porter Books; authors Marc
Barnett, Meg Medina, and Jon Scieszka; and author/illustrators Christopher Myers and Laura Vaccaro
Seege.
FromMacPherson’s Scripps
Howard News column:
"Picture books are stories told in two
languages -- text and art. A third language is added by putting these things
together as the story is read," said Mr. Marcus, who moderated the
Politics & Prose panel.
The panelists agreed that digitized picture books
are a poor substitute for the physical, print version.
"Digital books break a lot of the magic that
makes picture books," Mr. Barnett said. "The page turn, for example,
is a basic piece of language in picture books. That's how you show surprise and
suspense. But, in digital books, the page turn is a fake" because all you
do is slide your finger across a screen.
Read the full article at: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/books/childrens-corner-picture-books-for-children-still-popular-689394/
Politics and Prose
Bookstore Website:
