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Essay & Research

Writer's picture: Emilie CollingsEmilie Collings
May 14, 20249 min read

Updated: May 15, 2024


Is the Narrative more important than the Illustration in contemporary children's literature?

Two essential elements compete for the top spot in children's literature: the story and the graphics. The story tells us the plot and conveys important lessons; however, the pictures provide visual depth that aids understanding and sparks the imagination. “Theres always room for a story that can transport people to another place”; (Goodreads1)


The argument concerning the significance of story versus illustration has long piqued the interest of academics as well as artists. This essay will examine the importance of both story and images within children's books through a critical analysis of both viewpoints, and it will conclude by making the case for the two having a balanced symbiotic relationship.

 

Narrative serves as the backbone of any children’s book, providing the storyline, characters and themes that captivate young readers. As Neil Gaiman aptly stated, “fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten” (Goodreads 2).


In addition to being entertaining, a well-written story in children's literature teaches young readers priceless lessons and insights, ethical principles and fundamental values to naive young readers. “Stories are memory aids, instruction manuals and moral compasses”, (Medium3).


Authors use narrative to create stories that take kids to fantastical settings where they can learn about and experience new concepts, cultures, and feelings. Neil Gaiman stated that "A book is a dream that you hold in your hand," (Goodreads 4) and Eric Carle states that “Books have the power to open up a whole new world for children” (Bookey5).


Narratives help youngsters see the world from a variety of perspectives by introducing people with a range of experiences and backgrounds. This helps the children identify with the challenges of others and learn important lessons like friendship, resilience, bravery and empathy. As supported by this quote from Dr. Seuss; "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go" (Seuss, unknown6).


Narrative in children’s books frequently tackles hard subjects, by examining themes of bereavement or self-discovery, narrative in children's books. These hard subjects are portrayed in a way that is understandable to young readers, giving the children a framework for understanding and processing difficult emotions.

 

Illustration enhances the storytelling experience and gives the words on the page life by acting as a visual companion to the narrative. However, some people believe that the pictures are the text, the story itself. Similarly, Frederick R Barnard (1921) claimed the infamous quote: “A picture tells a thousand words” (Cliche7).


Comprehending is one of the main purposes of illustration in children's books. The images in children's books are essential for drawing in young readers, holding their interest, and stimulating their creativity, along with enriching the reading experience and enhancing comprehension.

 

Quoting Eric Carle, as he believes that "Illustrations in a children's book are the first visual images that a child sees and therefore they have a great influence on the child's imagination." (website8). He also states that “there is something magical about bringing a story to life through artwork.” (Bookey9).


In Eric Carle’s book, “the very hungry caterpillar” his vibrant illustrations of fruits and animals not only engage young readers but also reinforce concepts such as counting and days of the week, making learning an enjoyable experience for the children


In vibrant children’s picture books, the visual elements of children’s literature help to enrich the reading experience in unique and meaningful ways. Children can follow the plot, and comprehend the motivations and feelings of the characters with the aid of pictures, using visual signals such as character expressions, scene settings, and action sequences. Visual clues help preliterate or emerging readers understand stories better by helping them follow the plot more easily and make sense of actions and emotions. Eric Carle states that “children need pictures that they can read and understand immediately. It’s all to do with composition. It’s just a matter of moving things around until they are in the right place.” (Books for Keeps 10). ‘They are vital from the start: they not only represent a child’s first ever encounter with art, but they can also offer a first experience of words and pictures together – a natural step towards reading.’ (Books for Keeps11).


Language barriers are more easily crossed by illustrations, enabling children of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy stories. “Stories are the currency of human relationships”, (goodreads12). 


Children's book illustrations frequently operate as a doorway to the imagination, enticing readers to delve deeply into fantastical worlds and characters. For example, In Maurice Sendak’s “where the wild things are” for instance, the detailed illustrations of the wild rumpus and the monstrous creatures transport readers to a magical realm filled with adventure and wonder.


One way that narrative and illustration compete is through the concept of showing vs telling. The story's literary framework is given by the narrative, but the pictures have the ability to "show" important events, feelings, and information that may not be shown in the text. Children may interact with the story more deeply because of this visual storytelling element, which lets them use their creativity and interpretation to fill in the blanks. A quote to support this argument is “Pictures bring the story to life and serve as a visual guide to what takes place on each page of the story. Children can also form mental images of story events and later create their own stories, fostering creativity and visualisation skills.” (Oxford resource hub13).


Illustrators use a range of approaches to generate visually beautiful imagery to capture young readers' attention, they use all kinds of media from detailed pencil drawings, cut and stick collage, ink pens, gouache painting and the delicate medium of watercolour paints to create new worlds in illustrations. "A picture book is a small door to the enormous world of the visual arts, and they’re often the first art a young person sees", (BrainyQuote14).”

 

As a creative artist myself, I lean towards the illustrations being higher in the hierarchy than the narrative, because to me, the cover of the book is the most important to make the reader buy the book from the shelf or online store. I also believe the visual representation of the story makes a huge difference in whether the reader gets engrossed in the story and enjoys the book.


Another point I would like to make is that, for pre-readers, the illustration is what tells the story and is the first step to understanding what is going on. When they cannot read the words yet, the pictures teach children how to interpret the characters body language and facial expressions. As a mum myself, I know that schools teach the children to figure out what is happening on this page before they can actually read the words, but, if the story wasn’t there in the first place, there would be nothing to illustrate. A quote that supports this view is “Pictures can create a fun and engaging reading experience for children. Considering that many children have a short attention span, pictures can do the job of holding the attention of children learning to read.” (Oxford Resource Hub 15)


So, to continue this point, the debate over whether stories or drawings should come first is still continually revisited, but it is important to recognise that the two work best together. They should be seen as complimentary elements of a well-integrated whole rather than as distinct entities. The combination of words and pictures works well in picture books. In order for the reader to perceive more rather than the same thing they are reading, there should be harmony between the two—not balance, but a kind of synergy.

 

In children's literature, narrative and illustration each have specific functions, but their relationship is fundamentally symbiotic; one enhances and complements the other.


Children's books are unique from other genres of literature because of the dynamic interaction between story and illustration, which creates a complex experience that appeals to young readers on both an academic and an emotional level. The interplay between the words and pictures is what makes picture books a powerful art form.


Together, the plot and the visuals produce a seamless narrative that young readers can find very appealing. By carefully integrating the words and the images, drawings can add to the story's emotional effect by capturing nuances and subtleties that words alone are unable to express. This collaboration between the two creates a richer, more immersive storytelling experience possible.

Illustrations expand the story by providing more details, subplots, or viewpoints, as opposed to only highlighting the text. The illustrations expand the children’s understanding of the world, and the collaboration of the words and pictures together tell the story.


The story and the pictures frequently work together to give young readers a seamless thematic experience. Together, authors and illustrators use reoccurring themes, symbolism, and style decisions to highlight the main ideas and the things that they want the reader to take away from the narrative. For example, in Chris Van Allsburg’s “the polar express” the detailed illustrations convey the sense of wonder and magic evoked by the story, enhancing the readers emotional connection to the narrative.


In conclusion, the argument over whether children's books should focus more on the illustrations or the stories is ultimately fictitious. Children's books are incomplete without narrative or illustration, which each contribute in a different but complementary way to the overall story and reading experience. In my opinion, a great picture book should be told twice, once in words and once in pictures. They should not simply be illustrations; they should enhance the reading experience, not just illustrate.


Illustration improves understanding, sparks the imagination, and strengthens emotional engagement while narrative supplies the textual framework and thematic depth of the story.


Together, story and illustration provide a dynamic balance that draws in young readers and fosters a generation of curious, imaginative and empathetic children and lifelong readers. The comfort and enjoyment that comes from reading with loved ones, further encourages this love of reading to develop, and a good book should appeal to the adult reading the book as well as the child. "The best picture books operate on two levels: one that pleases children and another that engages and entertains the adults who read to them", (Goodreads16).


Recognizing the interdependence of narrative and illustrations is so important for creators and educators who want to use their influence to inspire, educate, and entertain young readers. “The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers, creative and ‘right brain’ thinkers” (danpink.com 17).


Bibliography

 Websites & Books:


Journals:

  • Bishop, K. and Orden, P. (1998). Reviewing Children’s Books: A Content Analysis. University of Chicago Press Journals, 68(2), pp.145–182.

  • Galda, L. and Short, K. (1993). Source: The Reading Teacher. Wiley, 46(6), pp.506–516.

  • Giorgis, C., Johnson, N., Bonomo, A., Colbert, C., Conner, A., Kauffman, G. and Kulesza, D. (1999). Source: The Reading Teacher. Wiley, 53(2), pp.146–153.

  • Hellman, P. (2003). The Role of Postmodern Picture Books in Art Education. JSTOR, 56(6), pp.6–12.

  • Kucirkova, N. (n.d.). Chapter Title: Summary of research on children’s digital books Book Title: How and Why to Read and Create Children’s Digital Books Book Subtitle: A Guide for Primary Practitioners.

  • Leddy, T. (2002). Aesthetics and Children’s Picture-Books. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 36(4), p.43. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/3301567.

  • O'neil, K. (2011). Source: The Reading Teacher. Wiley, 65(3), pp.214–223.

  • Serafini, F. (2015). Source: The Reading Teacher. Wiley, 69(1).

  • Serafini, F. and Moses, L. (2014). Source: The Reading Teacher. Wiley, 67(6), pp.465–468. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1236.

  • Short, K.G. (2018). What’s Trending in Children’s Literature and Why It Matters. Language Arts, [online] 95(5), pp.287–298. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44810091.

  • Stanton, J. (1998). The Important Books: Appreciating the Children’s Picture Book as a Form of Art. American Art, [online] 12(2), pp.2–5. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3109268 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2022].

  • Verhallen, M.J.A.J. and Bus, A.G. (2011). Young second language learners’ visual attention to illustrations in storybooks. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 11(4), pp.480–500. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798411416785.

  • Villarreal, A., Minton, S. and Martinez, M. (2015). Child Illustrators. The Reading Teacher, 69(3), pp.265–275. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1405.

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