Week 3: Author/Illustrator Study
Slide 2: Biographical Overview
Born in Pennsylvania, Chris Raschka’s career begins as an artist, cartoonist, and an editorial illustrator. He transitioned to art and literature later, where he created a greater legacy by writing over 60 books. His career is a successful one marked by excellence as he wins two Caldecott Medals and makes significant contributions in children’s lives.
Slide 3: Artistic Style
Raschka works to help culminate a society that appreciates friendship, familial love, and the intricacies of everyday life. His art resonates with children’s needs by employing simple stories that evoke deep emotions (Juster, 2005). His books are timeless and insightful to the developing brains of children.
Slide 4: Unique Style and Media
Raschka’s standout trademark is his loose, expressive art style blended with vibrant watercolors and ink illustrations. Additionally, his minimalistic text creates visually engaging scenery for his readers. Let’s dive into some of his unique styles.
Slide 5: Noteworthy Books
Let’s look at Raschka’s most iconic works. The Hello, Goodbye Window, where the illustrator dwells on familial bonds, A Ball for Daisy exploring childhood emotions of love and sadness, and Yo! Yes? Which celebrates childhood friendship. Each of these pieces portrays the author’s ability to connect with young readers.
Slide 6
Focus Book: A little Black Crow
Chris Raschka’s Little Black Crow is a thoughtful and poetic picture book that takes readers on a reflective journey. The story follows a young boy as he watches a crow flying overhead and wonders about its life—where it’s been, what it’s seen, and how it feels. Through simple yet meaningful questions, the book explores curiosity, connection, and the beauty of nature.
Read-Aloud Strategies:
Use expressions to convey the boy’s emotions.
Create pauses to allow children to interpret the illustrations and connect with the story’s emotions.
Activity: Ask students to brainstorm other animals they are curious about and write a couple of paragraphs.
Slide 7: Choice
Focus Book: A Ball for Daisy
Overview:
Plot: Covers the story of Daisy, who loves her ball, loses it, and later gets a new one
Themes: Loss, sadness, resilience, and joy.
Target: children aged 3-7 years.
Read-Aloud Strategies:
Use expressions to convey Daisy’s emotions.
Create pauses to allow children to interpret the illustrations and connect with the story’s emotions.
Activity: Encourage children to share a story about their favorite toys.
Slide 8: Reflection
I chose Chris Raschka because his work aligns with younger readers as they heavily rely on illustrations rather than words. He is an expert in the field of children’s literature as he utilizes pictures to evoke emotions and explores universal topics such as family and love. I have gained a lot of knowledge on the power of illustrations over words, hence appreciating visual storytelling.