Notes on Picturebooks: Weeks 2–5 (Nikolajeva & Scott 2001)

Week 2: Picturebooks versus Illustrated Books

Difference between a picturebook and an illustrated book
- a. In a picturebook words and images are of equal importance
- b. In a picturebook images are more important than words
- c. In an illustrated book, the verbal text dominates and the images are subordinate
- d. In an illustrated book images dominate and the words are subordinate
In a picturebook:
- a. Words are more important than images.
- b. Images are more important than words
- c. Images extend the meaning of the verbal text.
- d. Words and images together create meaning through their interrelationship
- e. Words and images are of equal importance.
The most common length of a picturebook is:
- a. $24$ pages
- b. $56$ pages
- c. $32$ pages
- d. $40$ pages
- e. $48$ pages
The visual representation of an ethnic, national or cultural group raises issues of:
- a. What an authentic representation is
- b. How to accurately represent that group in visual form
- c. How to represent the values, ideologies and social practice of an entire group
- d. The authenticity of the representation and who has the authority to represent the group
- e. Who has the authority to represent the group
A picturebook can:
- a. Reflect the values and beliefs of a culture
- b. Change the way we think
- c. Reinforce the values and beliefs of a culture
- d. Challenge the values and beliefs of a culture
- e. Challenge and reinforce the values and beliefs of a culture
A picturebook can be value free:
- a. True
- b. False
All representation is ideological:
- a. True
- b. False
Diverse representations of childhood are desirable but raise complex issues:
- a. True
- b. False
Advances in technology have shaped the picturebook:
- a. True
- b. False

Week 3: Picturebooks – Page Breaks, Intertextuality, and Peritext

Which best describes the function of the page breaks in picturebooks?
- a. They introduce a sudden dramatic change in the narrative.
- b. They control pacing and add drama.
- c. They control pacing by speeding up the pace of the narrative.
- d. They control pacing by slowing the pace of the narrative.
- e. They introduce a new character or location.
Intertextuality:
- a. Is not common in children’s picturebooks.
- b. Suggests freedom and movement
- c. Gives a feeling of distance in a picturebook
- d. Creates a gap or indeterminacy.
- e. Refers to a text’s relationship with other texts.
A page break:
- a. Suggests freedom and movement.
- b. Refers to a text’s relationship with other texts.
- c. Creates a gap or indeterminacy.
- d. Is not common in children’s picturebooks.
- e. Gives a feeling of distance in a picturebook
The peritext of a picturebook (cover, dustjacket, endpapers, dedication etc.) prepares the reader to understand the story that follows
- a. True
- b. False
The endpapers in hardcopy picturebooks consist of the pastedown and the flyleaf
- a. True
- b. False
The endpapers are primarily functional
- a. True
- b. False
The endpapers encourage the reader to speculate about the story.
- a. True
- b. False

Week 4: Nikolajeva and Scott (2001) – Image–Text Relations and Counterpoint

According to Nikolajeva and Scott (2001), symmetrical picturebooks are characterised by:
- a. Different meanings in words and images
- b. Meaning created through semiotic tension between the ideas in words and images
- c. Words and images filling each other’s gaps
- d. Needing both words and images to convey key ideas
- e. Dual coding
According to Nikolajeva and Scott (2001), complementary image-text relations in picturebooks:
- a. Have few gaps for the reader to fill
- b. Are characterised by semiotic tension between the ideas conveyed through words and the ideas conveyed through images
- c. Have dual coding
- d. Are characterised by having different meanings conveyed through words and images.
- e. Have two or more independent visual narratives.
According to Nikolajeva and Scott (2001), expanding/enhancing image-text relations in picturebooks:
- a. Have few gaps for the reader to fill.
- b. Have interdependent visual and verbal narratives.
- c. Have two or more independent visual narratives.
- d. Are characterised by semiotic tension between the ideas conveyed through words and the ideas conveyed through images.
- e. Have dual coding.
According to Nikolajeva and Scott (2001), what type of counterpoint is best defined by a combination of words that are realistic with images that are imaginary?
- a. Counterpoint in perspective
- b. Counterpoint in characterisation
- c. Counterpoint in address
- d. Counterpoint in genre/modality
- e. Counterpoint in space and time
According to Nikolajeva and Scott (2001), what type of counterpoint is best defined by images that show irony while words are non-ironic (and vice versa)?
- a. Counterpoint in style
- b. Counterpoint in space and time
- c. Counterpoint in perspective
- d. Counterpoint in genre
- e. Counterpoint in characterisation

Week 5: Into the Forest – Narrative Function, Peritext, and Design

In Into the Forest which best describes the narrative function of the page break which follows the double spread featuring the boy and the cow ('After a short while I saw a boy')?
- • It introduces a surprise or sudden dramatic shift in the narrative.
- • It introduces a new location.
- • It controls pacing by introducing a new location and speeding up the pace of the narrative.
- • It controls pacing by slowing the pace of the narrative.
- • It entices readers to want to keep reading.
- This is an application question.
In Into the Forest which best describes the narrative function of the page break which follows the first double spread:
- • It controls pacing by slowing the pace of the narrative.
- • It entices readers to want to keep reading.
- • It controls pacing by speeding up the pace of the narrative.
- • It introduces a surprise or sudden dramatic shift in the narrative.
- • It introduces a new location.
How do the design elements of the peritext of Into the Forest combine to create an aesthetic ‘whole’? How do they contribute to the reader’s ability to predict what the book is about? (1 paragraph answer)
- Example answer (as provided):
- The shift in colours of black and white and inclusion of the story "Little Red Riding Hood" creates a scene of familiarity and a sense of mysteriousness and tension, which hints at the emotional journey the protagonist is about to go on.
- The black, white and greyscales reflect the fear and worry and the colours symbolise safety and resolution to his anxiety.
- The colour red can be symbolic for danger but also love.
- The first person creates a sense of suspense as it is showing his journey in his perspective.
- and these elements contribute to the reader's ability to predict what the book is about.

Notes:

Throughout these weeks, key terms to review include: image–text relations, semiotic tension, counterpoint (perspective, space and time, genre, modality, characterisation, address), peritext, endpapers, and page breaks as narrative devices.
Core authors referenced: Nikolajeva and Scott (2001).
LaTeX usage: numerical values for page counts and other numbers are formatted as $number$ (e.g., $24$ , $32$ , $40$ , $48$ , etc.).