Bandre+&+Button

Bandre, P., & Button, K. (2010). Picturebook Design: Art, Words, Typography...Everything Matters. //The Journal of Children's Literature// 37 (1), 54-59.

This article is an instructional lecture to the participants of the 2010 Master Class in Children's LIterature. The article discusses some of the same aspects that Goldenberg talks about in her article. The different defitions on picture books are noteworthy in this article. Wiesner's reminds us about the importance of designing the picture book, which is often neglected and the layout is the structure of the books. Wiesner's //Art and Max// is an example of how design through different media drives the picture book. http://youtu.be/ZuIsAIKiNgY http://www.amazon.com/Art-Max-David-Wiesner/dp/0618756639 Wiesner discusses the reason why the characters were right and left aligned. He is of the opinion that the such alighment provides a correct balance in the page or the book. The bleed, gutter, borders all create the desired effect. For example, the elements can be shown using clear bleeds on the page. A borders on a page may represent the earth, while a full bleed with insects on a single page may mean it is the fantasy world. According to Wiesner (2010), "Every minute detail counts" in the making of an attractive picture book (p. 56). Another expert in font design, Phinney, discusses the style and appearance of printed matter in picture books. Colabucci and Phinney look at the typography trends in the Caldecott award-winning books. Phinney chose Cadecott books from 1990 to 2010 and chose about 88 books for his analysis. A variety of books including wordless books and hand lettered were chosen. The purpose was to look at the common elements of design and typography in the chosen books. For example, Ed Young's //Lon Po Po// reveals a mismatch in the typeface and the time period of the text. The theme is ancient (folktale), but the font is modern. http://www.vickiblackwell.com/lit/lonpopo.html The font in Gerstein's 's book, //The Man Who Walked Between the Towers// does not meet the genre of a picture book because the sans serfi font belongs in a phonebook. The font does not bring out the humanistic feel in a lyrical text like this picture book. //Smoky Night// also falls under this discrepancy in the font type and story line. The story is rough and the font "is warm but too heavy" (p. 57). http://books.google.com/books?id=AdqnW1QCe2cC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Phinney identifies books athat are appropriately uses the type of font such as Finally, Phinney concluded his presentation by making a comparison of the typesetting used in most of the Caldecott books. 79% of the books used serif type. The use of ligatures or binding was discussed with the participants. According to Phinny and Colabucci, 2010, quoted in Bandre and Button, 2010), "...most typographers prefer the use of ligatures in order to eliminate the presence of "colliding letters" and "excess spacing," issues that tend to hinder legibility (quoted in bandere and Button, p. 58). The second half of the presentation was Kiefer, who engaged Wiesner and Phinney in a discussion about children's literature and book design. Kiefer raised concerns about the electronic medium and felt discouraged about how the electronic medium is distorting the purpose of how picture books are meant to be. The reduction in the size to fit a particular medium is unwarranted and uncalled for according to Kiefer. Wiesner disagrees with Kiefer and points out that "...it is far more interesting to actually create something with the new medium in mind" (p. 58). Wiesner compared this change in medium to the automobile industry and how people tend to adapt to the new designs and mechanisms. Wiesner is optimistic about the change in the medium and he believes that people will begin to appreciate the medium and the designers will willingly work on the format to suit this new medium. Bosman reiterates this point by mentioning that this topic is desired by the consumers and the book designers. The only objection to this change in the medium was the illustrator's apprehension about the look of their work in the new medium. Since, it is desired and readily used by the consumers, the illustrators and authors have to accommodate these customers by considering the new medium. Reflection The discussion about the medium reminds me of those days when I used to watch the folk tales performed by live performers in India, but in the USA, I do not have that option. Hence the need to resort to the electronic medium to watch the folklore. I have begun to enjoy the presentation much more because of the colurs, design, layout, format and the presentation style. The design, movement, and the projection of the images have kept me engaged and I do not seem to miss the original medium of presentation. For example, Punya Koti: The Tale of a Truthful Cow" is a famous folk tale that almost all children in Karnataka watch during festivals and special occasions. I watched it performed live in India and now my children and I watch it in you tube. http://youtu.be/mUNtHRXyWXY I am for any medium as long as the message is delivered appropriately. The purpose the picture book is to give the readers an art that teaches, entertains, and helps children to gain the knowledge needed to appreciate art
 * Bader || A picture book is a combination of both art and words and a juxtaposition of these in several pages ||
 * Kuskin || higher level art in collaboration with words ||
 * Swamp and the Angel || Golem || Duke Ellington || Puss in Boots || Effective Typeface ||
 * Martin's Big Words || Moses:When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom ||  ||   || Typography that enhances a book design ||