Picture books
Introduction
Reading picture books helps build:
- speech and language skills
- early literacy skills
- imagination and creativity
Illustrations support the text by showing more about the story, and sometimes the pictures tell the entire story without any words at all.
Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Sally Morgan, My Country, 2011, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8071396
Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Sally Morgan, My Country, 2011, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8071396
Alison Lester, Imagine, 2017, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn7417864
Alison Lester, Imagine, 2017, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn7417864
Celebrating Australian creators
Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan is a well-known Australian author and illustrator. He published his first children's book, The Haunted Playground, in 1997 and has since created more than 13 books. His stories often explore themes like:
- belonging
- immigration
- being different
- acceptance
Shaun has also worked as a concept artist on animated films, including Pixar’s WALL-E.
Jeannie Baker
Jeannie Baker is famous for her picture books that use detailed collages to tell stories. Her artworks are made from a mix of natural and artificial materials — like bark, leaves, fabric and plastic. She builds each piece layer by layer to give it a three-dimensional, lifelike look.
Some of her best-known books include Mirror, Belonging and Window, which tell powerful stories without using any words.
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Bull kelp detail, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971159954
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Bull kelp detail, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971159954
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Endpapers, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971313378
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Endpapers, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971313378
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Fortescue Bay, high tide, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971476340
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Fortescue Bay, high tide, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971476340
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Fortescue Bay with boat close up, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971476354
Jeannie Baker, Hidden Forest, Fortescue Bay with boat close up, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-971476354
Learning activities
Activity 1: Exploring visual storytelling
Read one of Jeannie Baker’s books with your class. Some of her books, like Mirror, Belonging and Window, have no written text — just images. These stories are great examples of how pictures alone can tell a powerful story.
- Divide students into small groups.
- Print an A3-sized page from one of Jeannie’s books for each group (available via the NLA catalogue).
- Ask students to explore the images and discuss the following:
- What materials can you identify in the collage?
- Can you understand what’s happening in the story without any words?
- Could you tell your own story using collage?
Activity 2: Create your own picture story
Provide each student with:
- a blank sheet of paper
- a range of collage materials (fabric scraps, leaves, coloured paper, bark)
- glue and scissors
Ask them to create a collage that tells a short story. Encourage them to focus on expressing their ideas visually rather than using words.
More to explore
People in the gallery looking at Grit & Gold exhibition items