Historically, Australian picturebooks were not a readily available or utilised resource. Australian colonial children were also only exposed to British children’s books, which sheltered them from experiencing literature about their own history, nature and landscape.
The 1970’s – 1990’s experienced a boom in this specific genre of work, which not only saw social and cultural issues being addressed, …show more content…
(Meek)
A paramount understanding of how picturebooks require the reader to process and integrate two distinct types of information is evident in the Australian picturebook Flood, by Jackie French and illustrated by Bruce Whatley. This storyline evokes intense emotion from the reader, as it is a retelling of the devastating floods which occurred in Queensland.
French showcases how the literary elements of character, setting, point of view and tone serve as dynamic constructs for the reader to interpret and build on their knowledge of the intended theme of devastation, loss and in the end hope.
French connects the reader to the story by using an animal (dog) as the central character and not a human. The child and adolescent reader immediately engages and relates more so to the dog as a symbol of innocence, helplessness and is seen as a reflection of the Australian …show more content…
The hug becomes more heartfelt every time, until it ‘runs’ away and Lucy discovers the challenge of getting it back.
To listen to the synopsis this doesn’t sound like such a thought provoking or complex picturebook... until you give to to the child and adolescent reader to appreciate and understand their notion, mood and perception.
As Sipe indicated, a picturebook gives the reader the opportunity to connect with one’s own life and The Runaway Hug emits a sense of family, culture and everyday living. The pencil and charcoal based pictures illustrate utter chaos of a busy family household and their own interests, which is very real and relatable for most readers’. In contrast, the text is calm and comes to the forefront when reading, as you escape in to Lucy’s frame of mind and how she wants to bind the whole family together through a hug.
Bland repeatedly uses the phrase “but just as nice.” (Bland) The undertone behind this repetition indicated how each family member is unique and there is an honesty in the notion that hugs are items we borrow and treat with