Lecture: How to Play with Picture Books? (Part 2)
Speaker: A‑League
Time: October 12, 2008, 9:30 AM — 12:00 PM
Location: Shenzhen Silver Eagle Second Kindergarten
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Continued)
Today, I’ll focus on how to make picture books more engaging and a perfect medium for helping children develop a love of reading. The best way to help children develop a love of reading is to read aloud to them. It’s not about saying, “If a child comes today, I’ll read aloud to him for half an hour and he’ll love reading.” Rather, it’s about reading to children regularly, every day, starting at age 0, and continuing to read even when they’re in elementary school and can read. I’ll be visiting another elementary school this afternoon and another tomorrow, just to read to children. How long should we continue reading? At least until they graduate from elementary school. Do you remember what Bush was doing during 9/11? He was reading to elementary school students. He was such a powerful president, and people were about to blow up his building, yet he still went to elementary school to read. This is no simple act. It’s not because American children can’t read by the time they start school, but the president reading to sixth graders represents a method.
Of all the books for children, picture books are the most suitable, even for fifth or sixth graders. I also enjoy reading various types of books to teachers and children everywhere, but I generally recommend that older children, before they develop listening habits, start with picture books. This also applies to fifth and sixth graders, because picture books can be read in five or ten minutes. If you read a novel for ten minutes every day, but the child doesn’t have the habit of listening, they will quickly lose interest.
The most powerful thing about picture books is that they can make children fall in love with reading, and even make adults fall hopelessly in love with “children’s books”. It is not only children who like children’s books, but also mothers and fathers.
Mr. Nao Matsui visited last year. He’s a truly remarkable man. At 81, he made a special trip to China, giving lectures in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen. He’s known as the “Father of Japanese Picture Books.” In the 1950s, picture books were a nonexistent genre in Japan. Against this backdrop, he and a group of publishing elites gradually made Japan a world leader in picture books. He once said, “Experts unanimously agree: Japan’s postwar educational success is entirely due to picture books.” Was he exaggerating, or was it misinformed? No, that’s just what he said. He studied international politics and has a rich philosophical and cultural background. In modern life, oral culture—the traditional, familiar things passed down from mouth to ear, ear to mouth, and back again—is gradually declining. We often acquire knowledge and common sense from television and computers, but when we were young, and for generations before us, they were passed down through oral folk tales. These things are no longer available today. So what keeps this tradition alive? What allows the same books and stories to be read from generation to generation? Picture books! What I want to tell you here is that Mr. Naoki Matsui is not wrong in what he said, at least he thinks so.
Picture books are taught in schools and kindergartens. Silver Eagle Kindergarten is exceptionally well-equipped with a strong physical and mental environment, and the soft environment is equally important. The children have the opportunity to enjoy masterful works every day, which is a beautiful thing.
There are also book clubs. This is a book club in Guangzhou and Beijing. This is a family, and it’s on the Blue Kangaroo. I really love this kind of scene: parents reading with their children. How can children not love reading? In bookstores, libraries, and tent schools. We spent over a month in the tent school, sharing with the children, setting up tents in the muddy fields. The children were fascinated by these books.
There are actually many ways to play with picture books. Every expert or person claiming to be an expert has many ways to play. Generally speaking, I tend to look at it from the reader’s perspective. There are at least the following points:
Sing, recite, speak
Make, draw, act, eat
Break, Chat, Think
I recently discussed with the inspector that this sentence should not be said this way, it should be like Yuan opera:
Sing, recite, speak
Make, draw, perform, eat, break, chat, think
A few important statements:
Each word in the Ten Keys represents a type of gameplay, but they are just some of the common ones, not all of them, and can be upgraded to version 2.0 or 3.0;
It doesn’t mean that every book is suitable for all kinds of gameplay, nor does it mean that everyone is suitable for all kinds of gameplay. They are more like inspiring examples. Everyone can use suitable books and adopt suitable gameplay according to their own strengths. For example, some people are particularly good at handicrafts, and some people are particularly good at logical analysis. It is particularly interesting to crack a book. Picture books can sometimes be used to play crime-solving games. If you have a very good artistic sense, you can take your children to draw. If your language expression is very good, of course some gameplay is universal, such as reading.
These games aren’t designed just for children; adults can play with them, too. Good “mud” is a joy for both adults and children. Sometimes, children can detect a hint of impatience in your seemingly gentle, beautiful voice—reading to children—and they can sense your own impatience. Children are actually incredibly sensitive to the inner workings of our hearts. So, don’t read to them when you don’t like it or are impatient, lest you pass on your impatience. Don’t let them think reading is such a tedious experience. Instead, let them feel that you find it enjoyable.
First, Sing & Chant
Some picture books can be sung, such as “Su Wu Shepherding Sheep”, “Dawn”, “Pulling Carrots”, and “Joseph Has an Old Coat”. Some have lyrics. The “Su Wu Shepherding Sheep” I brought you today has lyrics. Of course, it is not easy to sing, but we can give it a try.
Some books are based on something that can be sung. There are many such books in English picture books. I remember there is an English book called “Five Little
Ducks is in this format——
Five
little ducks went out one day
over the
hill and far away
mother duck
said “quack, quack, quack, quack”
but only
four little ducks came back
What I will share with you today is not the singing method in English, but the singing method of several Chinese books.
Let’s take a few examples of books that can be read aloud, such as “Dawn.” This book doesn’t look like it was designed for children, with a dark cover. How could children possibly enjoy something like this? The author and artist of “Dawn” are the same person—Uli Shulivaz, a very famous writer. This book could be included in picture book creation tutorials. He gives us this scene:
quiet
end
Cold and wet
Under a tree by the lake,
The old man and his grandson huddled together in blankets.
The moonlight illuminates the rocks, branches and leaves,
The mountain station stands there, dark and silent,
There was no movement at all.
At this time, a breeze blew,
The lake trembled.
The mist began to rise slowly and lazily.
A lone bat circles silently,
A frog was jumping, and then another.
A bird is singing,
The other one responded.
The old man woke up his grandson.
They drew water from the lake,
Then a small fire was built,
They rolled up the blankets,
Push their old boat overboard.
They rowed the boat to the center of the lake.
The oars creaked,
Water splashes on the soles of feet,
Suddenly,
The mountains and lakes turned emerald green.
This doesn’t seem like a story, but rather a prose piece, depicting the process of dawn. The painting style follows the dot-and-wash pattern of Chinese painting, as it’s taken from a Tang Dynasty poem, “Fisherman’s Song,” by Liu Zongyuan: “A fisherman sleeps by the western rocks at night, drawing clear water from the Xiang River at dawn to burn Chu bamboo. The smoke dissipates, the sun rises, and no one is visible; a cry of “Ai Nai” beckons, and the mountains and waters turn green. Looking back, I gaze at the sky, descending to the middle stream; careless clouds chase each other over the rocks.” This poem can also be sung. Give it a try, and once you’ve learned it, you can teach it to your children. There are many ancient poems you can sing with children, and with picture books, it’s truly a joy. During our time in Sichuan, we were able to teach the children a classical song every two days. Getting the tune right isn’t always necessary; the key is to capture the flavor.
There is a book that you can find on the market — Zhou Xiang’s “A Garden of Green Vegetables Became Spirits”
Walking out of the city gate and heading east, a garden of green vegetables turned into spirits.
The green-headed radish sits in the main hall, and the red-headed radish sits in the main palace.
The white lotus root rebelled in Jiangnan and sent a letter of war to the capital.
The bean sprouts knelt down and made a report, while the carrots led the troops to the battle.
Cabbage holds a yellow umbrella, and mustard is the pioneer.
Scallions are like silver spears, and leeks are like double-edged swords.
The ox leg gourd is used to make a cannon, and the mung bean seeds are used to light the fuse.
Three loud blasts of cannon fire, turning the peppers red.
The eggplants were beaten purple, and the lentils were beaten until they shriveled up.
Beat the garlic until the cloves split, beat the cucumber until it turns green from top to bottom,
The tofu was beaten so hard that it peed out yellow water, and the jelly was beaten so hard that it trembled.
The Ox King was frightened when he saw it and dived into the mud pit.
It’s fun to sing, but it’s even more fun to combine it with another way to play — painting. Take the children to the vegetable garden and actually draw green onions, leeks, eggplants, lentils, and garlic. It’s a part of life and can be incorporated into life. It’s very interesting, has a traditional flavor, and can broaden their horizons.
I put the second and third together, reading and speaking. “Reading” means reading words when there are words, and turning the pages when there are no words; “speaking” may need to “add some fuel to the fire”, but it is not like the “I Don’t Know Who I Am” I just mentioned. Let me make it clear here that when we tell stories to children, we usually use books instead of PPT, unless there are hundreds of children and we have no choice but to use PPT. Try to use the original words when telling the story for the first time. Telling a complete story is the most basic way of reading.
Reading good works is very satisfying. It seems to be the simplest method, but in fact we think it can also be the most advanced way to play. Through the reading process, children can experience the flavor of language.
“Swap” is an onomatopoeic story. I haven’t had time to make a PPT for this story yet, but I’ll share it. It’s suitable for younger children, around 1 or 2 years old. Younger children are very interested in sound words. The story is simple: a chick wants to go out and see the world. She makes a chirp sound, and then sees a frog. The frog’s sound is very interesting, so she switches it up and calls “quack,” and the frog hops away chirping. Later, she finds the mouse’s squeak funny, so she switches it up again, and finally switches to a dog’s “woof.” When a cat jumps out, she barks twice at the cat, scaring it away. Then, she meows away, wanders around, and returns home. It’s a similar story. I’ve seen children as young as 6 or 7 act it out. Children love chirps, squeaks, quacks, and woofs.
Another book is “Three Goats Gulping.” The story is also quite simple: one of three goats is crossing a bridge. A mountain monster wants to eat him, but the goat says, “There’s a fatter one behind me. Eat it.” The monster waits, but the next goat says, “There’s the strongest one behind me. Eat him.” After waiting for the strongest one to arrive, the goat finally kills him. It’s a simple story, but the repetition of the story, the constant dialogue, invitations, threats, and other language that intertwine, creates a fascinating story.
“You Look Delicious” by Tatsuya Miyanishi. When I am at my wit’s end, I will use this book. What I mean by “at my wit’s end” is that I don’t understand these children and I don’t know how to attract them. For example, when I went to the disaster area on Children’s Day, I shared it with them. The children there had never heard of picture books, even those in the third or fourth grade had never heard of it. I thought they might like this story.
Before, before, a long time ago
On a sunny day.
Bang bang bang bang, bang bang bang bang,
The mountain spewed fire, the ground shook.
The baby Ankylosaurus was born, but…
He was the only one in such a big place.
The baby Ankylosaurus felt very lonely and started to cry.
Walking while crying.
“Hehehehe, you look delicious.”
The Tyrannosaurus Rex drooled as it pounced forward.
At this moment
“Dad!” The baby Ankylosaurus hugged the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
“I’m so scared!”
The Tyrannosaurus Rex was shocked and couldn’t help but ask: “How do you know I am your father?”
“Because you called my name, and the one who knows my name must be my father.
This book fully takes into account the fun of reading to children and the fun of each character. You can grasp the way he speaks, his tone, and intonation. Just read it. Read the book from beginning to end, turn the page when you should, wait when you should, know where the child will be very interested, wait, and where you can catch him, wait. This is the narrative method.
Another example is a book with a certain poetic quality. This is my translation of “Little House,” a book by Virginia Lee Burton. Of all the books I’ve contributed to, this is my favorite. It’s a beautiful book, with stunning endpapers. The first time I read it with my daughter, it felt like a lifetime ago. If you believe me, find a quiet summer afternoon or a nice day and read it to your children.
A long time ago, there was a small house in the countryside far away from the city.
This little house is well built.
She is very strong and very beautiful.
The master who had covered her well said:
“This little house can never be sold,
I won’t sell it no matter how much money you offer.
I want to watch over our grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren
My grandson’s grandson’s grandson lives in it.”
The little house sits on the hill,
Looking with great joy at the countryside around her,
In the morning she watched the sun rise,
At dusk she watched the sun set.
Day after day
Every day is a little different…
But the little house always remains the same.
Every night,
She watched the moon gradually change from a thin crescent to a full moon.
Then it turned back into a thin old moon,
When there is no moon,
She looked at the stars.
In the distance,
She could see the city lights,
The little house is curious about the city.
She wondered what it would be like to live there.
Time slipped away from the little house quietly,
She just looked at the countryside,
Slowly changing with the seasons,
Spring is coming,
The days are getting longer day by day,
The sun warmed up,
She waits for the first robin,
Flying back from the south,
She watched the grass turn green.
She watched the tender green buds sprout from the branches,
The apple tree is full of flowers,
She watched the children playing in the creek
…
I’ve only read up to this point in the story. The rest of the story goes like this: summer, autumn, and winter, and they lived a good life. But one day, a surveyor came to measure the route, and then many horseless carts came, and the road was paved. Then many small houses appeared nearby, and then apartment buildings and residential buildings appeared in the back. But she couldn’t sell her house, and she stayed there during the day. There were no apple trees around her, but there were streetlights that never went out. Then came trams, elevated trams, and subways. Throughout the city, houses were constantly being updated, old houses were dug up, and new high-rise buildings were built. In such a season, in such an environment, she could only see the sun for a short while at noon. Her exterior was dilapidated, but the inside was still the same good house as before.
So on a beautiful spring morning,
There was a man standing here watching her,
This house seems familiar.
She looks like the house where my grandmother lived when she was a child.
It turns out that this person is the granddaughter of grandma’s grandson’s grandson.
This granddaughter discovered that she could move,
So she moved her away,
Traffic was at a standstill for two hours.
Watch her move away
So I searched and searched,
Found a new place,
Very similar to before,
Windows and blinds repaired
Once again, people painted her a beautiful pink paint
When the little house was settled in this new place,
She smiled happily,
Once again she could look at the sun, moon and stars,
Once more she could look upon spring and summer,
Autumn and winter come and go,
Once again, someone lives in the little house.
To take care of her again,
She will no longer be curious about the city,
She didn’t want to go there anymore.
The stars in the sky are blinking at each other,
The crescent moon rises,
It was in the spring,
The countryside is quiet and peaceful everywhere.
I was deeply moved when I translated this book. Afterward, I felt a bit like Salvador Dali: Where on earth should I live? I also tried reading to children who had never heard of picture books before. My favorite in the audience was a little girl who was very quiet while listening to picture books. Afterward, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “How beautiful!” It really felt the same way I did. A truly great work can be read word for word, and there are different ways to read it. For example, “Courage” can be read like an aphorism.
There is another book that is very difficult to read, “Xiao En’s Secret Garden”. I like this book very much. The whole structure is in the form of a letter, a letter from so-and-so to so-and-so on so-and-so date.
This book is a declaration: “Chief Seattle’s Proclamation,” which was written by Chief Seattle, the last chief whose land was purchased by the US government, in a very elegant manner, in his native language, and later translated. He was not allowed to sell the land to white people, but before selling it, he made the following declaration:
How can you buy and sell the sky?
Chief Seattle asked.
How can you have rain and wind?
My mother said to me,
We believe that everything on earth is sacred and inviolable.
Every pine needle, every beach
Fog deep in the woods
Vast grasslands and buzzing insects
All of this is sacred in the memory of our people.
He uses a series of very beautiful words to describe the relationship between man and nature. The text of this book is now selected into the sixth grade Chinese textbook of elementary school, but in fact you will find that when a child is 5 or 6 years old, he can still hear it clearly when you read it to him because it is a picture book.
Reading. Almost everyone who can read can read, so reading is often underestimated. In my opinion, it’s the most advanced of all the ways to play with picture books (I intentionally omitted “one of”). A true master should be able to read right away, acting as a special listener, observing the pictures and listening to the sounds (their own) alongside the other listeners, entering the authentic world of the picture book story. This requires diligent study, diligent reading, and contemplation, and of course, a genuine love for it.
(Unfinished)
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Lecture transcript part 1
Lecture transcript part 3
