Poetry with Pictures

No One but You; Happy; A feather on a wing; Now we're Together

I read a comment/question on a Facebook group towards the end of last year and it has lingered with me ever since.

"Sharing my thoughts and wondering. Out of the 12 picture books I read from the library this week only 3 had what I consider a narrative arc, with a problem/resolution - the rest were more poetry with pictures. Beautiful and lovely to read but not a story. Has anyone else noticed this trend towards picture books without a story." 

A Life Song; Don't Forget; When you're Older; Big and Small and In-Between

I love the words "poetry with pictures" and I immediately thought of so many examples. I often rate these books very highly because their language is lyrical and often the illustrations are so beautiful. They are also often very philosophical.

Now for some thoughts

• Is this a new phenomena? (no, see below)
• Do children respond to, and enjoy these books?
• Are these books a response to the 'mindfulness' movement?
• Are these books intended to 'teach' a lesson e.g. care of the environment, mental health, growing up etc.
• Can they be too didactic? (yes, they can be of course)
• Children enjoy books with a narrative but is there a place for these more lyrical books to be part of the reading experiences of a child?
• Is this 'movement' driven by publishers who want to appeal to the people who purchase books for children - adults, grandparents, etc.
• Is a strength of these books the way they expose children of all ages to beautiful and varied art styles?
• In our busy world is their a place for quiet, contemplative and thoughtful books like these?
• I am still pondering the name for this style of book - one friend suggested 'Plotless' but we both agree that has harsh overtones. I suggested a homily story. I read this definition: a piece of spoken or written advice about how someone should behave. That is nearly right but not quite. These books are not always about behaviour - often they feel more like philosophical ramblings. 

Here are a few book blurbs of books which fall into the category of 'Poetry with Pictures'

Footprint by Phil Cummings: Embark on a lyrical, meditative journey through nature's tapestry, where every step you take leaves a legacy of wonder and protection for the environment.

A feather on a wing by Maria Speyer: When a little girl feels lonely in the dark, her big sister takes her on a dreamy journey to imagine different ways they can be part of something bigger – as waves in the water, as raindrops in a shower or as feathers on a wing.

A life Song by Jane Godwin illustrated by Anna Walker: A musical journey from the time a child's life song first begins, through all its modulations, adding new verses and extra voices through the years, until it becomes their own unique composition - and one that is ultimately a part of the beautiful, grand and glistening score of the world.

Now we're together by Nicola Edwards: This life-affirming picture books takes readers on an adventure away from the glare of phone screens. Admire the wonderful world around us and take a moment to appreciate spending time with loved ones.

Just one Little Light

A song full of Sky

In answer to my own question are these books a new phenomena - no - this famous book was first published in 1977:

Read about these here - published in 2012

Let's go back and look at one of the newest books from this post - Footprint by Phil Cummings. I am a huge fan of his work. I think this might be the first book from his repertoire that I would put into this category of Poetry with Pictures. The publisher has (I would think) very cleverly combined the CBCA New Illustrator winner Sally Soweol Han (Tiny Wonders) with a lyrical text by Phil Cummings. 

Here is part of the text:

"Walk into morning, the open air. Wake to the wonder you find there. Trudge along the winding track. A precious load upon your back. Inherit the wonder of the forests tall. Cloaked in the mist from a waterfall. Listen to the whisper of the river flow. Wildlife watching as you go."

So, we see solitary children taking a bushwalk, then a different child on a canoe ride, then another strolling through a meadow of flowers, and yet another climbing up a rocky path. In my mind I could make connections between these landscapes, but the next page turn is a bit of a jolt as suddenly another child, who is now with a friend, is in the icy waters of the arctic and then on the next page a different child is in a mist filled forest. All of these scenes are beautifully captured but, as I quoted from the comment above, the text has no narrative arc. There are five individual children who we follow through each landscape and we do see them all doing good deeds for the environment but apart from that I couldn't really find a narrative (via the illustrations) that told their story. 

Having said all of that I would happily add this book to my school library. The language is lyrical, the illustrations are very appealing and the 'message' about caring for our world is delivered in a quiet and understated way. 

Kids' Book review said: It’s a bit like an instruction manual, providing inspiration for places to go but also reminding you to stop, take it slow and breathe as you go so you get to experience the moments. ... this is a tale for lovers of language and adventurous kids. With its gorgeous lyrical flow, it’s a lullaby in story-form that is engaging, inspiring and impactful.

Here are some other books that fit this category of Poetry with Pictures:

Wonder Walkers

Outside In

Picture books can be a cumulative story, a story told in dialogue, a story with contrasting views, a stream-of-consciousness story, a series of poems that tell a story, or a classic story featuring a main character with a problem to solve. But, if you sit me down with a stack of picture books and ask me to choose my absolute favorites, it’s likely a lot of them would be lyrical picture books. Those are also the sort of books I find myself writing lately. ... A truly lyrical picture book is one where the words are arranged to such perfection that you could read the text out loud, without even thinking about what the words mean, and still be struck by the beauty of the sound. Lyrical language has a poetic feel and rhythm – whether it rhymes or not. ... Lyrical books can have a traditional plot, but sometimes, they’re more about an emotion – encouraging the reader to think about or feel something. And the emotion that’s generated – whether it’s hope, laughter, nostalgia, or love – is what makes readers come back to the book again and again. Pat Zietlow Miller