I am very excited that this is the topic for this week because I used to and continue to love picture books. They, at times, are more profound than even novels. I love the simplicity of them and how easy and accessible their points are. I was happy to read the section of the PDF on Picture Writing: Fostering Literacy Through Art because it is something I wish I had been able to participate in more often as an elementary student. I like the idea a a student "writing," though I am reluctant to use quotation marks because it really is writing, a story through pictures and then reciting it to the class and teacher. This way they truly are writing a story though it may not be with words. What an excellent for of expression!

This article inspired me to use this and other strategies in the classroom. I am going to do the same thing described above, but write down every word the child says so that I can show them what they "wrote" through pictures and how they can be easily translated into words. I genuinely think this is a good idea for adults who are struggling with writing something: map it out. My favorite picture book is probably In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. I love how the imagination is so free. I wish more people allowed their imaginations to roam as freely as those of the authors and illustrators of picture books. I hope to bring out the imagination present in all children through activities like these. I am excited about the amazing things they will come up with!

Davis Haines
Syracuse University