My two Writing Picture Book classes are doing a deep-dive on Jon Klassen this week as part of our ongoing “Meet PB Creators!” agenda. Among other things, they’re watching this interview between Jon and a former officemate at Dreamworks. It’s terrific.
Here are a few things that my classes and I noticed about some of the picture books he wrote and/or illustrated.
I Want My Hat Back
- Repeated questions give it read-aloud rhythm.
- Little changes in posture (and eyes!) do a ton of comic work.
- The text stays so calm despite the situation getting suspicious.
- This book shows how to plant clues for a twist ending without being obvious or clumsy.
The Dark
- Light–and darkness–can be an effective storytelling tool. The amount of each we see throughout the book is part of the pacing.
- There’s a gritty texture that is “bonkers cool.”
- “Love an ending without a loud lesson.”
The Rock from the Sky
- Color-based dialogue is a “cool way to show who’s speaking.”
- A deadpan voice makes it all a bit more fun.
- The chapter breaks are unexpected but welcome.