Maybe Something Beautiful

Author: Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell
Illustrator: Rafael Lopez
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016

Picture books have played a huge role in our lives, from the time were just unconscious infants to the rapid stages of adulthood. Whether society is aware of it or not, we were first exposed to picture books when we were sitting in a crib, being comforted by our parents before they said "goodnight." Even as teachers and adults, we are carrying on the legacy of picture books as we pass them down to our students, or future children and grandchildren. An effective modern day picture book that is written for children should be an engaging piece that works to send a message to its audiences, using simple text and creative illustrations.

During a recent visit to the Jerome Library, I traveled to the Curriculum Resource Center, where I had the opportunity to explore a variety of recently published children's books. After viewing several different tales, I found one story in particular that seemed to portray all of the unique elements of picture books. The story I selected was Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell. This story is about a young girl, Mira, and her experiences of having a deep passion for art as she grows up living in a dull city. Mira loved to express her thoughts and creativity, so she enjoyed doodling, drawing, and painting on paper whenever she could. Her room was covered, from wall to wall, with her colorful artwork, so she decided it was time to bring her work out into the gray city she called "home." Mira began giving her artwork to all of the townspeople she passed on her way to school, until she came in contact with a muralist who had caught her eye with the paint brushes he held in his back pocket. The artist told Mira that he enjoyed expressing his artistic skills on walls, so the two teamed up together and began decorating all of the walls within the city. The pair worked to cover the gray buildings using plenty of bright colors and pictures. Eventually, the townspeople that Mira had passed earlier on that morning had seen what the two were doing and decided to join in. The whole city became a rainbow of color and everyone felt more unified than ever.

All picture books should work to relay a message for readers, so that it becomes more meaningful and appropriate. This specific selection is useful for young children because it focuses on the experiences of a young girl named Mira, who falls within the same general age group of most audiences. The story focuses on her interest in art, which is something most children are familiar with and have an interest in themselves. When stories exert messages, they are more likely to gain support from the public because people will have something in which they can think and reflect on using their own personal experiences or beliefs. In this story, the message that the authors want their readers to understand is that the world is your canvas, so express yourself and your ideas without fearing what others will say. The authors are also trying to point out how Mira and the muralist are leaders in this story because they worked to get the townspeople involved by not only transforming the city, but striving to bring people together as a community. Therefore, another message that may be obtained through this story, regards taking a stand towards different leadership responsibilities. 

Next, all picture books should include simple text and creative illustrations. Picture books are designed for children, so the text should be expressed using rather short sentences that are made up of comprehensible vocabulary. In this particular story, the sentences are short fragments in which very little detail is executed. The vocabulary is rather simple, however there are some words that may be tricky for some children. These words require students to break them up into smaller sections, sounding them out one by one and then eventually piecing the full word back together. For example, the word "paintbrush" may be hard for some children to immediately understand, therefore these students may be required to break it up into two separate words, "paint" and "brush." The illustrations in this text make up for the somewhat difficult vocabulary because the pictures are very detailed and strive to explain exactly what the authors have written. According to Kathleen T. Horning, "it is a complex, carefully planned work of art that creates a satisfying interplay between text and pictures to tell a story that a small child can understand" (113). If a student is unable to comprehend what they read in the text or is unable to figure out the context clues presented, they may look back at the pictures for guidance. In each of the illustrations, there is plenty of color used to help pull the audiences in. In the beginning of the story, the colors mostly consist of black and different shades of gray. As the story progresses, the colors drastically change and the pages begin to follow a rainbow color scheme. The illustrations are created using a medium that is focused on various watercolors, which tends to fit well with the story's theme about painting and using the world as your canvas. 

As a teacher I would show this book to my class because I do think the message is really important for others to understand. I would read this to my students during class time and then give them each a plain white piece of paper with plenty of crayons and colored pencils. I would ask them to draw whatever they want, using as much color as they can, and then ask them to share their work as soon as they finish. Once the murals are finished, I would either tape them up on the outside of our classroom door or the walls outside in the hallway, so that other students and staff could see. This activity would demonstrate the same concepts discussed in the book because the class would understand that the world is their canvas and they are able to express themselves freely using the supplies I have provided. In addition, while we are working to spread color on the hallway's walls, we are coming together as a unified class and sharing common ground, similar to how the townspeople did throughout the story.  

Picture books are designed for children, whether they choose to acknowledge them for their graphics or use their skills to actually read the text that is presented in them. Picture books should work to emphasize messages that audiences are able to think and reflect on after they read. These books should also use a short, comprehensible textual structure so that the book can be more useful for a larger group of audiences in terms of age group and skill level. At the end of the day, picture books are some of the first tools we have in the literary world, so they should be effective in creating positive educational experiences.

Review by Allison Hartnett