Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Power of the Picture Book: Dev Petty




I love picture books.  It's sincere.  I love reading them, writing them, talking about them...you name it.  So when a fine person like Kurt asked if I'd write a little about the power of picture books, he had me at “Hey, Dev...”

With so many posts out there about the power of picture books for kids- many of which I've myself written, I thought I'd go in a different direction and talk about the power of picture books for those a little longer in the tooth, like me. 

Of course, before I became a writer, my main adult relationship with picture books was as a parent, reading them to my kids, stack after stack.  I was thrilled that they loved books and pictures so much, and welcomed getting to curl on the couch and just read instead of playing “these thirty-eight tiny dolls need to get dressed for a ball that will never happen” again. 

What I discovered reading all those picture books, and what I'd forgotten from my own childhood, is how joyful it is to have an idea distilled to its elements. There is something wonderful about a clear idea and applicable message, the same way I glean so much from wonderful quotes.  What grownup doesn't benefit from remembering that,“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” or that you can be a bull and choose not to fight, or that you can get over getting dirt on your new shoes.  We're supposed to know all that stuff, we're grownups.  But you know what?  We forget.  We're busy, we're inundated with news, sometimes we're exhausted, overworked, or overwhelmed. 

The Missing Piece reminds me to enjoy the journey, to slow down.  The Lost Thing reminds me to look for the unique things in the world and enjoy differences.  The Last Stop on Market Street reminds me to consider the richness of life and relationships instead of things.  The Big Orange Splot reminds me to be myself and not care what others think.  Extra Yarn reminds me of the magic in the world and how small gestures can create big change. 

Are there novels that convey these ideas?  Yes.  I read those novels and I love those novels.  But as we aim to impart ideas, and not just plots to our kids, it helps to have beautiful, short books that shout through the noise and ring our bells a little.  Growing up, after all, isn't just a series of plot twists and cliff hangers.  Picture books can remind us who we wanted to be as parents and adults, friends, and caregivers. 


It's easy to put those old picture books in a box- whether after we grow up or when our kids move onto chapter books and longer novels.  But I'll urge you to keep them around.  For them to page through, or you.  They will make you smile and remind you of things you're supposed to know and sometimes still forget.  


*****

Dev Petty is the author of CLAYMATES, I DON'T WANT TO BE A FROG, and many more picture books to come.  Her latest, THERE'S NOTHING TO DO, is the third in the Frog series- It's a silly look at what Frog does and doesn't do with a free day.

Dev was a Visual Effects artist on the Matrix Trilogy and dozens of other projects before becoming a parent and picture book writer.  She lives in the SF Bay Area with her family and critters.  She also makes a fine sandwich and is very good at word jumbles.  

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