From a cognitive standpoint, I'm very aware that you have no room for error in a picture book. Every word counts.
Interpretation
Every word in a picture book is crucial and cannot be wasted.
This quote by Kate DiCamillo emphasizes the importance of precision in writing, especially in the context of children's literature, where each word must contribute to the overall impact and meaning of the story. It reflects a deep understanding of the craft of storytelling, illustrating that in the art of picture books, clarity and conciseness are essential for engaging young readers effectively.
In practice
A children's writing workshop could use this quote to inspire participants to choose their words carefully.
If you sit down and read with your kid, either having your child read to you or you reading to your child at a regular time each day, it deepens the relationship. You don't have to talk about stuff; the story will do that work for you.
I want to remind people of the great and profound joy that can be found in stories, and that stories can connect us to each other, and that reading together changes everybody involved.
If you want to be a writer, write a little bit every day. Pay attention to the world around you. Stories are hiding, waiting everywhere. You just have to open your eyes and your heart.
I was lucky enough to have a mother who took me to the library - the public library - twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays. And also bought me books. And also read aloud to me.
There is no right or wrong way to tell a story. You have to find your own way. You can get your idea from listening, looking, or imagining. Stories are everywhere. All you have to do is pay attention.
Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.
Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.
To students: I pray that all those young people who have graduated, do not carry just a piece of paper with them but that they carry with them love, peace and joy. That they become the sunshine of God's love to our people, the hope of eternal happiness and the burning flame of love wherever they go. That they become carriers of God's love. That they be able to give what they have received. For they have received not to keep, but to share.
The child is an enigma⦠He has the highest potentialities, but we do not know what he will be.
The word constructionism is a mnemonic for two aspects of the theory of science education underlying this project. From constructivist theories of psychology we take a view of learning as a reconstruction rather than as a transmission of knowledge. Then we extend the idea of manipulative materials to the idea that learning is most effective when part of an activity the learner experiences as constructing a meaningful product.
One of the biggest complaints readers have about my work is that I don't tell them often enough what they can do. I do think this is an area where journalism sometimes falls short. We describe a really grim situation but don't really explain to people what they can do about it.
The progress of the world depends almost entirely upon education.
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