Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Musicality in the Language of Picture Books

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Children's Literature in Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The authors of picture books who write especially melodic language are doing more than simply offering up work that is pleasing to the ear. They are accessing more of the whole child. In this article five picture books will be discussed for their musical attributes: Now One Foot, Now the Other, by Tomie dePaola, The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss, Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems, Mirandy and Brother Wind, by Patricia C. McKissack, and Click Clack Moo, by Doreen Cronin. Drawing on the observations of scientists, educators, and composers, I will discuss what an extraordinary aid a picture book with musical sounding language can be in the nurturing and development of the young child’s intellect, emotional life, and social skills.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angelou, Maya. ‘‘Foreward.’’ A Well-Tempered Mind: Using Music to Help Children Listen and Learn. Eds. Peter Perret and Janet Fox. New York: Dana Press, 2005. ix.

  • Bailey, Derek. Improvisation. Its Nature and Practice in Music. London: Incus, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, Leonard, cond. “The Unanswered Question: Musical Phonology.” Norton Lecture Series, Harvard University. Videocassette. VME Kultur, 1972a.

  • Bernstein, Leonard. “Musical Syntax.” Norton Lecture Series, Harvard University. Videocassette. VME Kultur, 1972b.

  • Besson, Mireille, and Daniele Schon. “Comparison Between Language and Music.” The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music. Eds. Isabelle Peretz and Robert Zattore. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. 269–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calogero, Joanna M. “Integrating Music and Children’s Literature.” Music Educator’s Journal Mar.: 2002. 23–30.

  • Crinklaw-Kiser, Donna. “Integrating Music with Whole Language through the Orff-Schulwerk Process.” Young Children Jul.: 1996. 15–21.

  • Cronin, Doreen. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.

  • DePaola, Tomie. Now One Foot, Now the Other. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geisel, Theodore Seuss. The Cat in the Hat. 1957. Your Favorite Seuss. Comp. Janet Schulman and Cathy Goldsmith. New York: Random House, 2004. 120–156.

  • Hawkins, Jeff with Sandra Blakeslee. On Intelligence. New York: Henry Holt, 2004.

  • McCarthy, Maureen. The Nature of Music: Beauty, Sound and Healing. New York: Riverhead, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKissack, Patricia C. Mirandy and Brother Wind. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.

  • Paolini, Christopher. “And Enter the Cat.” Favorite Seuss. Schulman and Goldsmith, 2004. 118.

  • Patel, Aniruddh D. “A New Approach to the Cognitive Neuroscience of Melody.” The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music. Eds. Isabelle Peretz and Robert Zattore. England: Oxford Press, 2003. 325–342.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perret, Peter, and Janet Fox. A Well-Tempered Mind: Using Music to Help Children Listen and Learn. New York: Dana Press, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pound, Linda, and Chris Harrison. Supporting Musical Development in the Early Years. Pennsylvania: Open University Press, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, Scott Russel. “The Gift of Reading.’’ National Council of Teachers of English. Indiana. Fall 2005. Unpublished Lecture, by Permission of the author.

  • Sanders, Scott Russel. ‘‘Re: Lecture to National Council of Teachers of English.” E-mail to Robin Heald. 7 January 2006.

  • Schafer, R. Murray. “Language, Music, Noise, Silence. A Composer’s Approach to Words.” Words and Spaces: An Anthology of Twentieth Century Musical Experiments in Language and Sonic Environments. Eds. and Cont. Stuart Saunders Smith and Thomas DeLio. New York: University Press of America, 1989. 105–111.

  • Travaglini, Tim. “4 Editors, 4 Lists, 4 Views.” Panel Discussion. Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference. Westin Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles. August 2005.

  • Trehub, Sandra. E. “Musical Predispositions in Infancy: An Update.” The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music. Eds. Isabelle Peretz and Robert Zattore. England: Oxford Press, 2003. 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitsett, Margaret. Telephone interview. 3 Aug. 2007.

  • Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. New York: Hyperion, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Early Childhood Education, Pomegranate Preschool for the Arts, 1800 East Main Street, Ashland, OR, 97520, USA

    Robin Heald

  2. 642 Liberty Street, Ashland, OR, 97520, USA

    Robin Heald

Authors
  1. Robin Heald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robin Heald.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heald, R. Musicality in the Language of Picture Books. Child Lit Educ 39, 227–235 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-007-9054-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-007-9054-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation