Guest Author - Stephanie K. Ferguson

When we think of picture books , we typically think of young children. Perhaps reading them a bedtime story or sitting in a circle at the feet of a librarian or kindergarten teacher for “story time”. Using picture books with adolescents and teens is becoming more commonplace, however.

Many picture books can be interpreted on a multiple levels making them ideal candidates for this age group. Contemporary picture books can be found covering more sophisticated content such as war, homelessness, relational issues, drugs, death, violence, racism, divorce, and conflict.

Our adolescents are becoming more and more visually oriented due in part to the increase of electronic media in our lives…think about the amount of time your teen spends in front of the television, computer, video game terminal, etc. The visual format of picture books has an instant appeal to them because they are used to relying on visual images to help them make sense of the world around them. In edu-speak, adolescents who are visually inclined use the images as a comprehension aid in learning new concepts and content.

For example, How the Moon Regained Her Shape, written by Janet Ruth Heller and illustrated by Ben Hodson (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2006), is a story that teaches the phases of the moon while emphasizing conflict resolution skills when dealing with bullies. Influenced by Native American folktales, the book tells the story of the sun insulting the moon. The moon’s feelings are hurt and she disappears. With the help of her friends, however, the moon regains her self-confidence more and more each day until she returns to her full size. You could use this book to open conversation about bullying, whether your adolescent has been the bully or the bullied as a segue to specific instances of bullying and alternative strategies and coping mechanisms. Often it is easier for adolescents to talk about others’ situations and their own…you know, the classic, “I have this friend who…” Talking about the characters in the book deflects the focus from themselves and thus they are more willing to talk about situations. It’s less threatening. Give it a try and see if you and your teen are able to have a solid bonding moment.