You just know that the protagonist of the story you're reading is going to get in trouble, the minute you read the first words of the chapter:
"My only excuse is that I was left unsupervised."
(Protagonist had been ill and her family thought they had left her sleeping. But no.)
So - she decides to make dinner for everyone and - partially destroys the kitchen in the process.
My grandmother was a suffragette; I still have her sash. People talked me into wearing it when I voted for Hillary Clinton.
The Wright brothers' father walked in suffragette marches alongside their sister. He always supported the causes of his children. (He was a Bishop in his religion)
When we write the words for a picture book, we have no idea what the illustrator will do with them; they often expand the story into different directions that the writer didn't expect. (which is a GOOD thing and makes the story better, IMO)
The best examples of 'words meshing with illustrations" is when an author/ illustrator (the same person) does the book. People who write picture books are at the mercy of the illustrator and the editor because of that wall that forbids the author from ever talking to the illustrator. Note - Every recent Caldecott winner in recent years was either an author/ illustrator or at least best friends with the illustrator so they worked together to make the best book they could.
Perennial favorite -Where the Wild Things Are by author/ illustrator Maurice Sendak - is a wonderful example of how the illustrations expand the story. (I've sometimes done a page by page talk about this book with students doing a report on Sendak. )
Look at the white space and how he uses it.
Spider month.
Pumpkin month.
Fun for kids
and horror movies for older people. (ick)
