2. Literature Review

2.1 Definitions of English Picture Books

2.1.1 Definition of Picture Books

A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book and a story. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor, and pencil, among others. Picture books are most often aimed at young children, and while some may have very basic language especially designed to help children develop their reading skills, most are written with vocabulary a child can understand but not necessarily read. For this reason, picture books tend to have two functions in the lives of children: they are first read to young children by adults, and then children read them themselves once they begin learning to read. Some picture books are published with content aimed at older children or even adults. Tibet: Through the Red Box, by Peter Sis, is one example of a picture book aimed at an adult reader.

Many scholars have similar view of the definition of a picture book. Perry Nodelman (1988) is a famous children's literature theorist and writer, and he defines picture book as ‘it is children's book which combines a large number of coherent pictures and relatively few words (or no word) to convey information or tell stories’. Professor Kang Changyun (2002) of Beijing Normal University put forward that a picture book is a kind of children literature, and pictures play the main parts with few or no word to tell stories. There are several or dozens of discontinuous or static pictures with short and simple language to complete a story.

2.1.2 Definition of English Picture Books

English picture books generally refer to the storybooks in which pictures are the mainly parts and English sentences are supplements. The beautiful pictures are the main characters of the English picture books. Rich colors and perse composition of English picture books can arouse children's attention. The pictures can help students understand the question and make up for the restrictions on vocabulary and grammar knowledge. The story can encourage students to read and learn in a positive and meaningful way.

2.1.3 Characteristics of English Picture Books

English picture books are a kind of book with luxuriant picture and text. It is a kind of children's literature reading. The pictures can help students to compensate for the limitations of grammar vocabulary knowledge and to better understand the story, while text helps students better understand the meaning of the picture.

English is a foreign language for the pupils in higher grade of primary school. It is more difficult to learn. In that case, illustrations and pictures play a crucial role. Because it gives a vivid visual aid to help pupils understand the story plot better. Colorful and nice illustrations would not only focus pupils’ attention, but also stimulate children’s imagination and creativeness. What is more, it can develop children’s ability of browsing and observing pictures, just like reading the text. In general, English picture books have the following characteristics:

(1) With a variety of subjects and content, English picture books are close to the students’ life experience. It is practical, interesting and informative. It will help enrich students’ experience, broaden students' horizons, and develop students' cognitive abilities

(2) In the aspect of sentence structures, English picture books have repeated and easy sentence pattern. They are concise and clear, which can provide students with rich corpus materials.

(3) English picture books emphasizes the unity of narrative story and visual art, and has great visual effect.