Using Illustrations to Understand a Story

Students explain how illustrations add information about a story’s characters, setting, and events that may not be stated directly in the words.

Study the Cover Illustration

Before reading a story, study the cover illustration carefully. Look for people, animals, places, objects, actions, and facial expressions. These details can help you make a reasonable prediction about the story. Imagine a book called Maya’s Windy Day. The cover shows a girl in a park holding an empty kite spool. A red kite is caught in a tree, leaves are blowing through the air, and a small dog is looking up. From these clues, you might predict that Maya is the main character and that she has a problem with her kite. A prediction is not a fact yet. You must read the words and examine more illustrations to see whether your prediction is correct.

Read the Story Words

Read the story words closely before deciding what happens. Words can directly tell you the names of characters, where they are, what they do, and what they say or think. In Maya’s Windy Day, the text says, “Maya carried her red kite to the park. A gust tugged the string from her hand. ‘Oh no!’ she cried.” These words identify Maya, the park, and the important event of losing the kite string. They also show that Maya is upset. However, the words do not explain where the kite goes after the string leaves her hand. Remember the information stated in the text. Then compare it with the illustration to discover details that the words do not provide.

Notice Clues in the Pictures

Illustrations may show details that the author does not state directly. Examine the characters’ faces and bodies, the weather, the background, and the positions of important objects. In the picture from Maya’s Windy Day, the red kite is caught on a high tree branch. The branches lean to one side, and loose leaves blow across the park. Maya’s eyebrows are raised, and her mouth is turned down. Her dog stands beside her and looks up at the kite. The words did not say that the kite landed in a tree or that the wind was bending the branches. The illustration adds those clues. It also helps you understand that Maya feels worried and that getting the kite back may be difficult.

Connect Pictures and Words

To understand the whole story, combine information from the words with information from the illustration. Ask, “What do the words tell me?” and “What does the picture add?” The words in Maya’s Windy Day say that a gust pulled the kite string from Maya’s hand. The picture shows bent branches, blowing leaves, and the kite tangled high in a tree. Together, these clues show that the wind was strong enough to carry the kite away and trap it on a branch. The words explain the cause of the problem, while the illustration shows the result. Using both sources gives you a clearer understanding of the plot than using either one alone. Always make sure your explanation is supported by details you can point to.

Explain What the Illustration Adds

When you explain what an illustration adds, name a detail from the picture and tell how it improves your understanding. Near the end of Maya’s Windy Day, the words say, “Mr. Lee came to help. A moment later, Maya had her kite again.” The illustration shows Mr. Lee using a long pole to lift the kite string off the branch. Maya holds the kite and smiles while her dog wags its tail. You could explain, “The illustration adds that Mr. Lee uses a long pole to free the kite. It also shows that Maya feels happy and relieved.” This answer does more than list objects. It explains how the picture provides information about an event and a character’s feelings that the words do not state directly.