When I Am Big is a children’s picture book published in 2018 in both hardcover and electronic versions. Author/illustrator Maria Dek has used simple but quirky watercolour images to produce a story which also works as a counting book. The numbers go up to 25, well beyond the usual range for books aimed at younger children, but the appealing text with the repeated refrain of “I will…” works well to carry the story with the highly imaginative ideas of what is possible holding the attention of the listener/reader.
I will climb 14 branches to get to my tree house.
I will jump over 9 puddles. All of them at once.
The electronic version does not have any enhanced features (sounds, interactivity, touch screen functions) and clearly fits within the definition of a standard e-book. Yokota and Teale (2014, p. 580) suggest that the following three standards be applied to both print and digital formats in relation to the quality of the work.
- Is the story well told, according to literary standards?
- Is the language of the text skillfully crafted?
- Are illustrations artistically skillful, and do they work well with the text to illuminate, extend, and/or co-create the story as a whole?
The five additional criteria suggested for evaluating digital books are less relevant in this instance, however the first question “Is the story appropriately presented in digital format?” is helpful in reviewing this version. The hardcover version was used by way of comparison to answer this question.
The clearest distinction between the print and digital formats is the pagination. The print version makes extensive use of double page spreads which places focus on the illustrations and directs all of the readers attention to the one idea being presented on that page. The double page invites the reader to take time and really consider the possibility. Would they jump 9 puddles all in one leap? The size of the image on the page, even on the single pages, creates a sense of dimension and proportion that adds value to the story. The text by contrast is relatively small, always at the bottom of the page and is separate to the illustrations. Only the numeral is big. This matching of the visual and literary elements is a choice made by the author, an important way that meaning is conveyed to the audience (Walsh, 2013, p. 160.)
The digital version is not able to keep these proportions, nor is it able to recreate the same emphasis of a double paged spread. The illustrations are contained within a rectangular shape with a white background, giving the appearance that they have been inserted into the page. This has significantly changed the way in which the page, and hence the meaning, is conveyed to the reader.
There is no ability to increase or decrease the size of the image however it is possible to increase the size of the font. There is also the option to change the font with a few options provided, including a dyslexic font. This feature may be helpful for dyslexic readers who are usually faced with a limited range of suitable picture books.
The illustrations are so pivotal in this book, working to illuminate and extend the story as per criteria three above, that the move to digital seems inappropriate in this case. The viewer of this digital version would not be aware of what they were missing and may still enjoy the story as presented. However, without any additional features to compensate for the loss of proportion and dimension, I feel that this book is best experienced in its paper format.
References
Dek, M. (2018). When I Am Big. [Electronic Version] Accessed via Borrowbox.
Yokota, J. & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/3886534/Picture_Books_and_the_Digital_World_Educators_ Making_Informed_Choices
Walsh, M. (2013). Viewing and reading picture books. (Ch. 12). In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).