Any picture books that are allegories?

[Kendall]

I'd like to introduce my high schoolers to allegory through a picture book if possible. Then they will read Pilgrims Progress.

 

Do you know of any picture books that are allegories?

 

Thanks

[Lori D.]

What a great idea! Hope you'll have a fantastic class! Hope something here is of help. I included a list of additional titles, should the students want to read more allegory. Best of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

 

 

Allegorical Picture Books:

 

- The Evergreen Wood (Linda Parry)

Children's picture book version of Pilgrim's Progress with a mouse as the main character.

 

- The Lorax (Suess)

Allegory of the importance of environmentalism.

 

- Yellow and Pink (Steig)

Allegory of the difficulties with evolution.

 

- The Little Boy Star: An Allegory of the Holocaust (Hausfater)

A young Jewish boy is given a star to wear. At first he is proud of the decoration, but soon finds the star overshadowing him--no one sees the boy, only the star. Lonely, frightened, and helpless, he watches as other star-wearers are led away into the night.

 

- The Giving Tree (Silverstein)

- The Missing Piece (Silverstein)

 

 

 

Longer allegorical works for ages 13 and up to enjoy:

 

- Hind's Feet on High Places (Hurnard) -- allegory of the Christian walk

- The Singer; The Song; The Finale (Miller) -- trilogy; allegorys of Christ's incarnation; Christ's second coming

- Flatland (Abbott) -- allegory of finite beings trying to understand infinite God

 

 

 

Works with allegorical aspects:

- Chronicles of Narnia (Lewis) -- Christian allegory

- Till We Have Faces (Lewis) -- Christian allegory

- Leaf By Niggle (Tolkien) -- Christian allegory

- Princess and the Goblins; Princess and Curdie (MacDonald) -- Christian allegory

- Light Princess; The Golden Key; and other short stories (MacDonald) -- Christian allegory

- Tombs of Atuan (LeGuin) -- hints of Christian allegory

- The Great and Terrible Quest (Lovett) -- hints of Christian allegory

- The Faerie Queen (Spenser) -- Christian virtues allegory

- Jonathon Livingston Seagull (Bach) -- spirituality allegory

- Gulliver's Travels -- political satire/allegory

- Animal Farm (Orwell) -- political allegory

- Watership Down (Adams) -- hints of political allegory

- Phantom Tollbooth (Juster) -- hints of life lesson and personality allegory

- The Never Ending Story (Ende) -- hints of life lesson allegory

- The Little Prince (de Saint-Exupery) -- hints of life lessons/meaning of life allegory

 

 

And here's a web list of works that are sometimes considered allegorical:

Library Thing website: http://www.librarything.com/tag/allegory

[Handmaiden]

The Dangerous Journey is a picture book version of Pilgrim's Progress.

 

The Squire and the Scroll, by Jennie Bishop and Preston McDaniels

 

The Hedge of Thorns, illustrated version through Lamplighter Press

 

Because I Love You, by Max Lucado.

 

:)

[Ali in OR]

We are reading Pictorial Pilgrim's Progress right now with a K and 3rd grader and I'm a little surprised at how well it is going. There are pictures on every page (black and white). I am guessing that the text is pretty similar to the original, but I haven't read it so I don't really know for sure. I'm explaining the allegories, and I don't know how much of it they really understand, but they are enjoying it.

[Peso]

Thanks for asking this - looks like a great list!

 

Penny

[Isa]

The Squire and the Scroll & The Princess and the Kiss