Debbi in Texas Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Okay Hive I am about to pull my hair out with the summer class, Children's Literature. One of my writing prompts is: Examine how the layout of characters ( words and marks) in Funny Bones showcases the illustrative action by bordering, facing, footing, or meshing with pictures. Discuss 3 examples of effective typographic layout from the book. I have no idea what facing and footing means. Google is no help. Neither is the professor and my two classmates I usually text with. I asked the professor what facing and footing were and this is his response: The terms are referring to the layout of the text blocks. Are the blocks inside full-page pictures? Are they on white pages opposite illustrated pages? Are they framing images? Are they footing or heading images? Anyone have any clues? Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Well, it seems clear that "facing" means the text is on the page facing the images, or opposite them if you prefer. "Footing" presumably means that the picture is on the top of the page and the text is below it, or perhaps the other way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Thanks so much. In other words, I was making something way too hard out of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 I guess the prompt would make more sense if I was holding the book in my hand. But he puts these books in a power point type format, so it is difficult to tell which pages are facing each other. Only two days left of the class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 But he puts these books in a power point type format, so it is difficult to tell which pages are facing each other. Ouch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 (edited) I guess the prompt would make more sense if I was holding the book in my hand. But he puts these books in a power point type format, so it is difficult to tell which pages are facing each other. Are there page numbers? Even numbered and following odd numbered page face each other. If not, count from the beginning; books start with a single, right, odd numbered page. Edited July 5, 2016 by regentrude 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Ok the question sounds not fun, but the course topic itself sounds fun! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Boo on the wording of the questions, but hey, I LOved my children's lit class:) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Do you have time to go to the library and get a copy of the book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Are there page numbers? Even numbered and following odd numbered page face each other. If not, count from the beginning; books start with a single, right, odd numbered page. That is what I ended up using. There were actually page numbers on this one, but not on all the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Do you have time to go to the library and get a copy of the book? Not really, I haven't been dressed in at least 4 days. :) Tough class Nineteen papers 15 original poems Author and illustrate a 32 page e-book 10 online meetings 8 books plus picture books This is a summer class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Yeah, summer classes are always intense. They cram everything in there. Good luck! And maybe try google books if you want to see the book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I actually find this topic sort of interesting. It's changed a lot over the years - the text tends to be really integrated into the images now or set over it. But picture books from thirty or more years ago often had the image cut off and the text set over white space above or (more often) below it or opposite the page. I think it probably has a lot to do with the fact that we no longer expect kids to read the books themselves, but instead assume all picture books will be read aloud by adults who can handle the text being "busy" with the images. Or maybe we just expect everyone to be more savvy in reading images and text together. Anyway... good luck on the class. That was really weird phrasing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I actually find this topic sort of interesting. It's changed a lot over the years - the text tends to be really integrated into the images now or set over it. But picture books from thirty or more years ago often had the image cut off and the text set over white space above or (more often) below it or opposite the page. I think it probably has a lot to do with the fact that we no longer expect kids to read the books themselves, but instead assume all picture books will be read aloud by adults who can handle the text being "busy" with the images. Or maybe we just expect everyone to be more savvy in reading images and text together. Anyway... good luck on the class. That was really weird phrasing. Some of it might have to do with different printing and layout techniques available, too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Some of it might have to do with different printing and layout techniques available, too. Yes, it might. And styles change in books as well as everything else. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 This proves to me I am far too old and missing too many brain cells to return to college. Good luck finishing up this class. Sounds like a doozie. You're in the final countdown now... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Some of it might have to do with different printing and layout techniques available, too. This is true, though a lot of easy readers still have white space (or lightly colored, not as busy space) behind the text or have it facing the pictures, which is part of why I think it's a shift in our expectations about reading. Though, yeah, the printing practices have changed dramatically. Some of the beautiful old woodcut illustrations are neat because you can see how the illustration style mirrors the three or four tone printing processes from the 50's and 60's. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I did children's lit in a 3 week summer block as a grad student, Hardest class I ever took. And I'm including "Psychoneurophysiology" as one of the classes that was EASIER than children's literature in the 3 week session. No one assignment was hard, but the sum total of all the reading, writing and analysis...ouch! Good luck!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 This proves to me I am far too old and missing too many brain cells to return to college. Good luck finishing up this class. Sounds like a doozie. You're in the final countdown now... Please don't let one class stand in the way of your dreams. I am 54 and will graduate in December. It has been a Great experience and I would do it all over again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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