Narrative Strategies in Picture Books: The Role of Words, Illustrations, and their Interplay

Abstract

In this study, Nikolajeva and Scott’s (2001) typology of text image interactions is employed to analyze the narrative strategies in three selected picture books, including Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg, Dear Diary by Sara Fanelli, and Sector 7 by David Wiesner. The results demonstrate that complementary and counterpoint interactions are predominantly used in Two Bad Ants, where text provides temporal and emotional depth while illustrations offer spatial clarity and work in transforming ordinary objects into life threatening challenges. In contrast, a text led approach is used to convey meaning in Dear Diary, where illustrations work to enhance humor and tone. Sector 7, on the other hand, relies entirely on visual storytelling, and thus offers readers interpretive freedom and opportunities to develop visual literacy. By contrasting various narrative strategies employed in these three selected picture books, this study demonstrates how different text image interactions may engage readers, form meaning, and produce multi layered narratives. Beyond literary analysis, these findings offer pedagogical and creative significance. They suggest ways for educators to use picture books to foster both verbal and visual literacy, and for picture book creators to apply diverse narrative strategies to enrich storytelling for different audiences. The study thus underscores the multifaceted potential of picture books as a multimodal narrative form that engages readers and supports meaningful literacy development.