Strategies for Studying Illustrations

General reading strategies apply to your experience in studying a graphic novel, but you also have to pay extra close attention to how Tan illustrates each picture. Just as authors select words in the form of descriptions and dialogue to tell you the story, authors in graphic novels illustrate their novels to show you the story.

Consider...

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In this illustration, we recognize the contrast between light and dark. The light buildingsare familiar to us. We recognize the setting as something from an urban community.

The darkness of the dragon tailscreates an ominous presence for us. They have shadows, suggesting there is real danger surrounding the family and the others who live there.

Notice the size of the familyas they walk together. Compared to their surroundings they are small and powerless. Quickly, the reader understands that the father's motivation for immigrating is an environmental one.