English 230 - Illustrated
Books
The
Magic School Bus® at
the Waterworks
Joanna
Cole (1944- )
and Bruce Degen (1945- )
This was the first Magic School Bus® book. The unusual topic was chosen because, Cole says, "I wanted to make it fun. I wanted the kids to be going someplace they wouldn't normally want to go, and I wanted Ms. Frizzle to be as enthusiastic as any science enthusiast can be." (Magic School Bus® website)
| Kind of Text | Type Characteristics | Used for: | Function in book |
| Main narration | Typeset | Continuity of narrative and some dialogue |
Maintain narrative flow Provide basic facts about subject, enough to follow story |
| Word balloons | "Hand lettered" on light yellow background |
Dialogue and internal thoughts | Incidental conversation Humorous commentary Additional facts (Ms. Frizzle only) |
| Student "papers" | "Hand lettered" in different hands on yellow
lined "paper" |
Factual reports ("sound bites") | Additional facts Focus on specific aspects of topic Show involvement of child-reader as maker of informational texts |
| Diagrams | Hand-drawn, with pictures and text |
Charts of processes | Additional facts Overview of process |
| Labels | Hand lettered, sans serif, on pink background | Labeling pictures | Identification of objects and/or stages in the process |
| Information boxes |
Hand lettered, sans serif, on pink
background with enlarged capitals |
Labeling pictures |
Identification and additional information |
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