Contrast of Text and Illustration in Douglas Wood's Old Turtle


    The text conveys that each animal, rock, and waterfall has a voice, yet the pictures define the unity of nature. An interesting contrast is provided when the pictures depict peace and the text portrays argument. This contrast calls our attention to the meaning of the book, which states that if you take a minute to stop arguing and look around you, you will realize that everything around you contains God. . . .

    If you open the book to the very middle, there is a series of pages with no pictures at all. Only text appears on these four pages. On these pages, the argument between the animals is climaxing. This contributes to the meaning of the text because it stresses how out of control the argument is becoming. If you go further two more pages, there is a whole page dedicated to Old Turtle. I think this series of having no pictures on the middle five pages and then showing a huge picture of Old Turle on the sixth page is to stress the volumme and content of the argument. This also emphasizes the role that Old Turtle plays in resolving the argument. There could be additional pictures in this space of animals, rivers, and mountains, increasing the argument; but the scenes would be hard to depict and these pictures would take away from the impact of Old Turtle yelling "STOP!"
     

              - Jill Schleder, September 1999
       

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      Last updated: October 10, 1999