Abstract
This story is true. Well, sort of...
Tactical Seagulls is an in-process children's book that imaginatively and humorously (and yes, a tad chaotically) retells a true story about seagulls trying to steal food from beachgoers. But it's more than just a quirky story. Tactical Seagulls began its life as a means to help teach new vocabulary to children in a non-obvious and enjoyable way. Throughout the process, the vision for this book expanded into something more: it is intended to help revive the practice of the family read-aloud through the intentional incorporation of distinct character voices and personalities, expressive illustrations, and strategically placed page turns. I believe that read-alouds encourage connection among family members of different ages and foster a love of reading early on in life. The story, being loosely based off a real-life experience, is also meant to help people view everyday life with a sense of humor. These objectives were accomplished through strategic choices regarding the written text itself, the artwork style, the page layout planning, and in the case of the trailer, the sound effects and animation. This is what is meant by the term "multimedia."
Illustrations and text for one spread
Included in
Tactical Seagulls: A Multimedia Children's Story
This story is true. Well, sort of...
Tactical Seagulls is an in-process children's book that imaginatively and humorously (and yes, a tad chaotically) retells a true story about seagulls trying to steal food from beachgoers. But it's more than just a quirky story. Tactical Seagulls began its life as a means to help teach new vocabulary to children in a non-obvious and enjoyable way. Throughout the process, the vision for this book expanded into something more: it is intended to help revive the practice of the family read-aloud through the intentional incorporation of distinct character voices and personalities, expressive illustrations, and strategically placed page turns. I believe that read-alouds encourage connection among family members of different ages and foster a love of reading early on in life. The story, being loosely based off a real-life experience, is also meant to help people view everyday life with a sense of humor. These objectives were accomplished through strategic choices regarding the written text itself, the artwork style, the page layout planning, and in the case of the trailer, the sound effects and animation. This is what is meant by the term "multimedia."