Picture Books and the Digital World

The book publishing industry in general and picture book materials for children in particular have undergone rapid and profound changes in recent years with the developments in the digital realm. As a result, teachers, school librarians, and literacy researchers have been largely left to their own devices to figure out basic questions related to e-picture books such as what works, what doesn't, what's good, and so what? This article discusses two fundamental issues related to these materials and young children's interactions with them: (1) Print or Digital—which version of a story should teachers use in particular instances and (2) Quality of Features of Digital Picture Books—evaluation and selection factors that should be considered in assessing digital picture books for use in the classroom.