2. Basic Information
◦ Leave Me Alone!
◦ Written & Illustrated by Vera Brosgol
◦ Published by Roaring Book Press
◦ Caldecott Honor was awarded in 2017
3. Style & Media
Brosgol’s illustration style appears to be a mix
between surrealism, naïve, and cartoon art. I can
see glimpses of both, surrealism and naïve, in
Brosgol’s work from the sense that everything
looks potentially realistic, but ever so child/cartoon
like with the soft edges and “fun” illustrations.
Brosgol’s captures her reader’s attention by using
painterly media to blend warm, soft colors
together.
I would argue that Brosgol’s style and media
contribute to the message of the text by aiding her
in creating a “welcoming” and “inviting” story
through the use of her illustrations.
4. Line
Throughout the story the reader will find lines that
are straight, curved, some that are thicker than
others, and some that are strategically placed so your
eyes will follow them.
While I was reading the story, I found that when the
illustration lines were straighter and a bit harsh – the
mood of the story was more on the serious/gloomy
side. When the illustration lines were more curved
and “free” looking – the mood wasn’t as heavy, and
the illustrations were comical.
Take the picture that I have included on this slide for
example – the lines that you see in the floorboards,
on the ceiling, and even the staircase railing are all
straight, and perhaps a bit “tense.” The lines are
foreshadowing what is about to happen in the story –
the main character has realized that she acted on
emotion and she decided to return home to a tense
environment.
5. Shape
Brosgol’s choice of shape is fun and inviting
– not too harsh or complex. She uses round,
soft edges to draw her readers in. At
different points throughout the story,
Brosgol makes use of circles to encompass
her illustrations. With the picture that I have
chosen for this slide, the circles help enhance
the story in a sarcastic sense. For example,
when I came to this part of the story, and as I
jumped from circle to circle, I found myself
reading the page in a “first this
happened…then that happened…oh
yeah…that happened too” type of way.
Brosgol’s shapes are undoubtably
noticeable, which conveys the intent of
being seen and showing significance to the
reader.
6. Color
The illustrations in Leave Me Alone!
are lively, warm hues that imitate a
cozy knitting environment that
almost seems too good to be true…
The author uses various shades of
the chosen colors. As the readers
eyes travel across the forest
scenery, they will notice the
different shades of orange that
were used to create the bushes and
the different browns that went into
perfecting the tree behind the bear.
7. Texture
From the reader’s perspective,
Brosgol’s illustrations appear
smooth, clean, and two-
dimensional. She makes use of
layering to make her illustrations
appear less hectic/squished, and a
bit more realistic.
Brosgol’s illustrations look polished
and professional, as well as playful
and friendly; giving me the
impression that her work would be
smooth to the touch – your fingers
would be able to glide over the
pages without interruption.
8. Composition
I would argue that all the illustrations are
balanced. In some cases the illustrations are
balanced evenly (ex. Illustration on this slide)
and in other cases the illustrations are balanced
irregularly (ex. Illustration on the Color slide).
Whether it be evenly or irregularly, each half of
the illustration “flow” together nicely with the
opposite half.
The author does make use of white space in the
background of a few of her images, but she was
also just as careful to incorporate beautiful
details and scenery in the background of her
other images. She uses the pages to act as a
border to dictate where her illustrations will
begin and end.
Each compositional aspect helps “carry” the
reader from page to page, not letting anything
go unnoticed.
