Sharjah [UAE] April 27 (ANI/WAM): Expert literary agent Janna Morishima emphasised the power of visual storytelling in turning even reluctant readers into passionate bookworms during her inspiring talk “Graphic Novels for Reading Fluency: Using Visual Storytelling to Build Stronger Readers” at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF).
Morishimo, who started her career at Scholastic and co-founded the Graphix Imprint, noted: “Graphic novels give your brain an information processing capacity. The brain comprehends images in two primary ways – meaning and narrative structure. While the left part of the brain is more analytical, the right brain controls creativity, art and imagination,” she elaborated on the human fascination for visual imagery.
Graphic novels also build attention and reading stamina, the Japanese-American agent emphasised, noting that in the age of social media, information overload, multitasking and lack of mental rest have negatively impacted human ability for sustained attention.
Morishimo noted that the reader of graphic novels should be supported at home and school. At home, parents can read together with their kids while in schools, it can be included in the curriculum or in classroom libraries, the literary agent suggested.
Choosing the right graphic novel for different readers was an important step, Morishimo pointed out. “While early readers are satisfied by simple visuals and stories, a reluctant reader needs high entertainment, action and humour; more advanced readers will need to be fed complex themes and layered narratives,” she said. When recommending books, one should consider genre, reading level, interests and emotional needs of the young reader, Morishimo added.
The New York-based agent who has an online community for visual artists called Kids Comics Unite, gave a wide array of book recommendations for different ages and reading levels including fictional bestsellers Bounce Back by Misako Rocks, Pocket Peaches by Dora Wang, Haru by Joe Lathan, Punycorn by Andi Watson and the Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey. Her book suggestions in the non-fiction genre included The Deep by Lindsey Leigh and When Stars are Scattered by Omar Mohammed and Victoria Jamieson.
Being a children’s festival, SCRF has a predominant stockpile of graphic novels. Taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF promises an immersive experience under the theme “Dive into Books”. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), this year’s agenda features 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations. (ANI/WAM)
