The First Illustration

The first illustration I selected comes from the very first page. I thought the illustration had a strong appearance for the book. It was the first thought of the reader and maybe the first impression for the reader about the books intentions. The first illustration introduces huge mountains that led as far as the eye could see. The calm weather and smooth arrangement of clouds covered the low skies. The trees scattered throughout the range which created a Christmassy mood. The little kid is seen viewing the range from the barn, with a happy gesture. The book explains each detail that creates a picture in your mind without looking at the actual illustration 'Mountains lay blanketed with snow '(Houston). The view of blanketed white snow is illustrated perfectly. The snow covered the entire range from the peaks to the valleys. The entire page of the book was white from the snowy winter. Small bungalows scattered in the range expressed the warmth of the small town. A tree with no leafs, and trees suffocated with them. Different types of breeds of trees, from Christmas ferns to regular fall trees. The start of a book sparks the reader's thoughts instantly especially a child. I view this child and I feel that the illustration relates with the little child reading along. The powerful verbal detail and powerful visual context matches perfectly.

Towards the middle of the book an illustration of a moonlight backdrop and naked trees grabbed my attention. 'I wonder as I wonder out under the sky' (Houston). The eerie cold night had some to no clouds in the illustration, a beautiful horse, the mom, and the young child. The dark and gloomy surroundings casted dark shadows from the trees. Ruthie had a lamp in the illustration guiding the way. Ruthie was not timid anymore this might be the reasoning for her leading the way. The horse walked with his head bowed hauling a tiny sled along the white snow with the light leading the way. The illustration shows the effectiveness of this from the moonlit yet very murky atmosphere. I believe this was a pivotal illustration in the book. The illustration exposes the perseverance of the mother and Ruthie. This was a breathtaking illustration that forged a new aspect especially for the kids viewing it. Houston used perfect verbal words and clues to help intensify the illustration. The twirling hills wrapped in snow portray two things in the illustration, the bulk of snow, which is massive, and the vigorous travel ahead for the mom, kid and, the huge horse.