Endpapers

Featured Articles, Literacy

img_7462I loved this post from Storybird about having a fascination with endpapers.  I too feel that endpapers are a secret little extra for those of us who know not to flick past them to get to the start of the story.  In older style hardback books, particularly children’s books, printed endpapers were used to glue the cover to the book itself.  Although they are no longer necessary with today’s paperback picture books, some books still include them.

Thinking about endpapers got me thinking about the construction of books.  Do you talk about the parts of a book with your child?  Do you take the time to look at the cover, explore the title page, and see what secrets the endpapers hold?

Today, when you read to your child, look for a book that includes endpapers and investigate them together before you begin the story.  Check to see whether the front and back endpapers are the same, or different (often they are).  Talk about any “clues” the endpapers reveal about what might be going to happen in the story.  And then begin to read…

If you know of any books with particularly nice endpapers, feel free to leave a comment about it.  We love the endpapers from Madeline’s New Boots (pictured second above) which we borrowed from the library last week.

9 thoughts on “Endpapers”

  1. I like the endpapers in We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen which show a beach, and the back paper has the bear walking home forlornly, not having caught anything.
    I’m definitely going to be looking at the endpapers more often now that you’ve mentioned it.

  2. The endpaper forest in ‘Where’s My Teddy’ sets the scene for this wonderfully engaging tale. We LOVE this book! It’s a little bit scary but it draws us in evry time, right from the deep dark forest picture.

    ‘Tea For Ruby’ written by Sarah Ferguson, The Dutchess of York has a beautifully illustrated print both front and back but the best part is the hand written thank you note from Ruby to her Grandma on the back endpaper. A lovely way to end a lovely story.

    Oh, and who could go past the beautiful colours in the very well known story of’The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.

  4. Here are a couple
    Not in here dad – cheryl dutton good one.
    Tell me a story mummy – Carl Norac has 2 good ones
    fun and games shake rattle roll – Hilda Offen
    What Shall we do with the boo hoo baby – Cressida Cowell and ingrid Godon
    Whose feet jeannette rowe
    Angelina ballerina Katharine Holabird.

    They are a few to look out for but you can borrow ours if you like. Im sure we have heaps more, these are just off the first shelf.

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