The Twelve Days of Winter in Colorado

Can you find where these figures of speech are found in the book? Good writers use crafts in their writing to create a picture in the reader's mind.

Metaphor - He was a racehorse at the track meet. Metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in at least one way.

Similes - He was as slow as a turtle. A Simile is when you compare two that are unlike, with “like” or “as.”

Alliteration - Sneaky snakes slide slowly. Alliteration is repeating the first consonant sound in each word throughout a sentence or a phrase.

Onomatopoeia - Splash, boom, crash Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound.

Personification - The wind whispered through the trees. Personification gives inanimate objects human qualities such as emotions, physical gestures or speech.


Change these sentences to make them metaphors:

• The girl jumped very high.
• The boy swam slowly.

Change these sentences to make them similes:

• The car was very fast.
• The truck was big.

Change these sentences to include alliteration:

• Rabbits jump into the bushes.
• Felines go up the curtains.

Change these sentences to include onomatopoeia:

• The trash truck made a loud sound.
• The puppy whimpered all night long.

Change these sentences to include personification:

• The ball rolled across the grass.
• The leaves fell from the tree

Artists use perspective to give the illusion of depth, or 3 dimensions on a 2 dimensional surface. This is achieved in different ways. There is linear perspective and atmospheric perspective. In the illustrations in this book, the artist has used atmospheric perspective to show depth in the pictures.

There are a few different rules to follow with atmospheric perspective to help the artist create the illusion of depth. First, by creating a picture with numerous layers, the artist makes the image appear to go back in space. The use of foreground (the nearest layer), middle ground (the layer, or layers in between), and background (the layer farthest back) creates the illusion of depth. As you view a photograph of a landscape, you can easily identify these layers.

To aid the layers in showing depth, the artist can also create overlapping. By placing an object in front of another, one can see that the object is closer. To enhance this look even further, the artist can use an object's size to create depth. Objects closer to the viewer will appear larger, as they move back in space the objects will decrease in size.

A final method to create depth is in the use of color and detail. As objects move back in space away from the viewer, they lose color intensity and fine detail. The further away they are, the less the viewer sees the true color, and also the fine details.

In the illustrations of this book, the artist used a combination of all these methods to create a sense of 3 dimensions of depth in the artwork. One can use all, or just one or two, of these methods to show the viewer space in their artwork.

Eric Fronapfel