RHYME TERMS: REFRAIN - PART 2

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​I’m back as we continue to take a closer look at the using Refrains in picture books. 

As I shared last month, “a poet may also repeat whole words, phrases, lines, or groups of lines. When such repetition is done according to some fixed pattern, it is called a refrain.” (Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry by Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. Arp) Last month, we touched on a few examples and you can find that post here: Refrains Part 1.  Let’s continue to explore a few more ways in which refrains can be used in picture books:

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Refrains help move a story forward (Hat Tip: Use of TWO refrains!)
 
There are so many different ways to use refrains, and some picture book authors even use multiple refrains in one book! Take a look at author Vivian Kirkfield’s PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE, illustrated by Jill Weber. As Pippa Mouse readies for her Seder, she cannot find her special Passover Plate. On her quest, she repeatedly uses one refrain: “Have you seen my Seder plate?” in the rhyming text.  That question moves the story forward as each character responds to the little mouse in her search.  Pippa encounters a cat, a snake, and others along the way that make her (second refrain) “QUIVER! QUAVER! SHIVER! SHAKE!” as she bravely continues on. Such fun—TWO refrains in one picture book for the young reader or listener to enjoy! 

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Refrains invite young children to share in the reading experience.
 
In Karen Yin’s text, wonderfully illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff, WHOLE WHALE, the theme of inclusion and making room for others to join in the fun is explored when one hundred animals try to fit into the pages of the book. Yin repeatedly asks the question, “But can we fit a whole blue whale?” with hilarious results. By the second time the question is repeated, young listeners know to join in and ask the question, too! The final illustration in the picture book delivers HUGE results. Don’t miss this great selection.

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Refrains add humor.
 
A hungry bear provides loads of laughs in DOZENS OF DOUGHNUTS BY Carrie Finison with art by Brianne Farley. Written in rhyming couplets, hungry bear LouAnn’s anticipation of fresh-from-the-oven doughnuts is repeatedly interrupted by a “DING-DONG” in the text, with hilarious results! With each refrain (which vary slightly) of “One dozen doughnuts, hot from the pan. Half are for Woodrow, the rest for-- and the “DING-DONG” revealing a silly new situation (and interruption of a rhyming couplet), we can’t wait for the BIG reveal at the end of the book. Will hungry LouAnn ever get her doughnuts? This story is a funny page-turner!

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Refrains provide structure and perspective.
 
The Caldecott Honor story ALL THE WORLD written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, celebrates all things big and small in our world. It zooms in on a family’s experiences through the course of a day, with poetic language for small details:
“Rock, stone, pebble, sand.
Body, shoulder, arm, hand.
A moat to dig, a shell to keep”
 After a close up view of these elements, Scanlon zooms out to a more expansive view using a refrain,
“All the world is wide and deep” 
 Each scene offers close up details (micro view) and a broader truth (macro view), providing a unique back and forth structure as you read through the text and admire the beautiful illustrations. Each variation of the refrain, “All the world . . . " makes us pause and think to fully consider this broader context.

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Over the past two months, we’ve showcased how refrains may be used in a variety of ways:  

​To build tension and excitement
To reinforce an important theme or message
To invite young children to share in the reading experience
To move a story forward
To provide an element of structure and perspective
To create mood and musicality
To add humor
 
I’m sure you’ll come up with even MORE reasons why refrains may be incorporated in picture book text!
Until next time,
Eileen Meyer, Rhyme Doctor