Words and Pictures in Books

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/11/opinion/words-and-pictures-in-books.html

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To the Editor:

Re “Masters of Prose Warm Up to Picture Books for Children” (front page, May 8):

It’s no wonder that many novelists are trying their hand at picture books. The real draw is not financial gain but the excitement of a challenge: to engage in a give and take with young children, who experience the world with unfettered imagination and unabashed love best conveyed by a few well-chosen words and colorful images.

After 30 years of trafficking in words, I recently found myself drawing wordless cartoons. I was surprised, until I reminded myself that the most intense and transformative experiences of adults as well as children are communicated nonverbally, with grimaces, grins and tears.

RICHARD FRANK

Milwaukee

The writer is a child and adult psychiatrist and a training analyst at the Wisconsin Psychoanalytic Institute.