Graphics in Literacy

     In the fifteenth century, illustrations joined literature expanding the audiences of books.  The Ars Moriendi was a religious instruction for dying, with graphics that showed it as an art.  This book was one of the first to include graphics and became very popular and helpful for those that were not literate.  The ornate pictures expressed the religious experience of dying so well that the accompanying words were over-looked.  Many children's books are designed in this manner.
    
     The pictures in some children's books have such detail that the words are merely background noise.  These books have become award-winning and known around the world for their elaborate illustrations.  The practice of graphic books has helped develop literacy for many centuries and continues to expand visual communication through the generations.  Graphics have evolved from eccentric exaggerations, to more lovable characters that appeal to a younger audience.  I think the graphics in earlier centuries have evolved to help encourage literacy and expand the imaginations of the youth.