Knowing What to Magnify and What to Minimize

I read a lot of children’s books to my first graders and to my grandchildren, but one particular book, Ladybug at Orchard Avenue, has left a lasting impression on me.

The highly magnified pictures in this book reveal a ladybug and an ant fighting over which insect will eat the aphids they both want.  Illustrations alone turn this very simple book into a frightening adventure. Because of extreme magnification, an otherwise miniature ant looks like a monster from a sci-fi movie and the ladybug, one of nature’s cuter insects, ceases to be attractive.

The ladybug’s fate seems uncertain until the very end of the story. The larger than life illustrations definitely set the tone for and increase the tension in the story. So, why, you might ask, did this have such an impact on me?  It reminded me that the way I look at things determines my perceptions, thoughts, reactions, and even my expectations.

Read the rest of the story at DoAhead Woman.