I was quite intrigued by Anne Sibley’s O’Brien’s praise of Megan Dowd Lambert’s book Reading Picture Book With Children. The protocol she created with Dr. Breau is based in part on Lambert’s book. I got a copy of Lambert’s book and here is what I found. The original Lambert inquiry based approach is student centered(ask the students what they see-don’t tell them what to think)and is a whole book approach(include the paratexts: titles, covers, endpapers) that investigates the book as a visual art form (colors used, motifs present, recognizing the purpose of changes in font, design elements, etc.). 

These protocols are highly effective in that they are student centered and inquiry based. As a librarian, having lessons be student centered and inquiry based is always a goal. A consistent goal for my teaching is that I talk less and that my students are given voice. These protocols align perfectly with this teaching goal.

In comparing the original Lambert whole book approach and O’Brien and Breau’s protocol both are inquiry based student centered approaches and both start with asking “What do you notice?” The O’Brien and Breau protocol is inquiry based and explores diversity, encourages making connections and ends with reinforcing welcoming values. I have used this protocol with students. One of the happy outcomes was the sharing my students did sharing their own family traditions. This sharing was interesting and led to building connections in the classroom. I will be using the protocols again.