Bloomer, R. H. (1960). Children's preferences and responses as related to styles and themes of illustration. Elementary School Journal, 60, 334-340.

The major findings of this study may be summarized as follows:

1. The picture styles and themes for which children expressed preference did not coincide with those about which the children chose to write stories. More than 40 per cent of the children's stories were stimulated by pictures they disliked.
2. Color pictures were preferred by more children than were line or shaded drawings.
3. Line drawings more often stimulated children to produce stories than color pictures did.
4. A greater percentage of stories was stimulated by line and shaded pictures that the children preferred least.
5. Negative-tension picture themes stimulated more stories than positive or no-tension picture themes.
6. Negative-tension picture themes were preferred by the fewest children.
7. Stories stimulated by line drawings had a greater proportion of beginnings and endings than stories stimulated by shaded and color drawings.
8. Color pictures tended to produce more fantasy than either line or shaded drawings.
9. The negative-tension picture theme provoked more story endings than the positive and no-tension themes.
10. The negative-tension picture theme stimulated more unhappy stories than the positive or neutral picture themes.

The following conclusions were drawn from the findings:

1. The stimulating qualities of different types of pictures provide a better basis for selecting illustrational style and theme than picture preferences do.
2. When pictures are to stimulate interest and produce realistic thought about a subject, they should be line drawings with negative-tension themes related to the subject.
3. When pictures are to stimulate fantasy, they should be presented in color.
4. Further experimentation seems warranted to determine the factors in the child or his environment that predispose his responses to pictures.