In the world of children’s books, text and illustrations are equally important.
I want you to think about what a children’s book looks like. What sort of colors and shapes do you see? What do the characters look like? You can probably recall a few books right now in your mind’s eye. Bright colors and interesting art will capture a child’s interest, to be sure, but illustration is also important in that it assists a new reader with connecting words on a page to what is actually happening in a story. Pictures can provide further context, introduce irony, establish visual jokes, or generally present the reader with more information. Illustrated books are an easy way for a child to be more active in the process of reading, even if they are being read to.
In fact, a test by the National Institute of Health has proven that reading illustrated books promotes greater reading comprehension in children. In the experiment, parents from Group 1 read illustrated books to their kids. Group 2 read books without illustrations. The study found that kids who interacted with illustrated books showed better retention and understanding of the material.
Picture books undoubtedly facilitate the development of reading skills and comprehension, but beside that, they’re just plain fun to look at! Lucky for me, I get to see these fine artists’ work nearly every day.
Certain styles of illustration have come in and out of fashion over the years. Graphite drawings, color and ink, pastels, and watercolors have been mainstays in the field since the beginning. However, with the advent of the computer came other styles of art: mixed media, manipulation of real-life textures or objects into illustration, scanned paper cut-outs, and digital art in general. I, personally, love all kinds of art, but I have been surprised by some of the fresh ideas computers and other technology have brought to the world of illustrated books. Take a look at the Pizza and Taco series by Stephen Shaskan, for example. The Pizza and Taco characters have hand-drawn outlines, but the images are filled in with actual, real-life pictures of pizza and taco filling, respectively. Or we can look to Proper Badger Would Never, illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr, where the inside of a cake is, well, real cake. Digital art has certainly allowed illustrators to be even more creative with children’s books.
This isn’t to say contemporary illustrations that use traditional art materials are not as interesting or beautiful. Take a look at Kadir Nelson's work. Nelson’s art is beautiful in itself, but it’s the people he paints that are truly stunning.
Of course, we will always remember the great illustrators, those artists whose work you can spot from a mile away. These are the Jan Bretts, the Eric Carles, and Mo Willems of the world. (Or name your favorite.) Their iconic art sticks with us for years, and for good reason. This begs the question, though, who will become the new greats? Who sticks out now in the seemingly millions of children’s books that are published each year? I suppose much of that comes down to personal taste. However, there are a few illustrators that stick out to me (and that get checked out very frequently at the library).
Jon Klassen (my personal favorite) has a very unique art style. Much like Leo Lionni before him, Klassen’s art is deceptively simple with beautiful colors and textures, but it is different in that he utilizes a lot of negative space. It allows the reader to really focus on the details in the book’s characters and environment, but there is also a slight tinge of existential dread that comes with it. Will kids pick up on that? Maybe not. Will I? Yes.
Dan Santat is another fan favorite of librarians and library patrons alike. Santat’s art is easy to pick out in a crowd; it’s bright, detailed, and has an art style reminiscent of modern animated movies. What makes his work interesting, though, is his use of space and direction. If you were to read Are We There Yet? to your little one, you’ll find yourself rotating the book in various directions to follow along with the family’s wacky road trip. Santat forces you to be more interactive with the art in the book, playing with where subjects are located on the page. It’s sure to get a giggle or two out of your kids.
Everyone has a handful of illustrators whose work resonates with them. We can remember our favorites, even as adults, which, in itself, is a testament to the importance of art in children’s books. I feel privileged to be able to recommend and pass on great books with great art to the next generations.
Here are some staff favorites:
Dan Santat (Are We There Yet?) Tim Miller (Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers) Brett Helquist (any Series of Unfortunate Events fans out there?) Daniel Salmieri (Dragons Love Tacos) Virginia Lee Burton (Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel) Adam Rex (Gladys and the Magic Chicken) Kadir Nelson (Henry's Freedom Box) The Fan Brothers (The Night Gardener) Yuyi Morales (Thunder Boy Jr.) Bob Shea (Chez Bob) Don’t forget! The Caldecott is given out yearly for illustrators. Make sure to check the award-winner shelf in the Children’s Room for books with impressive illustrations! |