I am crazy about picture books! And the illustrations are a large part of a picture book grabbing my attention. Certain illustration styles immediately catch my eye. And when you are reading with kids who don’t read on their own yet, the pictures are a HUGE part of the child’s engagement with the book. Here are some of my favorite illustrators, and links to some of my favorite books that include their amazing art work!
Dan Santat – Dan Santat has a great illustration style. I can usually pick out a book he has done from across the book store. I like his work so much. If you want to see great examples of his work, check out his award winning book, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
, or his illustration work on the Dav Pilkey Ricky Ricotta series ( Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot ). The Three Ninja Pigs
is an outstanding story by Corey Rosen Schwartz. The illustrations by Dan Santat work perfectly with this awesome story!
Mo Willems – The Elephant and Piggie books are a huge hit with the preschool and early reading crowd. The language is simple, the stories are funny and the illustrations are a major component of the humor. He is also well known for the Knuffle Bunny series and the Pigeon books. A few of my (many) favorite books by Mo Willems are Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
, Let’s Go for a Drive! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
, and I Will Surprise My Friend! (An Elephant and Piggie Book). If you are looking for something for slightly older readers, try The Story of Diva and Flea
. Lovely illustrations of Paris in this book.
Ashley Spires – I fell in love with Ashley Spires’ work when my son and I discovered the Binky the Space Cat (A Binky Adventure)
graphic novel series. As cat people, we thoroughly enjoyed the jokes, many of which were in the pictures. The Most Magnificent Thing
is an amazing book about ideas and perseverance. Ashley’s style speaks to me, and I sit up and take notice any time she releases a new book.
Lauren Child – Lauren Child is the author/illustrator of the Charlie and Lola books. Disney turned these into a cartoon several years back. We watched it all the time. The writing was smart and fun. The illustrations have a paper piecing feel to them that have fun texture. My favorite Charlie and Lola story is We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog (Charlie and Lola)
. The New Small Person
is a clever story about a boy who gets a younger brother that he refers to as the “new small person.”
Kadir Nelson – I wish I could show you the illustrations inside this book because they are stunning! I used to show this book to students while letting the accompanying CD of Dr. King’s speech play. The words and pictures were a perfect compliment to each other. Check out I Have a Dream (Book & CD)
Don Tate – I met Don Tate at a conference a couple years ago. I was so excited to meet him because he wrote about and illustrated stories of African American history I had never heard before. I love Ron’s Big Mission
, a book I would read a lot during Black History Month. It is a stirring story of a boy pursuing his right to a library card. I also like The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch and
Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton
. The covers are lovely and reflect the illustrations within.
Alex Latimer – I discovered Alex Latimer through the American Library Association conference when I saw a cover and it pulled me out of traffic on the exhibit floor into the publisher’s booth. Lion vs Rabbit
is my favorite story of his because of the clever rabbit’s solution to bullying. When you read it the second time (and you will want to read it again), really explore the illustrations! I also loved to read The Boy Who Cried Ninja
and Penguin’s Hidden Talent
to students.
Troy Cummings – More Bears!
cracks me up every time I read it. And Troy Cummings had an interesting job of illustrating such an unusual story. He did a bang up job at it! Wait until you see all the bears! I also love his work in Little Red Gliding Hood
. Lovely pictures and lots to look at and enjoy as you read this one!
Peter H. Reynolds – I got to meet Peter H. Reynolds at a conference after I discovered his books and it was a highlight of the conference. I love the message of his books The Dot
and Ish (Creatrilogy)
about embracing your art, no matter how imperfect you think it might be. My favorite book of his is So Few of Me
which I think could be modeled on my life.
Kazu Kibuishi – I have loved the Mary Grand Pre’ illustrations in the Harry Potter books since I first read them. The covers are lovely and so iconic at this point. So when Scholastic said they were releasing the books with new covers, I was not interested. But then I saw them. They are gorgeous! (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1)) The illustrator, Kazu Kibuishi, is the author/illustrator for the Amulet graphic novels ( The Stonekeeper (Amulet 1)
). His work is exquisite. If we didn’t already own three sets of the Harry Potter books, I would totally get this new set. I love the pictures!
So, who are your favorite illustrators?
, or his illustration work on the Dav Pilkey Ricky Ricotta series ( 
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. Lovely illustrations of Paris in this book.
, a book I would read a lot during Black History Month. It is a stirring story of a boy pursuing his right to a library card. I also like 
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to students.
cracks me up every time I read it. And Troy Cummings had an interesting job of illustrating such an unusual story. He did a bang up job at it! Wait until you see all the bears! I also love his work in
and 
which I think could be modeled on my life.
). His work is exquisite. If we didn’t already own three sets of the Harry Potter books, I would totally get this new set. I love the pictures!