SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Top 10 Favorite Illustrators

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 – 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

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

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 – 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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

 

Saturday Smorgasbord: Children’s Literature Festival

Today I attended a local children’s literature festival. What a great time! We heard from author Shannon Anderson, author/illustrator Troy Cummings, author/illustrator Tom Watson, and author Carolyn Crimi.

Books for sale at children's literature festival

The crowd was mostly professionals – teachers, librarians, and students studying to be one or the other. There were only a few kids in the crowd, but they were the stars of the show! Both Troy Cummings and Tom Watson drew the kids in (pardon the pun) with great audience participation. And the kids loved it!

Authors and Illustrators at children's literature festival

The two author/illustrators presented like they would for school. I would recommend both highly for school visits. They related well to the kids there without talking down to them. They seemed genuinely pleased to interact with their target audience. Shannon Anderson was able to link her writing and her books to her roles as mom and elementary teacher. This was especially helpful for the teachers in the room. Carolyn Crimi spoke on the value of humor – both in books and in the classroom/library setting. She gave great, practical ideas for teachers and librarians to use.

Overall this was a great event! I am so pleased that we have such a stellar opportunity in our community for children’s literature lovers and professionals.