A satisfying picture book opened in the lap of a child or adult is like a mini art gallery.
The reader can visit places only imagined ... and do so over and over again.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The illustrator ..... the picture book.... and the reviewer
Illustrations are such a large part of picture books, that I often wonder why so many reviewers fail to mention the illustrator. They are responsible for a great deal of the interpretation of the author's vision. Illustrations add great depth to the overall story. Some of the finest picture books are almost or entirely wordless.
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5 comments:
Sad, but true, Ginger. The illustrations are SO important! Without them, a picture book would be only black words on a white page.
I, for one, am appreciative of and grateful for illustrators, especially a certain one. (Not mentioning names, but she has a dragon in her basement. ";o)
I totally agree. There are some picture books that I grew up reading and can remember spending hours looking at the illustrations. Dr. Suess' Dictionary is one of those. For me, as a PB writer, I sometimes feel I have very little part in the book because the illustrator is what makes it. I know it takes both, but it's a weird feeling and hard to explain.
As an illustrator I know how important it is to make sure the author's vision is brought to life. It is rare to be able to communicate directly with an author, but the art editor does a wonderful job as liason between the two. Communication and cooperation are the key in a successful collaboration.
I totally agree!
Ginger, I love how you see things from a child's perspective - such a perfect fit of poetic stories and illustrations for children's picture books.
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