Category: illustrations
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Conte Crayon, Stippling, and Cats
When I list Katje the Windmill Cat as the fifth book about cats in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, I pause to ponder the different ways in which cats come to life in these stories. Nicola Bayley’s paintings and Clare Turlay Newberry’s drawings are my favorites. I was lucky to discover their art at a…
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Be Careful What You Wish For
This is on the copyright page of Bill Thomson’s books: “Bill Thomson embraced traditional painting techniques and meticulously painted each illustration by hand, using acrylic paint and colored pencils. His illustrations are not photographs or computer generated images.” This statement gives you an idea of Thomson’s hyperrealistic illustrations. I own The Typewriter (2016). The cover…
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Windows
There are almost always exceptional picture books at library sales. For just a few dollars, I bring home a variety of artwork that’s hidden inside them. Gary Blythe paints the seashore of a grandmother’s childhood. (1) Ted Rand shows a flock of sea birds as seen from the boat of a Vietnamese fisherman and his…
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A Shout-out for Skillshare
Skillshare is “an online learning community with thousands of classes for creative and curious people, on topics including illustration, design, photography, video, freelancing, and more.” It’s a fun place to access art classes at any time of day. I’m amazed by the fine art and collage in some children’s picture books. Now I’m learning a little…
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Leonardo’s Horse
Leonardo’s Horse by Jean Fritz and Hudson Talbott (2001) is a masterpiece. Young readers will appreciate the reading level at grades 1 – 4. Middle and high schoolers can research the many references to Leonardo de Vinci, his endeavors, his contemporaries, and the setting in which he lived. This book condenses a huge amount of…
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The House that Jack Built – Illustration Matters
In The House That Jack Built (1954, 1982), every character is smiling, except a few chickens, the rat, and the dog. I’m referring to a Little Golden Book Classic. This book is a happy-go-lucky rendition of that familiar story in the public domain. With blueprints in hand, Jack builds a small house. As he stands on a ladder to…
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Eric Carle – the Why
Herr Krauss. That’s the why. Herr Krauss secretly showed Eric Carle modern, expressionistic, abstract art. “‘Just look at the looseness, the freedom and–ah!–the beauty of these paintings. The Nazis have no idea what art is; they are charlatans!’” Eric Carle’s art teacher praised the freedom and looseness of his drawing and painting. “‘I’m only permitted…
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Black and White Drawings
Picture books with black and white drawings are rare at library book sales. I’m always glad to discover one. Andrew Henry’s Meadow by Doris Burn (1965, 2005, 2012) tells of Andrew Henry Thatcher’s passion for building things. Andrew loved to piece together elaborate constructions. His mother could not tolerate the helicopter Andrew designed to hang…
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Exquisite Collage x 2
Once again, I came across two books with similar content. They are both beautiful. Dazzling pictures in colorful collage illustrate both. Steve Jenkins and Robin Page earned a Caldecott Honor for What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (2003). They illustrate portions of animals’ bodies and ask a question. For example, “What do…
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