Children's Picture Books

                        by Kent Johnson

So what’s a children’s picture book, exactly? Well pictures, of course, along with words to go along with those pictures. While these are the two main components of a picture book, how the two are presented goes a long way toward determining what kind of book we’re referring to. The majority of picture books are written for pre-school children, but there are others that are intended for older children, teenagers, or even adults.

Most children’s picture books have simple texts so that young pre-school children can follow the story line. Some picture books can be grasped at a glance, while others have more depth, and adept children can discover detail and nuances in these books over many readings. In a well-designed picture book, the text and images work in harmony together, so that when viewed as a whole, these books become a work of art.

This interplay between text and illustration can be clearly seen in such classic picture books as “Blueberries For Sal,” “Curious George,” “Goodnight Moon,” and “The Tale Of Peter Rabbit.”

There are several major types of children’s picture books. In an illustrated book, the art and text are in equal balance. The artwork is used to compliment or emphasize an aspect of the story, not overpower it, although the illustrations are sometimes more memorable than the text. In the prize-winning picture book “One Gorilla: A Counting Book” by Atsuko Morozumi, for example, a large gorilla with a sweet, expressive face teaches children about counting, while immersing them in a series of lush, masterful illustrations.

In another type of picture book – a picture storybook - the illustrations are meant merely as a compliment to the story, adding mood and meaning to the text. A good example of this is “The Little Island,” written by Golden McDonald and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. In this quiet illustrated fantasy, the little island is the hero of the story as it converses with host of visiting creatures, including seals, a kitten, lobsters, and more.

In a third group of picture books, the text is just an accompaniment to the illustrations. The best examples in this category resemble wordless books in the power of their artwork, and could almost stand alone even without the accompanying text. A great example is the award-winning “Nothing Ever Happens On My Block,” written and illustrated by Ellen Raskin. In this modern classic, all kinds of excitement and adventure unfold in the illustrations even as the main character laments the fact that nothing ever happens on his block.

As you would expect from their name, all picture book formats rely heavily on illustrations and photographs. This provides the child or adult reader with a distinctive visual experience. The picture book should also have a collective unity of story-line, theme, or concept that ties the entire package together as an independent work of art.

The Caldecott Award is given every year by the American Library Associating for the most distinguished contribution in illustration. The New York Times also awards an annual prize for best illustrated book.