Illustrations are key to a Picture Book

When people think of the word "book" it's words that come to mind, but "Picture book"?-well then it's "pictures". When a child picks up a picture book and looks solely at the pictures, he or she should be able to follow the gist of the book.

A recent blog post by Jeanne Stewart of the Cape Cod Children's Writers group discusses what makes a great illustration vs just a pleasing work of art.


A fine example is the 2010 Caldecott Winner "The Lion and the Mouse"by Jerry Pinkney.

Without text, the pictures convey the message behind Aesop's fable.


One of things I really love about how Rosemarie Gillen illustrated "Tyler and the Spider" is that even without words the story is clear.

From afraid to friends...

Here each is afraid of the other and imagining what horrible thing is going to happen.

Each is closing their eyes, waiting for the inevitable (oh no!!)

but in the end, they discover that the other is quite nice and become friends.





In my next book,"Grandma, Tell me if you Can" Michelle Podgorski has brought the underwater realm of mermaids and mermen stunningly to the page.

So, from an author who can pen a word, but never, ever, ever draw a decent picture..Thanks to the illustrators who bring my words to life.