Magic Pencil: Children's Book Illustration Today

by Quentin Blake (Introduction), British Library

This highly illustrated new book features the work of thirteen of the top children's book illustrators working in the UK today. Each chapter contains a commentary by the illustrator, introducing their work and explaining how they started to illustrate children's books, and shows several original artworks by each illustrator. Quentin Blake's introduction reflects on the complexities of providing an illustrative response to the characters and activities of a writer. Joanna Carey, formerly Children's Book Editor of The Guardian , contributes an illustrated essay on the history of children's book illustration, from the work of Cruikshank, Ardizonne, and Walter Crane, to the instantly recognisable pictures from Winnie the Pooh and the tales of Beatrix Potter. The illustrators featured Angela Barrett, Quentin Blake, Lauren Child, Patrick Benson, Raymond Briggs, Sara Fanelli, Stephen Biesty, John Burningham, Michael Foreman, Tony Ross, Posy Simmonds, Emma Chichester Clark, and Charlotte Voake.

Genres: Art

112 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2003

About the author

Sir Quentin Saxby Blake is an English cartoonist, caricaturist, illustrator and children's writer. He has illustrated over 300 books, including 18 written by Roald Dahl, which are among his most popular works. For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator he won the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2002, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books. From 1999 to 2001, he was the inaugural British Children's Laureate. He is a patron of the Association of Illustrators.

Reviews

[Michelle]

Great book, useful and inspiring.

[Louise]

The opening article was very interesting and I could have read a book on that. This collection is over twenty years old, so not the most diverse selection of contributors, but probably reflective of the time.

[Ibtisam Mohamed]

Offical _Farhiyo 1

[Melody]

This book has a really interesting view on illustrations and the rough versions that people dont see. My favourite artists in this book were Charlotte Voake, John Burningham, Quentin Blake and Patrrick Benson