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Pictured Worlds: Masterpieces of Children's Book Art by 101 Top Illustrators from Around the World
The illustrated children’s book came of age in the eighteenth century as part and parcel of rising middle-class demand for economic and social advancement. Inspired by Enlightenment philosopher John Locke’s prescient insights into child development, London publisher John Newbery established the first viable commercial market for illustrated “juveniles” in the West, and the pattern he helped set has often repeated itself since as books tailored to the interests and capacities of young readers have been recognized around the world as indispensable gateways to literacy, cultural enfranchisement, and a better life.
In Pictured Worlds, renowned historian Leonard S. Marcus shares his incomparable knowledge of this global cultural phenomenon in the definitive reference work on children’s book illustration. The author of more than twenty award-winning books in the field, Marcus here highlights an international roster of 101 artists of the last 250 years whose touchstone achievements collectively chart the major trends and turning-points in the history of children’s book illustration. While several of the illustrators explored in this lively volume (John Tenniel, Maurice Sendak) have become household names, Marcus’s wide-ranging survey also shines a light on lesser-known figures whose unique contributions to the illustrated children’s book merit a closer look. The result is a sweeping chronicle of a vibrant art form and cultural driver that has touched the lives of literate peoples everywhere. More than 400 splendid examples of art from landmark books showcase the work of illustrators from Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Japan, China, Hungary, Argentina, Cameroon, and more.
Each artist’s entry is comprised of a finely etched biography and career overview, a deep-dive look at one pivotal book and its legacy, and a selection of full-color reproductions of preliminary and finished art. Featured artists and books include Ivan Bilibin’s The Golden Cockerel, Richard Doyle’s In Fairyland, Gustaf Tenggren’s The Poky Little Puppy, Kveta Pacovská’s One, Five, Many, Helen Oxenbury’s We’re Going On a Bear Hunt, Mitsumasa Anno’s Anno’s Journey, and Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, and the source books of such ubiquitous pop-cultural characters as Struwwelpeter, Curious George, Alice, Max, the Little Prince, Moomintroll, Corduroy, and Winnie-the-Pooh.
At once a visual celebration of illustrated children’s books from around the world and an essential reference work by an esteemed expert, Pictured Worlds encapsulates, in the author’s words, ‘the special nature of the illustrated children’s book as a cultural enterprise that is at once a rewarding art form, a bridge across cultures, and a ladder between generations.”
In Pictured Worlds, renowned historian Leonard S. Marcus shares his incomparable knowledge of this global cultural phenomenon in the definitive reference work on children’s book illustration. The author of more than twenty award-winning books in the field, Marcus here highlights an international roster of 101 artists of the last 250 years whose touchstone achievements collectively chart the major trends and turning-points in the history of children’s book illustration. While several of the illustrators explored in this lively volume (John Tenniel, Maurice Sendak) have become household names, Marcus’s wide-ranging survey also shines a light on lesser-known figures whose unique contributions to the illustrated children’s book merit a closer look. The result is a sweeping chronicle of a vibrant art form and cultural driver that has touched the lives of literate peoples everywhere. More than 400 splendid examples of art from landmark books showcase the work of illustrators from Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Japan, China, Hungary, Argentina, Cameroon, and more.
Each artist’s entry is comprised of a finely etched biography and career overview, a deep-dive look at one pivotal book and its legacy, and a selection of full-color reproductions of preliminary and finished art. Featured artists and books include Ivan Bilibin’s The Golden Cockerel, Richard Doyle’s In Fairyland, Gustaf Tenggren’s The Poky Little Puppy, Kveta Pacovská’s One, Five, Many, Helen Oxenbury’s We’re Going On a Bear Hunt, Mitsumasa Anno’s Anno’s Journey, and Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, and the source books of such ubiquitous pop-cultural characters as Struwwelpeter, Curious George, Alice, Max, the Little Prince, Moomintroll, Corduroy, and Winnie-the-Pooh.
At once a visual celebration of illustrated children’s books from around the world and an essential reference work by an esteemed expert, Pictured Worlds encapsulates, in the author’s words, ‘the special nature of the illustrated children’s book as a cultural enterprise that is at once a rewarding art form, a bridge across cultures, and a ladder between generations.”
416 pages, Hardcover
Published November 12, 2019
About the author
Leonard S. Marcus
71 books71 followersLeonard S. Marcus is one of the world's leading writers about children's books and their illustrations. His many books include The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy; Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy; Dear Genius; and others. His essays, interviews, and reviews appear in the New York Times Book Review, among other publications. Leonard S. Marcus lives in Brooklyn.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 17, 2023
This oversized book alphabetically introduces the reader to influential illustrators of children’s books from across the centuries and the world. It is not exhaustive, but includes most of the leading lights of the children’s book world. I knew most, but there were some I have not run across after 40 years as a children’s librarian. The book is full of color photos of the illustrations as well as a photo of each artist. There is a brief biography of each illustrator and then a focus on one or two books by that artist. This was a massive undertaking. I have ordered a copy for myself.
September 13, 2024
Pictured Worlds features the best of children's book art created by one hundred and one illustrators from around the world.
I was captivated. My favorite children's books tend to be illustrated books, so this pushed all my happy buttons. I'd love to look for work from all the illustrators in this book.
I was captivated. My favorite children's books tend to be illustrated books, so this pushed all my happy buttons. I'd love to look for work from all the illustrators in this book.
June 8, 2023
Fascinating!
Though, I wish the artists had been arranged chronologically as much as possible, to allow the reader to watch the evolution of styles.
Though, I wish the artists had been arranged chronologically as much as possible, to allow the reader to watch the evolution of styles.
May 3, 2025
Disappointing. Too many artists, so information was spotty and not always very interesting. The superficial and repetitive tone of the book made it a tedious read. I would rather have read about fewer artists in more depth, and with more information about their creative techniques.
August 7, 2023
This book is inherently flawed from its conception. It is also incredibly lovely and informative.
I think organizing principle by illustrator is a main source of the flaws. A first flaw is that there is a limit on who is included. Marcus addresses this toward the end of his excellent introductory essay, where he says that these are not intended as a "canon or pantheon." I'm not sure this is entirely convincing.
There's a nice 12-page introduction, then we get to the bulk of the book. For each of the 101 entries, we get a little biography and then a discussion of the book selected. There are examples of illustrations, sometimes including drafts or related material from archives. One that stood out was a full color study for Make Way for Ducklings. I think going with just sepia was the right choice, even if it was (at least in part) dictated by monetary considerations.
A second flaw is that only a single book may represent each illustrator. For example, Quentin Blake is represented by his 1998 Zagazoo, not by any of his better-known contributions to the work of Roald Dahl. The focus of this collection is on picture books and their "near relations," and that's not the Dahl books. I can also understand Marcus wanting to have a solo work, even if it isn't nearly an illustrator's most iconic. And that is especially true for Blake, who doesn't have a huge range - he's got his thing, and it's always the same. So it's nice to have Blake included, and it's just fine for him to be represented in this way. Similarly, having recently read the beautiful and comprehensive volume on the Provensens, it was a bit disappointing to have only The Glorious Flight in this book.
Now, for Maurice Sendak, it might seem obvious that the selection would be Where the Wild Things Are (a masterpiece, of course), but anyone who knows how very different his illustrations could be over the course of his career, or even from just one book to the next, has to regret a little bit that this one example is all we can be shown here. While Sendak might be an extreme case, I think there's a lot that could be said about many of the 101 illustrators regarding how their art developed, and seeing examples from different books would be crucial. I suppose I should be grateful that Sendak and the Provensens and Virginia Lee Burton and a few others have had entire books dedicated to their careers, but all the same, it would be nice to have more on the evolution even of artists who might not merit such in-depth studies.
I liked that Marcus made an effort to show the connection between picture books and other forms - posters, advertising, deluxe illustrated classics (e.g., N.C. Wyeth), printmaking, etc. There are some missed books/artists that would have connected well in this respect (I'm thinking particularly of the Giant Golden Book science titles from the 1960s). I think I might have preferred a more thematic organization that put illustrators (or even specific works) into a context that showed influence and evolution over time and across geography. I don't know exactly how this could be done, but it is fun to consider. I feel that 101 entries is a bit of an easy way out that avoids tougher thinking.
Surely everyone will have a list of "should have been" omissions - Lynd Ward, Trina Schart Hyman, Arnold Lobel, K.Y. Craft, Leo & Diane Dillon, Tomie dePaola, Gennady Spirin, Loren Long, Ellen Raskin, Kate Seredy, Evaline Ness, William Pene du Bois, Lois Lenski, Janina Domanska, Brian Wildsmith, Willy Pogany, Maginel Wright Barney, Victor Ambrus, Mercer Mayer, Remy Charlip, Maud & Miska Petersham, Uri Shulevitz, Leo Politi, Julie Paschkis, Arthur Geisert, Beni Montresor, Margot Zemach, Paul Galdone, Alvin Tresselt, Ann Rockwell, Conrad & Mary Buff, James Daugherty, Kurt Wiese, Gyo Fujikawa, Shirley Hughes, Tasha Tudor, Wesley Dennis, Boris Artzybasheff, James Flora, Adrienne Adams, Barbara Cooney, Peter Spier, Sophie Blackall - I could go on, or you could, and certainly Marcus himself could. At some point you have to set a limit, and 400+ pages is a substantial chunk of trees (and this gets full marks for quality of design, printing, production, etc.).
Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to be said (and shown) about this topic. A couple of supplementary volumes could easily be just as good as this one. I have long enjoyed the books, by Bertha Mahony and then Lee Kingman, that Horn Book published over the decades that looked at illustrators of children's books over chronological periods. I really wish those had been continued beyond 1966 - just think of 5+ more of those! This is an interesting companion to those, with some duplication, but much new content. In any event, it's a lovely book that will appeal to many who are passionate about picture books. There are old favorites to recall and new names to be learned, and it is well deserving - at least temporarily - of a piece of prime real estate on your coffee table.
I think organizing principle by illustrator is a main source of the flaws. A first flaw is that there is a limit on who is included. Marcus addresses this toward the end of his excellent introductory essay, where he says that these are not intended as a "canon or pantheon." I'm not sure this is entirely convincing.
There's a nice 12-page introduction, then we get to the bulk of the book. For each of the 101 entries, we get a little biography and then a discussion of the book selected. There are examples of illustrations, sometimes including drafts or related material from archives. One that stood out was a full color study for Make Way for Ducklings. I think going with just sepia was the right choice, even if it was (at least in part) dictated by monetary considerations.
A second flaw is that only a single book may represent each illustrator. For example, Quentin Blake is represented by his 1998 Zagazoo, not by any of his better-known contributions to the work of Roald Dahl. The focus of this collection is on picture books and their "near relations," and that's not the Dahl books. I can also understand Marcus wanting to have a solo work, even if it isn't nearly an illustrator's most iconic. And that is especially true for Blake, who doesn't have a huge range - he's got his thing, and it's always the same. So it's nice to have Blake included, and it's just fine for him to be represented in this way. Similarly, having recently read the beautiful and comprehensive volume on the Provensens, it was a bit disappointing to have only The Glorious Flight in this book.
Now, for Maurice Sendak, it might seem obvious that the selection would be Where the Wild Things Are (a masterpiece, of course), but anyone who knows how very different his illustrations could be over the course of his career, or even from just one book to the next, has to regret a little bit that this one example is all we can be shown here. While Sendak might be an extreme case, I think there's a lot that could be said about many of the 101 illustrators regarding how their art developed, and seeing examples from different books would be crucial. I suppose I should be grateful that Sendak and the Provensens and Virginia Lee Burton and a few others have had entire books dedicated to their careers, but all the same, it would be nice to have more on the evolution even of artists who might not merit such in-depth studies.
I liked that Marcus made an effort to show the connection between picture books and other forms - posters, advertising, deluxe illustrated classics (e.g., N.C. Wyeth), printmaking, etc. There are some missed books/artists that would have connected well in this respect (I'm thinking particularly of the Giant Golden Book science titles from the 1960s). I think I might have preferred a more thematic organization that put illustrators (or even specific works) into a context that showed influence and evolution over time and across geography. I don't know exactly how this could be done, but it is fun to consider. I feel that 101 entries is a bit of an easy way out that avoids tougher thinking.
Surely everyone will have a list of "should have been" omissions - Lynd Ward, Trina Schart Hyman, Arnold Lobel, K.Y. Craft, Leo & Diane Dillon, Tomie dePaola, Gennady Spirin, Loren Long, Ellen Raskin, Kate Seredy, Evaline Ness, William Pene du Bois, Lois Lenski, Janina Domanska, Brian Wildsmith, Willy Pogany, Maginel Wright Barney, Victor Ambrus, Mercer Mayer, Remy Charlip, Maud & Miska Petersham, Uri Shulevitz, Leo Politi, Julie Paschkis, Arthur Geisert, Beni Montresor, Margot Zemach, Paul Galdone, Alvin Tresselt, Ann Rockwell, Conrad & Mary Buff, James Daugherty, Kurt Wiese, Gyo Fujikawa, Shirley Hughes, Tasha Tudor, Wesley Dennis, Boris Artzybasheff, James Flora, Adrienne Adams, Barbara Cooney, Peter Spier, Sophie Blackall - I could go on, or you could, and certainly Marcus himself could. At some point you have to set a limit, and 400+ pages is a substantial chunk of trees (and this gets full marks for quality of design, printing, production, etc.).
Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to be said (and shown) about this topic. A couple of supplementary volumes could easily be just as good as this one. I have long enjoyed the books, by Bertha Mahony and then Lee Kingman, that Horn Book published over the decades that looked at illustrators of children's books over chronological periods. I really wish those had been continued beyond 1966 - just think of 5+ more of those! This is an interesting companion to those, with some duplication, but much new content. In any event, it's a lovely book that will appeal to many who are passionate about picture books. There are old favorites to recall and new names to be learned, and it is well deserving - at least temporarily - of a piece of prime real estate on your coffee table.
September 19, 2023
This is a magnificent compendium, showing us a diversity of ways of using the medium of the picture book to offer us aesthetic experiences, which cannot be had by ordinary fiction or stand-alone illustration/painting. The introduction by Marcus is excellent, detailing the history of the picture book for children. Then, there is a curation of 101 different individuals who are the artist and writer of their picture books. They range across time and culture. They are organized alphabetically, which makes for ever more one's randomness and serendipity regarding connection and difference regarding the other artists who surround one. The book, moreover, includes large, high-resolution prints of parts from each picture book. The parts that are selected are done with much care; they are each poetic and distinctive, suggestive of what the picture books of which they are part would be like.
Here are some examples. Anno Mitsumasa (b. 1926, Japan) offers highly detailed landscapes, of towns or fields filled with its denizens, each up to their daily activity. There is a general path which encourages the eye to follow through itself in each page. In so following, one makes delightful or tragic discoveries, of what is going on in this spatio-temporal snippet; at first it just looked like a town or a landscape, but now one realizes so much is going on within it. There are individuals, each with their own story and role. No individual is given their own page or description, so it is left to the imagination to satisfy one's curiosities, which the illustrations so powerfully provokes. I can imagine how Mitsumasa's works may show children how that which at first may seem to be complete may turn out to be otherwise. Apparent completeness is an illusion, given by inattention and presumption. Curiosity leads to discovery, delight, and greater completeness.
Isabelle Arsenault (b. 1978, Canada) has created a picture book about two children sisters. One has become lost in a depressed mood, and another comes in to remind her of her creative spirit. She begins painting, and in so doing, the act of creation and intimate encounter with beauty raise her back into the ordinary world. The illustrations are amazing. Negative space is used in a way that gives a sensory basis to the story about depression. The contrast between black-and-white scenes, and then overflowing watercolored events, heightens the narrative. It is awe-giving to see how such dark, psychological themes can be delivered in a simple and beautiful form apt for a child's immersion and comprehension.
Also, for those who are potentially interested in trying out the medium of the picture book — this is the best resource I've encountered. I've riffled through other books that anthologize various picture book artists, and this is the best one, regarding excellence of curation and presentation. I've had ideas sitting around for a while now regarding creations in this medium, and this book has enabled me to newly think through details of how to express these ideas.
I am enjoying more and more having books that consist in curated prints of artwork (previous ones I've gotten include Affinities and On Everyone's Lips). I love to go to art museums, but when I have down time in the evening, and most want to look at art, this is not tenable. Moreover, when I get to look at such prints in books, I have the privacy to spend as much time in the world to gaze at any painting and let thoughts unfold. My friends seem to get everyday aesthetic experiences primarily through listening to music or watching films; I would suggest to anyone who likes daily art encounters to get books of this kind. I can also imagine that this may serve as a nice antidote to the dissolution of attention that may be caused by engagement with internet media consumption.
Here are some examples. Anno Mitsumasa (b. 1926, Japan) offers highly detailed landscapes, of towns or fields filled with its denizens, each up to their daily activity. There is a general path which encourages the eye to follow through itself in each page. In so following, one makes delightful or tragic discoveries, of what is going on in this spatio-temporal snippet; at first it just looked like a town or a landscape, but now one realizes so much is going on within it. There are individuals, each with their own story and role. No individual is given their own page or description, so it is left to the imagination to satisfy one's curiosities, which the illustrations so powerfully provokes. I can imagine how Mitsumasa's works may show children how that which at first may seem to be complete may turn out to be otherwise. Apparent completeness is an illusion, given by inattention and presumption. Curiosity leads to discovery, delight, and greater completeness.
Isabelle Arsenault (b. 1978, Canada) has created a picture book about two children sisters. One has become lost in a depressed mood, and another comes in to remind her of her creative spirit. She begins painting, and in so doing, the act of creation and intimate encounter with beauty raise her back into the ordinary world. The illustrations are amazing. Negative space is used in a way that gives a sensory basis to the story about depression. The contrast between black-and-white scenes, and then overflowing watercolored events, heightens the narrative. It is awe-giving to see how such dark, psychological themes can be delivered in a simple and beautiful form apt for a child's immersion and comprehension.
Also, for those who are potentially interested in trying out the medium of the picture book — this is the best resource I've encountered. I've riffled through other books that anthologize various picture book artists, and this is the best one, regarding excellence of curation and presentation. I've had ideas sitting around for a while now regarding creations in this medium, and this book has enabled me to newly think through details of how to express these ideas.
I am enjoying more and more having books that consist in curated prints of artwork (previous ones I've gotten include Affinities and On Everyone's Lips). I love to go to art museums, but when I have down time in the evening, and most want to look at art, this is not tenable. Moreover, when I get to look at such prints in books, I have the privacy to spend as much time in the world to gaze at any painting and let thoughts unfold. My friends seem to get everyday aesthetic experiences primarily through listening to music or watching films; I would suggest to anyone who likes daily art encounters to get books of this kind. I can also imagine that this may serve as a nice antidote to the dissolution of attention that may be caused by engagement with internet media consumption.
June 23, 2023
Pictured Worlds: Masterpieces of Children's Book Art by 101 Essential Illustrators from Around the World by Leonard S. Marcus.
Instead of reading this book, I skimmed it, focusing on the artists and illustrations the author chose to highlight, reading a bit about those I was interested in. Since it is not just from the English speaking world, many illustrators I have never seen before. Of course, there are some that I knew and loved to see them chosen, but there were others I was sad to see missing.
Wanda Gág with her Millions of Cats, Crockett Johnson with Harold and the Purple Crayon harken back to my own childhood; Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Ezra Jack Keats, and his wonderful The Snowy Day bring me to my days as a children's librarian and mother.
One of my favorite books for story hour, Esphyr Slobodkina's Caps for Sale, is here, as well as another oldie, Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. I was surprised to see this book was rejected by Bemelmen's publisher for featuring a naughty child! William Steig and Mo Willems remind me of my grandson, who had me do a deep dive into their works so that he could see them all! Those were the days.
Others no one would argue with. David Macaulay with his beautiful architectural renderings (Cathedral) and Van Allsburg with his gloriously rendered pencil art (here represented by Jumanji) So many favorites!
I only wish there had been more full-size picture entries for each artist. Also, the books in other languages than English needed better treatment, translations, or bigger print. Chihiro Iwaski's Staying Home Aline on a Rainy Day is ethereal and lovely, but I have no idea what the text says.
There are many more illustrators featured, from the very beginnings of the picture book to today. There is even a place for my favorite illustrator of the Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass books by Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel!
I've left so many out; just peruse this if you can. It's great fun to be reminded of these backbones of children's books.
Instead of reading this book, I skimmed it, focusing on the artists and illustrations the author chose to highlight, reading a bit about those I was interested in. Since it is not just from the English speaking world, many illustrators I have never seen before. Of course, there are some that I knew and loved to see them chosen, but there were others I was sad to see missing.
Wanda Gág with her Millions of Cats, Crockett Johnson with Harold and the Purple Crayon harken back to my own childhood; Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Ezra Jack Keats, and his wonderful The Snowy Day bring me to my days as a children's librarian and mother.
One of my favorite books for story hour, Esphyr Slobodkina's Caps for Sale, is here, as well as another oldie, Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. I was surprised to see this book was rejected by Bemelmen's publisher for featuring a naughty child! William Steig and Mo Willems remind me of my grandson, who had me do a deep dive into their works so that he could see them all! Those were the days.
Others no one would argue with. David Macaulay with his beautiful architectural renderings (Cathedral) and Van Allsburg with his gloriously rendered pencil art (here represented by Jumanji) So many favorites!
I only wish there had been more full-size picture entries for each artist. Also, the books in other languages than English needed better treatment, translations, or bigger print. Chihiro Iwaski's Staying Home Aline on a Rainy Day is ethereal and lovely, but I have no idea what the text says.
There are many more illustrators featured, from the very beginnings of the picture book to today. There is even a place for my favorite illustrator of the Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass books by Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel!
I've left so many out; just peruse this if you can. It's great fun to be reminded of these backbones of children's books.
September 16, 2025
Great concept, strange execution. It was very inconsistent and limited in scope. Each artist was given four pages, with a short bio, a highlighted book, and publication history of that book. The use of that space varied wildly. Some of the text took up three of the four pages; some only came to a few short paragraphs. Some of the art was full page spreads of finished illustrations; some were thumbnails crammed together with early drafts of the illustrations. Some images had captions, some didn't. That's not to say it is without its merits; it is obviously well-researched, and there are some beautiful images included. I appreciated the effort to compile a collection of artists that spanned centuries and continents, but I think this effort was too ambitious for its own good.
July 7, 2023
Quite an enjoyable read - there’s the perfect amount of text/information. There’s enough to satisfy your curiosity, but not so much you feel overwhelmed. Small descriptions about each illustrator and a book they illustrated make it ideal to read in small segments. It’s also easy to pick up and read from any place. I enjoyed reading about the ones I knew and falling in love with new art styles as well!
June 6, 2026
Makes me want to buy 100,000 kids books
And cover my walls with their comforting, curious artworks
However I would like an explanation for why Lauren Child didn't make the cut...
3 *'s due to pretty lacklustre bios of the different authors, focussing on early life rather than their artistic practice or philosophy. Also no clear order. The pictures did most of the talking...
And cover my walls with their comforting, curious artworks
However I would like an explanation for why Lauren Child didn't make the cut...
3 *'s due to pretty lacklustre bios of the different authors, focussing on early life rather than their artistic practice or philosophy. Also no clear order. The pictures did most of the talking...
June 9, 2023
So many of my favorites in this but seeing Jerry Pinkney really made my heart soar. His work is so spectacular. This book also made me realize just how much talent the world has lost in the past few years.
July 24, 2023
It is a reflection on the US-centric publishing world - that a third of the illustrators are American.
As always, with something like this, I can find illustrators not there - who I feel should be. (Gavin Bishop!)
Oh well.
There are a few illustrators I haven't come across before - and those were from outside the US and UK, so that's great.
As always, with something like this, I can find illustrators not there - who I feel should be. (Gavin Bishop!)
Oh well.
There are a few illustrators I haven't come across before - and those were from outside the US and UK, so that's great.
February 29, 2024
This is a really lovely book, and it was fun to recognize so many well-known illustrators--and equally intriguing to discover new names to look up in the future. While it's a massive book, it's definitely not comprehensive, but I enjoyed it as a general overview of children's books new and old.
July 19, 2023
Gorgeous book! Too bad this copy belongs to the library.....
August 7, 2023
An impressive collection of illustrators from all over the globe who have made significant contributions to the children's picture book genre.
Read
October 30, 2023Great catalog of famous picture book illustrators. I liked learning the backstory of old favorites and discovering new gems.
June 28, 2024
Some really odd choices and several I would have like to seen included. Still, clever idea.
Want to Read
January 1, 2025Would fit perfectly in a study on children’s literature.
August 24, 2023
For me, someone who is a children's librarian and picture book lover, this book is a must own. Highlighting both well known and lesser known illustrators across the globe makes this a great study on the evolution of children's literature. Did I know everyone in it? HECK no! But that is what makes it great and one that I want to come back to!
July 23, 2023
Wonderful and filled with history of brilliantly skilled illustrators, but not comprehensive. Some folx are noticeably absent: Tomie dePaola, Arnold Lobel, Molly Idle, Jon Klassen, Tony DiTerlizzi, Carson Ellis, Sophie Blackall and Christian Robinson, just off the top of my head… Maybe something was mentioned and I missed it…
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews