Childrens Picturebooks The Art of Visual Storytelling by Martin Salisbury Morag Styles

Childrens
Picturebooks
Childrens
Picturebooks
The art of visual storytelling
Martin Salisbury with Morag Styles
Laurence King Publishing

Published in 2012 by
Laurence King Publishing Ltd
361373 City Road
London EC1V 1LR
United Kingdom
email: enquiries@laurenceking.com
www.laurenceking.com
Copyright text 2012 Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles
Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles have asserted their right under the
Copyright, Designs, and Patent Act 1988, to be identified as the
Authors of this Work.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or any information storage and
retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-8566-9-735
Design: Studio Ten and a Half

Cover art: Beatrice Alemagna
Research assistant: Pam Smy
Book photography: Ida Riveros
Printed in China
Contents
7 Introduction 111 Chapter 5: Suitable for Children?

116 Violence
9 Chapter 1: A Brief History of the Picturebook 121 Love and sex
10 Early precursors 122 Death and sadness
12 The printing of books from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century 126 Mans inhumanity to man
14 Colour printing in the nineteenth century 129 Professional case study: Portraying physical love
16 The birth of the modern picturebook in the late nineteenth century (Sabien Clement Jij lievert)
18 From the golden age of illustration 131 Student case study: Stylistic suitability
20 The 1930s (Rebecca Palmer and Kow Fong Lee)
23 Puffin Picture Books, autolithography and the European influence
26 The post-war years 135 Chapter 6: Print and Process: The Shock of the Old
29 The 1950s and visual thinking 138 Relief printing
32 The 1960s 144 Screen-printing
41 The 1970s onwards 145 Etching/intaglio
43 Picturebooks in the twenty-first century 148 Lithography
149 Monotype and monoprint
47 Chapter 2: The Picturebook Makers Art 150 Digital printmaking
50 Picturebooks as works of art 151 Professional case study: The handmade picturebook
51 Education and training (Liz Loveless)
55 The picturebook artist 153 Professional case study: Merging old and new technologies
56 Learning to see (Claudia Boldt)
56 Thinking through drawing 156 Professional case study: From screen to screen
59 Visual communication (Gwnola Carrre ABC des Petites Annonces)
60 Student case study: Capturing a sense of place 158 Student case study: Experimental narrative sequence in monotype
(Andrew Gordon Last Summer by the Seaside) (Yann Kebbi)
62 Student case study: Narrative non-fiction 160 Professional case study: Digital printmaking
(Madalena Moniz Manu is Feeling...From A to Z ) (Fabian Negrin On va au parc!)
66 Professional case study: The innocent eye
(Beatrice Alemagna Un Lion Paris) 163 Chapter 7: The Childrens Publishing Industry
71 Professional case study: A wordless book 165 Publishing houses
(Ajubel Robinson Crusoe: A Wordless Book) 167 The publishing process
167 Approaching a publisher
73 Chapter 3: The Picturebook and the Child 168 The literary agent
74 Preamble by Morag Styles 168 Contracts and fees
75 Children reading picturebooks 168 The editorial process
77 Defining visual literacy 168 The designer
78 Visual texts and educational development 170 The Bologna Childrens Book Fair
80 How children respond to picturebooks 170 Printing
80 Responding to wordimage interaction 171 Distribution
81 Analysing colour for significance 171 Sales and marketing
81 Reading body language 171 Booksellers
81 Reading visual metaphors 172 The library market
82 Looking and thinking 172 The reviewer
85 Rising to the challenges offered by picturebooks 173 Case study: The publishers perspective
85 Looking and learning (Random House and Nadia Shireen)
85 Affective responses to picturebooks 176 Case study: Growing a publishing business
86 Conclusion (Thierry Magnier)
178 Case study: Small, independent publishers
87 Chapter 4: Word and Image, Word as Image (Media Vaca, Topipittori and De Eenhoorn)
90 Theorizing picturebooks 184 The eBook developer
92 Word and image interplay 185 The future
92 Filling in the gaps
94 Counterpoint and duet
97 Wordless books and graphic novels 187 Related reading and browsing
100 Pictorial text 189 Glossary
104 Professional case study: Author and illustrator collaboration 189 Index
(Vladimir Radunsky and Chris Raschka Hip Hop Dog) 192 Acknowledgements
107 Professional case study: Designer and illustrator collaboration 192 Picture credits
(Marcin Brykcynski [text], Joanna Olech and Marta Ignerska
[illustration], Marta Ignerska [design] Pink Piglet)
108 Student case study: Exploiting wordimage disparity
(Marta Alts No!)
7
Introduction
It is often said that we live in an increasingly visual, image-based increasingly crossing over with the book arts, a new understanding
culture. The digital age has brought with it a growing expectation of this hybrid art form will perhaps begin to emerge.
of pictorial instruction, signs and symbols. Images, moving or At university level, interest in and research around the
static, now seem to accompany most forms of information and subject of the picturebook has tended to divide clearly between
entertainment. The art of illustration is traditionally defined as the practitioners in the art and design sector and the theorists
one of elucidating or decorating textual information by in the education sector. Between us, we represent both of
augmenting it with visual representation. But in many contexts these worlds and have for a number of years sought to build
the image has begun to replace the word. An iconic image of links between the two, jointly supervising research students
a rubbish bin now says, Do you want to throw this away? and bringing our respective masters students together to learn
The picturebook as it is today is a relatively new form. We from each other. In this book, we have also sought to bring
may debate its true origins but it is only 130 years or so since together the practice and theory of childrens picturebook
Randolph Caldecott began to elevate the role of the image in illustration in an accessible and insightful way.
the narrative. Todays picturebook is defined by its particular In the following chapters we explore not only the history
use of sequential imagery, usually in tandem with a small number and evolution of the picturebook, but all aspects of the art
of words, to convey meaning. In contrast to the illustrated book, of picturebook-making from education and training to the
where pictures enhance, decorate and amplify, in the picturebook interplay of words and images on a page, from the use of old
the visual text will often carry much of the narrative responsibility. and new printing methods to the editorial process and the
In most cases, the meaning emerges through the interplay demands of the publishing industry in the twenty-first century.
of word and image, neither of which would make sense when As part of this exploration, we also examine the role of the
experienced independently of the other. It is a form that picturebook in introducing children to the visual arts as well
continues to evolve, and is being stretched and challenged by as language, and consider important issues such as the
an increasingly experimental body of makers (a suitable term appropriateness of certain subjects and styles of illustration for
for the artistauthor of the picturebook has yet to be found). children. We look, too, at the picturebook in the classroom.
This evolution sometimes seems to be happening too fast for a Here, we draw on the critical theory of scholars, such as
world that has grown up expecting pictures to play a subordinate Barbara Bader, and in particular on the research of Evelyn
role in storytelling. Many adults who come into contact with the Arizpe and Morag Styles.
form as parents, teachers or reviewers will be educated primarily The picturebook makers art is also explored through
in verbal rather than visual literature. It is still common to see professional and student case studies at the end of each chapter.
reviews of picturebooks that nervously venture beautifully These studies, based on interviews with artists, students and
illustrated as a footnote. publishers (which took place in 2009 and 2010), look in more
Of course, the word picturebook is usually preceded by detail at topics and issues raised in the chapters, and provide
the word childrens. But once again, this assumption about valuable information and inspiration for students studying
the form is being challenged. Traditionally, it has been regarded picturebook illustration.
as a stepping stone to accepted notions of literacy for three- Above all, Childrens Picturebooks is intended as a
to seven-year-olds. There is no doubt that this is indeed one celebration of an art form that we believe to be deserving of
important role of the picturebook. However, as its audience greater recognition, both as art and as literature visual literature.
and its reach widen, and we see the art of picturebook-making
Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles, 2012
Opposite: Anca Sandu, 2010.

Chapter 1
10 Chapter 1
The history of the modern picturebook, as we have defined it,

Early is relatively short but to track its evolution it may help to take
a very brief look at the broader history of illustrated books for
precursors children. Of course, pictorial storytelling can be traced back as

far as the earliest paintings on cave walls, which would have
been gazed upon and enjoyed by people of all ages. Some of
the examples in France and Spain may be 30,00060,000
years old. We can only speculate as to the purpose or meaning
of this art, but the images would have been one of the most
important means of communication at the time and continued
to be so long after the arrival of the spoken and written word in
the earliest civilizations.
Trajans Column in Rome is often cited as one of the oldest
examples of visual narrative, depicting as it does in great detail
the story of Trajans victories in the Dacian Wars at the start of
the second century AD. The frieze winds its way up the column
intricately describing the stories of the various battles in carved
relief. The tombs of ancient Egypt and the walls of Pompeii are
Below: Mankind has felt the need to

communicate through pictures for thousands
of years. Scholars have speculated as
to the purpose of early cave paintings but
their sheer beauty is self-evident.
A Brief History of the Picturebook 11
also evidence of our long-standing need to describe and civilizations through the medieval illuminated manuscript to the
communicate through pictures the world as we experience it. birth of print. The quotation attributed to the fifteenth-century
The oldest surviving illustrated book is said to be an painter and sculptor Leonardo da Vinci, with which Bland
Egyptian papyrus roll of around 1980 BC. The pure chance opens the book, seems particularly apposite in relation to our
of its survival, buried in sand, suggests that such artefacts had interest here the modern picturebook:
been around for much longer. It is thought that words and
And you who wish to represent by words the form of man and
pictures were inscribed on to perishable materials such as
all the aspects of his membrification, relinquish that idea. For the
wood, leaves, leather and early forms of paper in many ancient
more minutely you describe the more you will confine the mind
cultures. David Bland, in The Illustration of Books (Faber,
of the reader, and the more you will keep him from the knowledge
1951), speculates that the ancient Chinese ideogram:
of the thing described. And so it is necessary to draw and
which is a picture of the thing it represents, is one of the first to describe.
forms of illustration and it is difficult to conceive of a closer
relationship between text and illustration than such a combination
as that.
Blands later and more substantial work, A History of Book
Illustration (Faber, 1958), is an invaluable, scholarly examination
of the origins and evolution of the illustrated book, from ancient
Below: The intensely detailed narrative are told through relief carvings on a frieze
illustrations on Trajans Column give a that winds around the column 23 times.
pictorial account of the wars between the
Romans and the Dacians. The stories
12 Chapter 1
The invention of printing in the fifteenth century meant that

The printing education in the West began to become available to more
than just the wealthy few who had access to hand-produced
of books from literature. Most scholars agree that printing, like paper, originated
in China. Block printing had certainly been around for a while
but in Europe it was the invention of movable type by Johannes
the fifteenth to Gutenberg in the 1430s that opened the way for viable
mass publishing.
the nineteenth Ulrich Boners Der Edelstein (1461) is often cited as the
first example of a book with type and image printed together.
Comenius Orbis Sensualium Pictus (The Visible World),
century published in Nuremberg in 1658, is generally seen as the first
childrens picturebook, in the sense that it was a book of
pictures designed for children to read. It is not until much later
that the precursors of the picturebook as we know it begin
to emerge. The chapbooks of the sixteenth to the nineteenth
century were cheaply produced, illustrated with crudely
prepared and printed woodcuts and were hawked around the
Right: William Blakes integration of words

and images within a pictorial whole is
often seen as an early forerunner of
todays picturebook. This frontispiece for
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
would not look out of place as a title
page in a modern childrens picturebook.
Below: The term chapbook derives

from chapman, the word used to
describe a pedlar who hawked the
books around the country along with his
other wares. The pocket-sized books
contained woodcut prints such as this
one, rather randomly related to a text.
countryside by pedlars for an audience with often limited levels Thomas Bewicks emergence in the late eighteenth century
of literacy and funds. The relationship between words and must be mentioned in relation to the general development of
pictures here was often a tenuous and largely decorative one. book illustration because of his achievement in elevating the art
The inspirational painter and poet William Blake can, of wood engraving to a completely new level. His technical
perhaps, be seen as the first to experiment with the symbiotic skills engraving in fine line on the end grain of dense woods
relationship between word and image, at least in the sense of such as box combined with an intense interest in the natural
their visual arrangement. Blake produced Songs of Innocence in world produced results that took the process way beyond a
1789, printing and publishing the book himself. His idiosyncratic, merely reprographic role. The central character of one of the
visionary visual style was totally original, and owed little to earliest depictions of a believable child in literature, in chapter
anything that was happening in the visual arts at that time. Brian one of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront (first published in 1847 by
Alderson, in his book Sing a Song for Sixpence: The English Smith, Elder & Co), finds comfort in looking at Bewicks artwork.
Picture Book Tradition and Randolph Caldecott (Cambridge
University Press, 1986), declares succinctly:
So it comes about that the first masterpiece of English childrens
literature, which is also the first great original picture book, stems
from an impulse to integrate words and images within a single
linear whole.
Left: Thomas Bewicks engravings

introduced new levels of technique and
an earthy anecdotal charm to the world
of book illustration.
14 Chapter 1
Until the 1830s colour was usually added by hand until a

Colour printing process for printing colour from woodblocks was invented,
independently of each other, by George Baxter and Charles
in the nineteenth Knight. Baxter patented his Baxter process, which combined
an intaglio keyplate with multiple woodblocks, in 1835. An
Austrian, Aloysius Senefelder, had invented the principle of
century lithography (which is the basis of all mass printing today) in
the late eighteenth century, but it would be a while before the
process was in regular use.
One of the more direct influences on the modern picturebook
is Der Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann. Much has been
made of the levels of cruelty and violence in Hoffmanns
cautionary tales of the ghastly consequences of misbehaviour
but they have stood the test of time in every sense, having
been reinterpreted through many and varying media. The
original title, Funny Stories and Droll Pictures, hints at a playful,
even ironic intent on the part of the author that presages the
contemporary postmodern picturebook. Hoffmanns famous
book reached England from Germany in around 1848, and is
comparable in many ways to Edward Lears A Book of
Nonsense which had been published just a couple of years
before. But while there are stylistic parallels, heightened by
the printing processes of the time, Lears delightfully anarchic
visual and verbal texts show no inclination to moralize, or
indeed to conform, to any rules of linear narrative. If any
meaning can be ascribed in the traditional sense, it may be the
championing of the outsider, perhaps as a consequence of
Lears recurrent bouts of depression.
Right: Edward Lears illustrations to his

A Book of Nonsense were in stark
contrast to his topographical travel
paintings. As a travelling watercolourist,
Lear depicted panoramic landscapes
with subtle washes. To accompany his
nonsense limericks he created playfully
anarchic line drawings that perfectly echo
his words.
Left and below: The iconic status

of Hoffmanns Der Struwwelpeter
is testament to its originality and
radical nature.
16 Chapter 1
It was at exactly the time of the publication of A Book of

The birth of Nonsense that the most important figure in the picturebooks
evolution was born. Randolph Caldecott is generally
the modern acknowledged to be the father of the picturebook. Maurice

Sendak, perhaps the greatest author of visual literature of our
time, identifies Caldecotts place in the picturebook pantheon.
picturebook Writing in his book of essays, Caldecott & Co: Notes on Books
and Pictures (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1988), he explains:
in the late Caldecotts work heralds the beginning of the modern picture
book. He devised an ingenious juxtaposition of picture and
nineteenth word, a counterpoint that never happened before. Words are

left out but the picture says it. Pictures are left out but the
word says it. In short, it is the invention of the picture book.
century This rhythmic syncopation, as Sendak describes it, was
a radical departure from the relationship between the visual
and verbal texts that had prevailed hitherto. In stories such as
A Frog he would A-wooing Go (George Routledge & Sons,
1883) and Come Lasses and Lads (George Routledge & Sons,
1884) a pictorial subtext emerges that expands rather than
merely duplicates or decorates the narrative content as conveyed
by the written word. Caldecotts superlative draughtsmanship,
of course, seals his position in the history of picturebooks. The
Below and opposite: Randolph

Caldecotts picture books broke new
ground in expanding the role of the
image in relation to text; they liberated
artists to augment words with additional,
visual meaning.
books were published as Randolph Caldecotts Picture Books to printing are revealing: but it was not without protest
and Caldecott is thought to have been the first artist to negotiate from the publishers who thought the raw, coarse colours and
a royalty payment (one penny per book) rather than a flat fee. vulgar designs usually current appealed to a larger public, and
Caldecott tends to be bracketed with two other artists therefore paid better
of the mid to late Victorian era: Walter Crane and Kate Such tensions between perceptions of public taste/
Greenaway. Though their work is in many ways very different commercial potential and artistic integrity are still hot topics
to Caldecotts, it is linked to his picturebooks by the key role of debate between artist and publisher today.
played in its dissemination by the printer Edmund Evans. At Kate Greenaways fragrant, innocent world of Under the
this time the distinction between printer and publisher had Window (George Routledge & Sons, 1879), with its distinctively
not really emerged. Evans brought a sophisticated eye to the prettily dressed children who looked like miniature adults, has
works of these three artists and the best way to do justice to survived the damnation of faint praise from contemporary and
them in mass reproduction. The garish and oily effects of the modern critics alike and her popularity endures. Alderson tells
chromolithographic processes that prevailed were not sympathetic us that we, should not lose sight of the freshness of the
or appealing to the better artists of the day. Evans, an artist little sub-fenestral world that Miss Greenaway brought to life
himself, demonstrated that colour printing with wood could be while reminding us of Beatrix Potters blunt observation that
subtle, effective and cheap. He pioneered the application of she cant draw.1
photographic processes to the preparation of woodblocks.
1
Walter Cranes work demonstrates a preoccupation with Quoted by Brian Alderson, Sing a Song for Sixpence: The English Picture Book
Tradition and Randolph Caldecott. Cambridge University Press, 1986.
the visual, rather than the conceptual relationship between
word and image, and is consequently much more static and
less fluent than that of Caldecott. It has also come to embody
in many ways the Arts and Crafts style. Cranes comments in
his Reminiscences of 1907 on Evans more tasteful approach
18 Chapter 1
The period during the latter half of the nineteenth and the early
From the twentieth century has come to be known as the golden age
of childrens books, a time when there was a coming together
golden age of developments in printing technology, changing attitudes to

childhood and the emergence of a number of brilliant artists.
Sir John Tenniels drawings for Lewis Carolls Alices Adventures
of illustration in Wonderland (Macmillan, 1865) perhaps heralded this new age.
They brought a new kind of presence on the page; the images
played a key role in the experience of the book and, subsequently,
became definitive to our reading of it.
With advances in photolithography, the intensely layered
watercolour work of Arthur Rackham also came to the fore and
the lavish gift-book tradition of the early twentieth century held
sway. William Nicholson (later to become Sir William Nicholson)
was at this time best known for his work with his brother-in-
law, James Pryde, in poster design. In this field the two were
known as the Beggerstaff Brothers, but Nicholsons distinctively
bold use of black woodcut print with flat colour was cleverly
Below: William Nicholson is perhaps

best known for his boldly designed linocut
illustrations but Clever Bill is loosely
rendered with line and colour separations
and relaxed hand-rendered text.
modified to pioneer the use of lithography in his later childrens This large square-format production provided a sumptuous
books, Clever Bill (Heinemann, 1926) and The Pirate Twins but relatively cheap alternative to the average mass-produced
(Faber, 1929). These books are also important examples of what book of the time. Ten years later in Britain, Edward McKnight
Alderson describes as a near perfect wedding of words and Kauffer used the pochoir process in his illustrations to Arnold
pictures into a unified whole at a time when such integration Bennetts Elsie and the Child, published in a limited edition
was relatively rare. by Cassell.
In the early twentieth century experimentation with the art
(and production) of the illustrated book was perhaps more
adventurous and advanced in France than it was in Britain. The
culture of the artists book was more firmly established there
and, as a consequence, a wider range of printing processes
was in use. While the letterpress line block dominated in Britain
up to World War II, in France greater use was made not only of
lithography but also of innovative processes such as pochoir, a
technique that involved hand-colouring through stencils (see p.
156). Edy Legrands Macao et Cosmage was produced in this
way in 1919 (Nouvelle Revue Franaise); the black line was
printed lithographically and the other colours were stencilled.
Below: A natural sense of placement and

an elegant relationship between line and flat
colour characterize Edy Legrands Macao
et Cosmage. The hand-rendered art deco
type is highly evocative of the period.
20 Chapter 1
Babar the elephant made his first appearance with The Story
The 1930s of Babar in 1931, published in France by Cond Nast. He was
the creation of Jean de Brunhoff, a painter from Paris whose
father was a publisher. The books were like nothing seen
before, with their large, colourful format and handwritten text
rendered with a simple, childlike clarity. In Britain the books
were published by Methuen and printed by one of the most
important quality printing houses at this time: W.S. Cowell of
Ipswich. Jean de Brunhoff created another five Babar titles
before his untimely death from tuberculosis in 1937. His son,
Laurent, was only twelve at the time. After World War II,
Laurent decided to continue his fathers work and went on to
create further Babar books over many decades and into the
twenty-first century.
The original Babar books have divided sociopolitical
commentators, some of whom argue that there are offensive,
neocolonial aspects to the content, while others see a strong
socialist ethic in the utopian milieu. Fellow artists, however,
Below: The de Brunhoffs Babar, shown

here in Babar the King, was an upright
biped with little or no facial expression,
but the books have proved
to have lasting value since their first
appearance in 1931.
have been generally unanimous in their praise. Maurice Sendak, backdrops that played such a big part in his imagery, along
contributing an introduction to Babars Anniversary Album with the gentility of manners of many of his characters.
(Random House, 1981), observes that, Babar is at the very As far as the picturebook is concerned, Ardizzones Little
heart of my conception of what turns a picturebook into a work Tim books hold a key place in the evolution of the genre.
of art. Laurents version of Babar, while stylistically remarkably The first of these, Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain, was
true to his fathers original vision, leans more towards the published in 1936 by Oxford University Press. The Tim stories
fantastic in its subject matter. were initially produced in a large 9 13 in (230 330 mm)
By contrast, it would be difficult to read too much political or format, and printed in full colour throughout but only on one
social agenda into the output of Edward Ardizzone. Ardizzones side of the paper. Later, the books became smaller and the
work as an illustrator spanned much of the twentieth century, colour illustrations were interspersed with black-and-white
and he produced drawings for all age groups and all kinds of drawings. For the colour illustrations, Ardizzone drew the black
books. He was the consummate professional. Whatever the ink line on a separate, transparent overlay while the
nature of the commission, he would bring the same charm and watercolour washes were painted on another sheet of paper.
humanity to the drawings. A sense of affection for the various This tricky process was the only way to achieve a solid printed
manifestations of the human condition, good or bad, shines black line that matched his original, rather than one that was
through in all his books, without ever tipping over into the made up of a combination of the other three colours of the
sentimental. His work is often described as quintessentially lithographic process: magenta, cyan and yellow. The Tim books
English: it reflects the particular architectural, rural and social combine a relaxed, hand-drawn font with atmospheric
Below: Edward Ardizzones Tim books

have been reissued many times. The
originals, such as Tim to the Rescue
(Oxford, 1949), shown here, were superbly
printed and free of any political correctness.
22 Chapter 1
illustrations of wildly improbable texts that still appeal today to As the 1930s drew to a close and war enveloped Europe,
a childs yearning for adventure and independence. what was to become one of the most popular characters in
Mervyn Peake was one of the more imaginative and original American picturebooks was emerging in the minds of its authors.
artists to emerge in the 1930s, through both his visual and Curious George was first published in 1941 (Houghton Mifflin),
verbal texts. Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor was his after an epic journey to New York by his creators Margaret and
first picturebook and was initially developed while Peake was H.A. Rey. The couple escaped war-torn Europe, carrying the
still in his twenties. It was published in 1939 by Country Life manuscript for the first book with them. The tailless George is
shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The initial response an amalgam of monkey, ape and child. In the first book he is
of critics to the less than cosy and somewhat decadent world brought from the jungle by a character known simply as the
of pirates and alien creatures was lukewarm. Punch magazine man in the yellow hat. Despite, or perhaps because of, these
declared it to be quite unsuitable for sensitive children. Soon eccentricities, Georges popularity as a character led to eight
there were remaindered copies for sale at two shillings and books, the last of which was published in the mid-1960s, his
sixpence. But then the whole stock was destroyed by fire appeal reaching across the globe.
when the warehouse in which the books were stored was
bombed by the Luftwaffe. A rare 1939 first edition is now one
of the most collectable and expensive of childrens books.
Captain Slaughterboard was reprinted at the end of the war in
1945 and published by Eyre and Spottiswoode, this time with
coloured tints added by Peake. The paper was of typically
poor post-war quality so surviving copies of this edition are also
much sought after. The poetry of Mervyn Peakes creation and
the subtle interplay of word and image on the page make this
a key picturebook that was way ahead of its time.
Below: Mervyn Peakes highly eccentric

Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor
was reprinted in this newly coloured
edition by Walker Books in 2001. As well
as illustration, Peakes interests ranged
across painting, writing and theatre.
The editor, designer and publisher Noel Carrington was a

Puffin Picture well-known figure in London publishing in the 1930s. Through
his work for Country Life, an imprint owned by George Newnes,
Books, he was experienced in collaborating with artists to prepare

illustrations for reproduction. In this capacity he had been
instrumental in the publishing of High Street (1938), a key
autolithography twentieth-century illustrated book, about shopfronts, illustrated
with exquisite lithographs by Eric Ravilious.
and the European Carrington had the idea of producing affordable educational
picturebooks for children, with high-quality artwork and in a
format that could be printed in large numbers. In 1938 he put
influence his ideas to Allen Lane, who had recently launched the Penguin
Books series. Crucial to the idea was the proposal that artists
would draw directly on to lithographic plates, creating a separate
drawing for each of the colours to be printed, thereby saving a
great deal of money on photographic colour separation. This
process of the very direct involvement of artist and printer was
referred to as autolithography. Despite the outbreak of war the
Puffin Picture Books series went ahead.
The format of the books was important to the cost-saving
ethos of the project. The 32 pages, each in a 7 9 in (180
230 mm) format, were created by printing the entire book on
one large sheet of paper, colour on one side, black and white
on the other. When folded and trimmed, this gave a complete
Below: Eric Ravilious lithographic book with alternate colour and black-and-white spreads. They
illustrations to High Street have made
the book one of the most sought after were printed by W.S. Cowell of Ipswich.
and collectable twentieth-century Carrington was aware of the use of the autolithography
illustrated books. Its successful use of process in other European countries in the preceding years,
autolithography encouraged publisher
Noel Carrington to develop the Puffin including a similar series which he had seen in Russia. In
Picture Books. France, the Flammarion Pre Castor storybooks had also been
lithographed in this way. The Puffin Picture Books were a
runaway success and continued to be produced in vast numbers
through the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Among the artists who
showed the greatest skill in translating their work through the
medium of autolithography were Stanley Badmin, Clarke Hutton,
Kathleen Hale and Edward Bawden. Bawdens The Arabs
(Puffin, 1947) is a superb production, now highly collectable,
which was informed by the artists recent experience of the
Middle East as an official war artist.
Carringtons passion for quality illustration, and his keen eye
for talent, continued to play an important role in the development
of the picturebook in Britain. Books published in the Puffin
series, and also by imprints such as Transatlantic Arts and
Country Life, continued to exploit the process of autolithography.
A particularly important discovery was Kathleen Hale, whose
Orlandos Camping Holiday and Orlandos Trip Abroad Carrington
published in 1938 and 1939. Hale taught herself the process
of lithography, and became a master of the subtleties of colour
separation. She worked initially on grained metal plates, later
on the plastic sheets known as Plasticowell that W.S. Cowell
developed. The adventures of Orlando the marmalade cat
became twentieth-century classics. Hale was one of the first
to recognize the importance of appealing to an adult audience
as well as to the child. She included little humorous visual and
verbal asides that were clearly designed to amuse the adult
who would be required to read the stories over and over again.
24 Chapter 1
Left: Edward Bawdens illustrations to The

Arabs by R.B. Serjeant were a highlight
of the Puffin Picture series. Bawden
successfully combined a mechanical
approach to architecture and perspective
with a subtle lightness of touch.
Below: Kathleen Hales Orlando books

have achieved classic status. Her
distinctively grainy graphite colour
separations are among the most
memorable in the Puffin Picture series.
From Orlandos Invisible Pyjamas.
Left: Enid Marx was a designer, illustrator

and writer of books on the popular arts.
She is perhaps best known for her fabric
and poster designs for London Transport.
The Little White Bear was published by
Faber in 1945. Three colour separations
were drawn directly on to the lithographic
plate and printed on a textured paper.
Below: Stanley Badmins mastery of the

autolithographic process was matched
by his knowledge of the English
landscape. His work was often credited
as S.R. Badmin.
26 Chapter 1
As Europe emerged from war, the need to keep publishing costs

The post-war low was greater than ever, and shortages meant many books
were printed on poor-quality paper. Autolithography continued
years to be a popular means of production and Noel Carringtons

influence in Britain continued. Through the Transatlantic Arts
imprint he introduced artists such as Susan Einzig, a German-
Jewish refugee who had been one of the last Jews to escape
Nazi Germany. Under her original name, Susanne Einzig, she
illustrated the charming little Mary Belinda and the Ten Aunts
(text by Norah Pulling, Transatlantic Arts, 1950). Einzig would
go on to be an important artist, perhaps best known for her
illustrations to Philippa Pearces Toms Midnight Garden (Oxford
University Press, 1958).
Other examples of the autolithographed picturebook include
Ballet in England: A Book of Lithographs by Sheila Jackson
(Transatlantic Arts, 1945) and The Little White Bear written and
illustrated by Enid Marx (Faber & Faber, 1945). In America, many
charming books were produced by the husband and wife team
Below and right: Transatlantic Arts

produced a number of highly individual
and beautifully illustrated picturebooks.
Mary Belinda and the Ten Aunts by
Norah Pulling featured illustrations by a
young Susan Einzig, who later recalled
the luxury of having a team of skilled
lithographers at her disposal at Cowell
printers.
Opposite: The Little Red Engine Goes

to Town (text Diana Ross; Faber & Faber,
1952) featured illustrations by Leslie
Wood, an artist who worked mainly in
advertising and who took over from the
Polish duo, Lewitt-Him. This title featured
the Festival of Britain.
Ingri and Edgar Parin dAulaire, who met as art students in to the land. With the benefit of hindsight, many cultural
Munich in the 1920s and emigrated to the United States in 1925. commentators have described this period as inward-looking
Worth a mention here, too, are the Little Red Engine books, and regressive. It was quickly overtaken by more strident
some of which were produced through autolithography. The movements in art and design, such as abstract expressionism,
original illustrations to these popular stories by Diana Ross but it did have a particular impact on book illustration. A number
were produced by Lewitt-Him, the design partnership made of historically important illustrated books appeared in the late
up of Jan Le Witt and George Him who had arrived in England 1940s, featuring the work of leading artists of the time such
from their native Poland in 1937. Much of their graphic work was as John Piper, Keith Vaughan and John Minton. In the field of
to be in the field of poster and advertising design. The Little Red childrens books, Mintons illustrations to The Snail That Climbed
Engine illustrations are a fascinating fusion of a clearly eastern the Eiffel Tower, a collection of indifferent short stories by Odo
European graphic tradition and deeply English subject matter. Cross for the influential publisher John Lehmann (1947), were
Later editions of the series were illustrated by Leslie Wood. perhaps the most notable example. Minton was a master of
Alongside the austerity and paper shortages that prevailed the letterpress line block and worked closely with the printer to
in the early post-war years, there was a yearning for colour and utilize this process as a form of printmaking, carefully considering
escape that manifested itself in the arts in what became known the effects of overlaying individual colour separations.
as the neo-romantic movement. In Britain there was a short-
lived period of romantic and narrative painting, rooted in the
spirit of landscape and a need to reassert a sense of belonging
28 Chapter 1
Below: Paul Rands blurring of

boundaries between word and image
opened up new possibilities for the
language of the picturebook, as in these
spreads from Sparkle and Spin.
From the 1950s an increasing number of graphic designers

The 1950s were drawn to the medium of the picturebook. This was a time
when graphic design, illustration and painting were more
and visual closely related within art schools. Designers were trained in
drawing and typography (and in drawing type). Suddenly,
books that showed a unified approach to concept, image and
thinking typography were appearing, as many of their designers were
also the authors. This is perhaps where the unique nature of
the picturebook as a medium really began to assert itself. Now,
words became fewer as an understanding of the potential of
the page as a multimodal visual stage grew. And the English
language picturebook benefited from the influence of a number
of authorial artists of European or Latin origin who had been
displaced by the war, or had arrived in the United States as
immigrants. Among these were Antonio Frasconi, Roger
Duvoisin, Leo Lionni and Miroslav Sasek.
The influential American graphic designer Paul Rand first
ventured into the picturebook arena in a book written by his
then wife, Ann Rand. I Know a Lot of Things was published by
Harcourt Brace and World in 1956. It had been suggested to
the legendary childrens book editor Margaret McEldery that
Rands work would lend itself well to a childrens book. A highly
successful designer, he had begun to tire of, and question, the
Below: Antonio Frasconis See and Say

used bold print imagery to great effect
to describe visually the meaning of words
printed in four languages.
30 Chapter 1
work he was doing in advertising and was looking for a more The Happy Lion, the first in a highly successful series, appeared
creatively (if not financially) rewarding area. There were three in 1954 and was written by his wife, Louise Fatio. Another highly
further books from the Rands, all with Harcourt Brace: Sparkle successful animal character was Petunia the duck. Duvoisins
and Spin (1957), Little 1 (1962) and Listen! Listen! (1970). All charming, gentle books won him numerous awards over a
the books demonstrate a playful but sophisticated understanding lengthy and prolific career.
of the relationship between words and pictures, shapes, sounds Leo Lionni, who was brought up in Holland, Belgium, New
and thoughts. York and Italy, is another key figure whose work in childrens
Antonio Frasconis ground-breaking See and Say, a simple books emerged from a background in design in the late 1950s.
concept that introduced children to a few words in four languages But he came to this field relatively late after an early life full of
through the artists characteristically bold yet gentle coloured changes of direction. As an adult, after trying a variety of
woodcuts, appeared in 1955 (Harcourt Brace). Frasconi, who careers, he moved to New York from Europe with his wife and
was born in Argentina and raised in Uruguay, moved to the United children when war broke out and became a leading art director
States in 1945. His work spanned the fine and applied arts and in advertising and magazines while also painting and exhibiting.
was often employed to expose political injustice. Lionnis first, highly influential picturebook, Little Blue and Little
Swiss-born Roger Duvoisins artistic background was in Yellow, appeared in 1959 (Obolenski/Astor) at a time when he
theatre and textile design, and his skills in the latter took him was tiring of the world of advertising. It has proved to have
from Europe to New York to take up a job with a textile firm. When timeless appeal with its use of simple, torn paper shapes to
the firm went out of business he concentrated on illustration. describe how the friends, little blue and little yellow, are separated
Below: In Little Blue and Little Yellow,

Leo Lionni used simple abstract shapes
to explore the idea of relationships
through colour.
from each other. As they hug joyfully on being reunited, they

turn to green. The book communicates on many levels; it is a
simple introduction to colour and shapes but can also be read
with reference to race and tolerance.
Of course, many of the best picturebook artists would not
describe themselves exclusively as such. Andr Franois was
born in Hungary, in an area that became part of Romania after
World War I. But it was as a French citizen that he spent his
working life as a graphic artist, spanning visual satire,
advertising and poster design, theatre set design, sculpture and
book illustration. Franois work exhibited a childlike awkwardness
that belied a highly sophisticated, biting eye. The first outlets
he found for his work were British satirical magazines such as
Lilliput and Punch. In childrens books, Franois developed a
successful partnership with the writer John Symonds, producing
books such as The Magic Currant Bun (Faber, 1953) and Tom
et Tabby (Delpire, 1963).
Below: Andr Franois Crocodile Tears

(Universe Books NY, 1956) uses an
extreme landscape format to reflect and
emphasize the subject matter. It was
Franois first picturebook as authorartist.
32 Chapter 1
As the swinging sixties exploded into life, a number of British

The 1960s artists emerged from art school with work that heralded a new
age of paint and colour in picturebooks. The shift was more
than merely stylistic, however. As with developments in popular
music, artists were beginning to express themselves in a more
personal way; they were becoming the artistic equivalent of
singer-songwriters. Among them were Brian Wildsmith, Charles
Keeping, Raymond Briggs and John Burningham. Each of
them would go on to lengthy and productive careers and make
major contributions to the picturebook genre.
A key player in the careers of Wildsmith and Keeping was
Mabel George, an editor at Oxford University Press. George
was a passionate advocate of their work. She came from a
family of printers and was knowledgeable about this aspect of
publishing. She was determined to find printers who could do
justice to the painterly approach of an artist such as Wildsmith.
First published in 1962, Brian Wildsmiths ABC was ground-
breaking; it won the Kate Greenaway Medal in Britain and the
Carnegie Medal in the United States. Here, suddenly, was a
book that overflowed with the textures, brush strokes, colours
and sheer joy of paint. Wildsmith had been brought up among
the grey stone of Yorkshire, but was trained at the Slade
School of Fine Art. He has gone on to a lengthy and highly
Below: Gerald Roses illustrations to Old

Winkle and the Seagulls (text Elizabeth
Rose; Faber, 1960) exemplified the
emergence of a new sense of landscape
and place in 1960s picturebooks. Gestural
brush strokes evoke the breezy sea air.
Below: Brian Wildsmiths rich, painterly Bottom: In this edition of Robert Louis
approach to picturebook illustration made Stevensons A Childs Garden of Verses
new demands on rapidly developing (Oxford University Press, 1966), Brian
printing processes in the 1960s. Birds by Wildsmith is given full rein to create
Brian Wildsmith (Oxford University Press, dynamic page designs around each verse.
1967) used the artists name as part of
the title, creating a gallery of paintings as
much as a book.
34 Chapter 1
successful career, combining book illustration and painting in London. In marked contrast to Wildsmith and Keeping, he
from his studio in the clear light of the south of France. His was in no way a gifted draughtsman. His drawing could be
draughtsmanship and richly decorative compositions are described as clumsy and devoid of any trace of facility or
especially appreciated in Japan, where the Brian Wildsmith Art mannerism. In his student days, his contemporaries laughed at
Museum in Izukogen, south of Tokyo, was established in 1994. his struggles in the life-drawing studio. But within a very short
Charles Keeping was, above all, a virtuoso draughtsman time of graduating he was forging a successful career in the
and printmaker whose instantly recognizable line is perhaps graphic arts. Burninghams picturebooks are, as Deborah Orr
most familiar from his black-and-white illustrations to texts for observed clearly creative artefacts rather than commercial
older readers, such as the Carnegie Medal-winning The God propositions, brought into being, above all, as an artists
Beneath the Sea by Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen (Longman, expression of his own desire to create.2
1970). But in later life Keeping created a number of picturebooks Burningham openly confesses to not being particularly
that were highly original, personal and innovative. These often interested in the idea of childrens books. But through this medium,
drew upon his working-class upbringing in the East End of and perhaps partly because of his attitude, he communicates
London for their thematic content. brilliantly, poetically and never patronizingly. Borka: The Adventures
John Burninghams champion in the publishing world was of a Goose With No Feathers was published in 1963 and won
Tom Maschler at Jonathan Cape, then an independent publishing the Kate Greenaway Medal, an extraordinary achievement for
company and now part of the Random House conglomerate. a first book. Over subsequent years of continuous popularity,
Burningham had studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts Burningham has continued to experiment and innovate, never
2
Independent, 18 April 2009.
Opposite: Many of Charles Keepings Below: John Burningham emerged in

picturebooks evoke a strong sense of the 1960s as a major new talent. His
place, in particular the East End of richly evocative paintings demonstrate
London where he grew up. In Railway a keen interest in landscape, as in this
Passage (Oxford University Press, 1974) spread from Humbert (Jonathan Cape,
and his last book, Adam and Paradise 1965). The sensual nocturnal cityscape
Island (Oxford University Press, 1989), is composed to draw the eye to the
the setting is the lead character. narrative focus the horse in his stable.
36 Chapter 1
afraid to be challenging or ambiguous, as with the superb The 1960s also saw the publication of The Tiger Who Came
Granpa (Jonathan Cape, 1984) which we look at more closely in to Tea, one of those curious picturebooks whose enduring
chapter 4. We draw attention to the serious side of Burningham charm rather defies analysis. Its author, Judith Kerr, was a war
because some of his most lasting books take up difficult issues, refugee who escaped Nazi Germany to live in Britain. Her series
such as the illness and death of a beloved grandparent in Granpa, of Mog books was equally successful, but the enigmatic, benign
bullying and loneliness in Aldo and threats to the environment Tiger who arrives one day to quietly consume the contents of
in hard-hitting picturebooks such as Oi! Get Off Our Train the fridge has a peculiar power that has kept him in print ever
(Jonathan Cape, 1989). since the book was published in 1968. The writer Jenny Uglow
Another profound influence on the development of the has observed that: He somehow harks back to the fatal
picturebook in the early 1960s was Ezra Jack Keats. Born in fascination of the charming, mysterious stranger, like the devil
Brooklyn, New York, in 1916, Keats was an easel painter who in ballads and fairytales who arrives without warning and
also worked as a commercial artist. His big breakthrough as a disappears with equal suddenness, and who is longed for as
picturebook maker came with the Caldecott Award-winning The well as held in awe.3 On a simpler, anecdotal level, many
Snowy Day (The Viking Press, 1962). Keats use of multicultural adults who grew up with this picturebook have described the
characters and urban settings was an innovation that transformed excitement induced by the double-page spread that depicts
the childrens picturebook landscape. His graphic techniques the family setting off down the high street in the dark to find
of merging collage and paint were also ahead of their time and somewhere to eat, now that their home is emptied of food. A
highly influential. restaurant meal was a rare treat indeed for the 1960s British
3
Guardian, 19 December 2009.
Left: Ezra Jack Keats brought a new

perspective to the picturebook, breaking
the stranglehold of all-white, middle-class
characters and introducing an altogether
more gritty, urban world, as in this spread
from Goggles! (Macmillan, 1969).
Opposite: The enduring popularity of

Judith Kerrs The Tiger Who Came to
Tea is perhaps attributable to the lure
of the mysterious stranger. The
illustrations reflect a 1960s vision of
family life, yet there is a timelessness
to the underlying concept.
38 Chapter 1
child. This is a book, though, in which very little happens and childhood in the West. Many of the rules picturebooks had
in which most of the rules of visual narrative are ignored. largely adhered to up to this point were broken as Sendak
The This is series by Miroslav Sasek began with This used every element of his artistry to powerfully convey his
is Paris in 1958 and is laden with period graphic charm. The beguiling story. Where the Wild Things Are is essentially about
simple formula of playful visual tours of cities around the world love, but it also deals with anger, hate, obsessiveness, security,
has led to the books achieving classic status. Many of them power relationships between adults and children, feeling out
have been reissued in recent times, though, sadly, too often of control and the role of the imagination. Sendak tackles these
not printed as well as they should have been. issues through a simple story of impotent childish fury set
Maurice Sendak may be the greatest illustrator for children against firm parental control (though we never see the mother).
of all time and was certainly one of the earliest to make an What makes it a masterpiece is the way he works on many
impact on educators and scholars, as well as on children, levels to convey the depth of feeling of the young protagonist
parents and the artistic community. Where the Wild Things Are through colour, form and composition. Much of Sendaks huge
(Harper & Row, 1963) was not Sendaks first picturebook, but output of picturebooks is equally challenging and brilliant,
it was the first one to make a huge impression on children though nothing else has quite matched the affection that Where
and adults alike. Interestingly, it caused a furore when it was the Wild Things Are enjoys. He has also illustrated childrens
published, with many critics anxious that it would be too books by other writers superbly, perhaps most notably the
terrifying for children. As we write, it has just been made into Little Bear series by Else H. Minarik.
a full-length feature film and is now part of the culture of
Below and opposite: Miroslav Saseks

This is series introduced children to
countries and cities around the world.
What distinguished them from many
such books was the artists eye for the
anecdotal detail of different cultures. This
is London was published by MacMillan
in 1959.
Tomi Ungerer is another influential artist who has spread

himself across a range of artistic practices including the childrens
picturebook. In 2007 he opened the Muse Tomi Ungerer in
his home town of Strasbourg, France. The museum houses his
graphic works and collection of mechanical toys, as well as the
works of other leading artists such as Ronald Searle and Andr
Franois. First published in 1966, Moon Man is perhaps one
of Ungerers best-known picturebooks. The man in the moon
watches from above and yearns to join in the fun on earth.
When he finally manages to achieve his wish he is, of course,
misunderstood and persecuted. But eventually he finds a way
to get home, having satisfied his curiosity.
40 Chapter 1
Below: The genius of Maurice Sendak

has elevated picturebook art to a new
level. Where the Wild Things Are (Harper
& Row, 1963) deals poetically with the
subject of anger. The book has sold
around 20 million copies worldwide and
been translated into many other media,
including opera and film.
Perhaps something of a forgotten genius, Roy Gerrard emerged

The 1970s as an authorillustrator in the late 1970s when he decided to
abandon his job as an art teacher to give book illustration his
onwards full attention. Gerrards combination of technical virtuosity in the

medium of watercolour with a firmly tongue-in-cheek approach
to epic historical subject matter gave birth to a highly innovative
oeuvre that deserves to be remembered with the works of the
best artists of his generation. Books such as The Favershams
(Victor Gollancz, 1982) and Jocasta Carr, Movie Star (Farrar,
1992) demonstrate a distinctive and original approach to making
picturebooks that delight children and amuse adults.
The books of Anthony Browne, Britains Childrens Laureate
(200911), have been exciting children and teachers since the
1970s, when he first created picturebooks after an apprenticeship
as a medical and greetings-card artist. His work is particularly
acclaimed by academics, who applaud his inventive use of
visual metaphor to create stories that are rich with significance,
offering layers of meaning to be uncovered by old and young
readers alike.
Most children, even quite young ones, find his work
compelling and potent as well as funny and moving. Brownes
meticulously rendered illustrations frequently carry subtle
references to well-known paintings and often employ trompe-
Right: Roy Gerrards strangely squat

figures and exacting watercolour
technique, combined with a surreal
imagination, make him one of the most
interesting picturebook artists to emerge
in the 1970s. In this image from The
Favershams, he condenses the ship to
fit the format of the page and echo the
shapes of the troll-like characters.
42 Chapter 1
loeil effects and visual puns. Gorilla (Julia McRae, 1983), the Elephant and Mr Benn series for young children, he has
earliest book to make a big impact, traces a little girls yearning also tackled strong themes such as war and injustice in his
for real companionship with her father within a single-parent work (see pp. 12728), and produced one of the earliest
family (the mother is never mentioned). The childs isolation and postmodern picturebooks for children: the incomprehensible
desolation is beautifully depicted through haunting metaphorical but intriguing I Hate My Teddy Bear (Clarion, 1984). Not Now,
imagery in subdued colours, all of which is contrasted with Bernard (Andersen, 1980) is, perhaps, the picturebook that
the bright happy fantasy life she leads on outings with the has made the most impact and is considered a contemporary
gorilla. In the following book, Zoo (Julia McRae, 1992), religious classic by many people. Its clever interpretation of the adult
significance is afforded to another gorilla who, with immense tendency to patronize children and their imaginative minds
dignity and sadness, is depicted within the shape of a cross brings delight to readers of all ages.
(see p. 74). Here, Browne is clearly making a point about Janet Ahlberg enjoyed a rich creative partnership with her
suffering and sacrifice. The rest of the book has many amusing husband, writer Allan Ahlberg, until her untimely death aged
features that make children laugh out loud, including the fact only 50. Their collaborative work led to such masterpieces of
that people keep metamorphosing into animals. However, many ingenuity as The Jolly Postman (Heinemann, 1986), and its
of Brownes books carry challenging moral messages; in Zoo sequels, for which Janet won the Kate Greenaway Medal, and
he continually draws the readers attention to the links between both partners received the Kurt Maschler Award in 1986. She
animals and people, while highlighting captivity and freedom had already won the Greenaway for the quieter classic Each
as a theme. This is never done in written text alone; the irony Peach Pear Plum in 1978 (Kestrel). Janets comic illustrations
of badly behaved, thoughtless human beings visiting a zoo are not only outstanding as artwork, they also draw inventively
and exploiting the animals can be gleaned only from reading on cultural aspects of life that provide challenge as well as
between the words and the pictures. delight for a young readership.
The prolific and versatile David McKee publishes regularly
with Andersen Press. Well known for his amusing Elmer the
Below: The culture of picturebooks in

China is growing. This unpublished page
design illustrates the story of The Robe
of One Hundred Kinds of Feathers and
is by the award-winning picturebook
artist Cai Gao. Gaos work combines
rich Chinese graphic tradition with more
modern painterly techniques.
In an increasingly global society it is reasonable to expect an

Picturebooks in increasingly global picturebook market. The arrival of the
eBook should perhaps facilitate this internationalism further. In
the twenty-first fact, it is not quite so simple. Although Disney has infiltrated
most cultures, and many international publishing conglomerates
produce intentionally global picturebooks, the picturebook as a
century cultural reflection of its place of origin seems to be obdurately
enduring. At the same time as awareness of the picturebook
as an art form is growing, many smaller countries and cultures
are increasingly recognizing the importance of preserving their
own languages and traditions. So, although the major names
in the industry continue to be published internationally, happily
there are still regional delicacies to be discovered. Many smaller
nations provide subsidies to artists and publishers to ensure
the continued production of indigenous picturebooks to be
read alongside imported and translated works by international
names. Less happily, few of these books seem to find their
way into other languages.
Many new and emerging artists are represented in the
chapters that follow. And the ones that are mentioned in this
book are only a small selection from the vast number of
important international and regional book artists who help to
make up the current landscape of childrens book illustration. The
Below: Jimmy Liaos When the Moon Forgot

(Little Brown, 2009)
44 Chapter 1
emphasis here is on those who have been particularly influential make absorbing fare for young children. They are also laced
as picturebook makers. with postmodern irony and subtle references that keep the
As well as creating his own books, the American Lane Smith parent reader amused and entertained. In 2007 Grey won the
has enjoyed a particularly successful collaboration with writer Kate Greenaway Medal for The Dish and the Spoon.
Jon Scieszka and designer Molly Leach since the dazzling Jimmy Liaos work has been phenomenally successful in
debut of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs in 1989 (Viking). his home country, Taiwan, as well as in many other Far Eastern
The hallmarks of this partnership include a witty, ironic relationship countries, for a number of years, and he is now beginning to
between word and image, inventive design, postmodernist break into the English-language market. Liao worked in the
features and technically dazzling artwork. The point of The True advertising industry for 12 years before his first picturebooks,
Story of the Three Little Pigs is not to believe a word written by A Fish With a Smile and Secrets in the Woods, were published
the so-called author (Alexander T. Wolf) as everything he says in the late 1990s. Much of his work has been translated into
is undermined by surrounding, counterpointing, images. Every other media including film, theatre, animation and television.
new publication by Smith is more inventive than the last, and he Liaos themes can be deeply spiritual, and frequently explore
has gradually moved from entirely traditional processes into the experiences and emotions of everyday people in
digital media a natural evolution for an artist who exploits the extraordinary situations.
page with a cacophony of collaged textures and shapes. Australian Shaun Tans contribution to the evolution of the
Mini Grey is a highly inventive authorillustrator who has tried picturebook is immeasurable. This is not only because of the
several other careers, including primary school teaching, theatre innovation, technical accomplishment and sheer creative ambition
design and puppet making. She speaks of enjoying using her of his books, but also as a result of his writing and speaking on
hands to make things as well as working with paint and collage the subject. With books such as The Red Tree (Lothian, 2000)
on a flat surface, and her artwork has a certain theatricality. Her and the astonishing The Arrival (Lothian, 2007) Tan has taken
teaching experience means she knows her audience well and the concept of pictorial text to a new level, exploring the ambiguity
picturebooks like Traction Man is Here (Random House, 2005) and potential for multiple meanings in visual sequence.
Below: In The Arrival, Shaun Tan

explores the concept of displacement.
Below: The award-winning Japanese (One Stroke/Les Trois Ourses, 2008),

artist Katsumi Komagatas books Komagata tells the story of the life cycle
transcend age groups and cultures by of a tree in minimal, highly poetic fashion.
communicating primarily through the
physicality of the book itself. In Little Tree
46 Chapter 1
German-born Jutta Bauers picturebooks also deal with Below: The cover of Kitty Crowthers La
Visite de Petite Mort.
philosophical themes that are inclined to ponder the deeper
meanings of everyday life. They are hugely successful in her
native language but are only just beginning to penetrate other
cultures through English translations such as Grandpas Angel
(Random House, 2005). Bauers illustrations and writing have
both simplicity and depth, and can convey narratives that are
consequently multilayered.
When the Belgian artist and author Kitty Crowther received
the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2010 it was recognition
of her status as one of the worlds leading pictorial storytellers.
To receive such a prestigious award while still in her thirties was
indeed an extraordinary achievement. Crowther is a master of
the picturebook medium. Using a limited range of traditional
media, predominantly pencil, coloured pencil and inks, she works
in a direct, apparently spontaneous way that speaks intimately
to the reader. As the jury for the Lindgren award stated: She
maintains the tradition of the picturebook while transforming
and renewing it In Kitty Crowthers books, text and pictures
form an integral whole.
Maintaining, yet transforming and renewing, the traditions
of the picturebook is an achievement to which only the very best
contemporary picturebook makers can lay claim. In the following
chapters we look at aspects of making and reading picturebooks
from the perspectives of those who make, publish and read them.
Below: Picturebook cultures are

emerging rapidly from all corners of the
world. Obax by Andr Neves has an
African theme but is published in Brazil
by Brinque-Book.
Chapter 2
48 Chapter 2
The Picturebook Makers Art 49
W
ith the growing interest in picturebooks as a graphic
form, some people ask: Is it art? Equally, with more
stylistic freedom creeping into the genre, others
enquire: Is it suitable for children? The answers to these
questions vary greatly across different cultures but it is possible
to argue that the picturebook has begun to fill a vacuum in
narrative, representational graphic art. The suitability issue is
discussed in chapter 5, but the fact that picturebooks are
published primarily for consumption by children should not be
a factor in assessing their artistic merit, and neither should the
context of mass production. Context seems to have assumed
a disproportionately powerful role in the world of art appreciation
and can lead to a lazy approach to reading pictures. Even the
father of the picturebook, Randolph Caldecott, suffered from
such prejudice in the Pall Mall Gazette (16 February 1886) he
groaned that, artists say I am only a clever amateur.
This chapter explores the unique art of the picturebook,
from the perspectives of both its making and its meaning; and
looks at the work of a number of individual artists from a range
of cultural backgrounds, who describe their experiences and
working methods. First, however, it may be useful to consider
the idea of the picturebook as work of art and take a brief look
at the kind of educational background from which the practitioner
of this so-called hybrid art may emerge.
Opposite: Fabian Negrins picturebook

frieze to Petit Robert et le Mystre du
Frigidaire (Notari Editions, Geneva, 2010).
This publication brings together art,
literature and music (accompanying CD
by Aeschimann Simon).
50 Chapter 2
The very best picturebooks become timeless mini art galleries

Picturebooks for the home a coming together of concept, artwork, design
and production that gives pleasure to, and stimulates the
as works of art imagination of, both children and adults. Alternatively, mini
theatrical productions may be a more appropriate analogy: it
acknowledges the fusion of word and image that is key to the
picturebook experience, while recognizing what Barbara Bader
in American Picture Books: From Noahs Ark to the Beast Within
(Macmillan, 1976) calls the drama of the turning page.
The book as work of art is a concept that can be traced
back centuries to the earliest handmade books. Today, the
boundaries between the book arts, literature and commercial
graphic art can be seen to be merging in the childrens
picturebook. In What Do You See? International Perspectives
on Childrens Book Illustration (Cambridge Scholars Publishing,
2008) Magdalena Sikorska claims: It is probably only a slight
exaggeration to say that many contemporary picturebooks
are the last bastions of visual culture in the medieval sense of
coded messages.
In 2007, OPLA, the archive of artists books for children,
was created at Merano City Library in Italy, reflecting and
celebrating the area where art (whatever we mean by that) and
the picturebook converge. Here, the work of artists who have
pushed the boundaries of the book as an artefact can be
enjoyed by scholars and children alike. As Maurizio Corraini
writes in the catalogue of the tenth anniversary exhibition:
Handled works!!! An explosive possibility which means they
can be touched and owned, a chance to come into direct
contact with art. This is a way to begin good habits, especially
among children, which leads them to consider art as something
that directly affects them and not, as often happens, a distant
world that they can visit only occasionally.1
Corraini is explaining that all of us, not only children, benefit
by having this opportunity to hold and feel what are essentially
works of art. Where a unique personal artistic vision combines
successfully with an ability to make contact with minds and
hearts from the world of childhood, magic can follow. This
mysterious remote landscape of childhood is one that, in the
words of Ilaria Tontardini, we adults perceive as belonging
to some distant part of ourselves.2
1
Maurizio Corraini, Childrens Corner, 2007.
2
Quoted in the catalogue to the Metaphors of Childhood exhibition.
Editrice Compositori, 2009.
As discussed in the previous chapter, the artistic giants of the

Education genre have established themselves in the consciousness of
many generations of children and adults. Maurice Sendak, Eric
and training Carle, Bruno Munari, Kvta Pacovsk and John Burningham,
to name just a few, have made a lasting impression on the art
of the picturebook as well as on an audience of millions. How
have these and other artists emerged? Can their skills be taught?
The latter is a question that goes to the heart of the nature of
art and design education. There are many undergraduate and
graduate/postgraduate courses in general illustration, and an
increasing number in some form of narrative illustration. But
there is little consistency in the kind of education the great
illustrators received even as recently as during the twentieth
century. Quentin Blake, for example, studied English at Cambridge
University, and Edward Ardizzone attended evening classes in
figure drawing, where he was taught by the artist Bernard
Meninsky, while serving his apprenticeship as a clerk in a City
of London company. There is also considerable diversity in the
Below: Edward Ardizzone was one of

the most popular and influential British
illustrators of the twentieth century.
But his formal art education was limited
to evening classes in life drawing. He
made many prints and drawings of
the experience.
52 Chapter 2
Below: Hippopotamus from One

Five Many by Kvta Pacovsk.
backgrounds of the newer generation. Some have had little many illustrators have managed to combine high-profile careers
formal art education, while others have had a more classical in publishing with parallel roles in education. Examples include
training in fine art or graphic design. Quentin Blake at the Royal College of Art in London, William
Drawing is another way of thinking, said the influential Stobbs at Maidstone College of Art and Steve Guarnaccia at
British graphic artist Edward Bawden.3 It is an assertion that Parsons in New York City.
hints at why art and design has not been considered an In Edward Bawdens time as a student at Cambridge School
academic subject until relatively recently, and the difficulties it of Art in the 1920s there would have been little in the way of a
has experienced in being absorbed into contemporary university curriculum, let alone multiple assessment criteria and learning
culture. Traditionally, art schools have been places where aspiring outcomes. His days were spent drawing from classical casts
artists have come to learn skills from masters; in other words, and meticulously rendering letterforms thinking through drawing.
art and design has always been taught by artists and designers. In Through most of the twentieth century, art schools were
the applied arts, this has been seen as being especially important, autonomous institutions that existed outside the university
with most teaching delivered by professional practitioners who system, and were managed and taught by artists and designers
give a small proportion of their time to teaching, both as a rather than academics. The recent absorption of these schools
supplement to their incomes and as a way of giving something into universities has resulted in an as yet unresolved culture
back and, indeed, gaining inspiration from contact with clash, where the world of learning through making, of thinking
students. Many of the artists featured in this book have taught through drawing, crashes headlong into the world of lecture-
illustration in art schools as visiting lecturers. Over the years, based learning, predefined learning outcomes and quantifiable
3
William Feaver, Drawing his own conclusions. Observer Magazine, 8 March 1987, p. 32.
Left: William Stobbs was one of a number

of artists who combined productive
careers as illustrators with full-time
employment in art schools.
Below: Off to Windmill Hill, an ink-and-

wash sketch by Edward Bawden.
Bawden studied at Cambridge School
of Art and the Royal College of Art in the
1920s, when students spent much of
their time drawing from classical casts
and learning calligraphy.
54 Chapter 2
knowledge. Amazingly, it is more than 50 years since the alien concept for the creative or expressive artist, for whom
American artist and illustrator Ben Shahn foretold and examined research can have an entirely different meaning. The picturebook
these clashes in his treatise, The Shape of Content (Harvard has, however, been the subject of a growing body of academic
University Press, 1957). In it he pondered the awkward research in recent years, some of which is touched on in
relationship between creative expression and the academy: chapters 3 and 4. An increasing number of artists are now
undertaking research at PhD level through personal creative
there is always the possibility that art may be utterly stifled
practice, advancing knowledge through thoughtful making.
within the university atmosphere, that the creative impulse
This is important: it builds on existing research from the outside,
may be wholly obliterated by the pre-eminence of criticism and
and reveals new knowledge about the process and practice
scholarship. Nor is there perfect unanimity on the part of the
of making picturebooks, to add to what is already known
university itself as to whether the presence of artists will be
about a completed artefact and the ways in which it can be
salutary within its community, or whether indeed art itself is
read. Such creative practice-led research in the arts is still in
a good solid intellectual pursuit and therefore a proper
its infancy and is the subject of much, often heated, debate.
university study.
The relationship between theory and creative practice is at the
The conflict is particularly apparent at the level of doctoral heart of this debate, and is a key concern of this book in the
research where the PhD, the highest academic degree, is context of the making and meaning of childrens picturebooks.
traditionally awarded for research that begins with a research
question and ends with proven research findings a hitherto
Above: For many art students in the

twentieth century, the classical cast played
a key role in developing an understanding
of form.
Left: Ben Shahns influential book is as

relevant today as when it was published
in 1957. Like Edward Bawden, Shahns
work happily straddled the fine and
applied arts; both artists believed the
same personal standards should be set
whether working for oneself or a client.
So the question remains: How does the picturebook artist

The emerge? Can the art of the picturebook be taught? Fortunately,
artists are far too unpredictable to allow for easy answers to
picturebook these questions, but there are many skills conceptual, creative
and technical that can be acquired with the right sort of help.
There are also unique individual gifts and talents that can be
artist damaged by the wrong kind of teaching. The mid-twentieth-
century British painter and illustrator John Nash recalled his
illustrious older brother Paul dissuading him from undertaking
a formal training: he used to tell me how lucky I was to
begin free from the disadvantages of conventional training.4
Paul Nash was extremely protective of what he saw as his
brothers innocent eye.
Although most art-school lecturers engaged in teaching
illustration would agree that drawing is the fundamental skill of
the illustrator, it is hard to find any consensus on what it actually
means. Some perceive it primarily as a formal skill, an ability
to convincingly render three-dimensional form on a two-
dimensional surface. Others think in terms of intuitive, gestural
4
Sir John Rothenstein, John Nash. MacDonald & Co, 1983.
For most illustrators, the sketchbook is

where their individual visual language
emerges and evolves, away from the
scrutiny of others; student sketchbooks,
Cambridge School of Art. Left, top:
Ballet class drawings by Merja Palin;
bottom: Carnaby Street collage by
Karen Thompson. Overleaf, top and
bottom: Sketchbook pages by Antoaneta
Ouzonova; middle: Sketchbook pages
by Katrin Lang.
56 Chapter 2
mark-making. More usefully, we might consider why we draw Press, 1979), the tendency of the education system to relegate
rather than how we draw. The American graphic artist Saul the role of the plastic arts to one of therapy:
Steinberg defined drawing as a way of reasoning on paper.
Today, the prejudicial discrimination between perception and
Everyone will draw differently, see differently and think differently,
thinking is still with us. We shall find it in examples from
but the apparently simple act of trying to articulate an idea or
philosophy and psychology. Our entire educational system
experience visually on paper, and in sequence, is still the basis
continues to be based on the study of words and numbers. In
for most illustrators work.
kindergarten, to be sure, our youngsters learn by seeing and
It is the particular individual sense of purpose behind the
handling handsome shapes, and invent their own shapes on
image-making process that dictates and shapes the evolution
paper and in clay by thinking through perceiving. But with the
of a visual identity in an artists work rather than any conscious
first grade of elementary school the senses begin to lose
pursuit of style. Nevertheless, generations of children have
educational status. More and more the arts are considered as
grown up learning to recognize instantly the work of individual
a training in agreeable skills, as entertainment and mental release.
picturebook artists through each ones personal visual signature.
For the aspiring artist, it is tempting to borrow stylistic idioms What these extracts seem to be saying is that, although
from these familiar auteurs. It can seem an easy option to we are constantly reminded we live in an increasingly visual
imitate a particular quality of line that may appear effortless. But culture, it may be that there is still a tendency to regard thinking
a genuine pictorial voice emerges through a lengthy personal and drawing as very separate activities.
dialogue with the real world. Usually, this process happens in
the sketchbook, free from any consciousness of an audience or Thinking through drawing
its age. Initially, this is all about learning to see. Through drawing
we come to realize that we dont know things we thought we Drawing is not, or shouldnt be, a passive activity. As we draw
knew through cursory visual contact. Keith Micklewright expresses from observation, the marks we make do not only describe the
the chicken and egg conundrum eloquently in Drawing: form or contours of the subject, but they also begin to express
Mastering the Language of Visual Expression (Laurence King those aspects of it that we are, consciously or unconsciously,
Publishing, 2005): most interested in or curious about as individuals. This is how
the individual, personal language of picture-making begins to
Without being able to see it is difficult to draw, but without evolve. The American illustrator James McMullan sums this up
being able to draw it is a problem learning to see an initial nicely when writing about his experience of teaching a group
and more formidable phenomenon is how often people need of illustration students at the School of Visual Arts in New
persuading that the ability to recognize objects is not really seeing. York, and trying to help them find a natural sense of identity
The art of the picturebook maker therefore involves thinking in their work:
in, and communicating through, both pictures and words. It is I didnt want to teach them a style of drawing. I wanted to
an art that is cultivated through a process of the interdependent teach them a way of thinking for themselves through drawing
skills of seeing and drawing. (Ironically, I seem to have succeeded in helping students
understand their own work when I encouraged them to think
Learning to see about their subjects rather than themselves.)5
The term visual literacy was first coined by John Debes in Many artists have spoken of the lifelong search for the
the 1960s. Although there is no unanimously agreed definition innocent eye in their work. In other words, they are expressing
of its meaning, this hasnt inhibited its increasing use. As a desire to unlearn, to cast off skills and mannerisms and learn
Clive Phillpot pointed out in Visual Literature Criticism: A New to see the world through the eyes of a child. Such a common
Collection (Southern Illinois University Press, 1979), verbal yearning reveals the subtle relationship between artistic vision
language seems to fail us badly in this area: and the means by which we articulate it how facility or skill
can begin to feel as if it is getting in the way of pure expression.
The familiar words literacy and numeracy have more recently
Micklewright, on the other hand, argues that skills should not
been joined by the word oracy, but when it comes to describing
be seen as a hindrance:
the skill of seeing (as opposed to looking) we seem to be stuck
with the phrase visual literacy, which suggests rather the skill Spontaneity should not be confused with innocence, and
of reading a pictorial image. One can, of course, see the knowledge should not be seen as corrupting, but liberating.
reasons for the coupling of these two words, but the absence Nobody would tell an author that learning to read and write
of such words as visuacy or picturacy, or some similar verbal would compromise the imagination or advise a musician to
idiocy, still seems significant. The phrase visual literacy attests cherish incompetence.
to the dominance of visual culture by the verbal.
A slightly tenuous analogy perhaps but, as the author
It is fair to say that artists and academics will have different points out, it is pointless to aspire to the kind of genuine naivet
ideas on what it means to see. As early as 1969 Rudolf of artists such as Alfred Wallis or Henri Le Douanier Rousseau,
Arnheim lamented, in Visual Thinking (University of California who are the exceptions that prove the rule.
5
Heller and Arisman, The Education of an Illustrator. Allworth Press, 2000.
58 Chapter 2
The sketchbook plays a key role, therefore, in the

education of the illustrator, providing a private world of exploration
of things, people, ideas, places and occasional shopping lists.
This precedes all other, more applied approaches to
picturebook-making, the ones that can be taught in a more
tangible way, such as visual, sequential pace and wordimage
relationships. Within this private world of the sketchbook the
need to get things down for future or present reference, to
capture things and ideas before they escape, can gradually
help to overcome self-consciousness and aid the process of
establishing a personal voice. Those artists who combine a
personal draughtsmanship with a strong sense of something to
say are the ones who are most likely to enjoy a lengthy career
in picturebook-making. An ability to apply ones work to a range
of moods and subject matter is also a great advantage. Switching
from the playful to the lyrical or poetic as seamlessly as John
Burningham, Quentin Blake or Alexis Deacon do is a tough call.
Below: These pages from Alexis

Deacons sketchbooks demonstrate the
kind of intense visual and intellectual
curiosity that underpins his work as a
picturebook maker.
The term visual communication is commonly used to describe

Visual the general subject area of graphic design and illustration. And
it is the concept of communication that some see as the
communication dividing line between the fine and the commercial or graphic
arts. In The Education of an Illustrator (Allworth Press, 2000),
the illustrator and educator Marshall Arisman quotes the
sculptor David Smith as defining commercial art as art that
meets the minds and needs of other people while fine art is
art that meets the mind and needs of the artist. Of course,
we like to put things in boxes in this way but the boundaries
between areas of the arts are inevitably blurred, and Arisman
rightly points out that, by Smiths definitions, many illustrators
are fine artists and many fine artists are illustrators. While there
are many artists working in the domain of the picturebook
whose works are highly authorial, personal, often poetic
statements, it may be argued that the ability to communicate
visually is paramount. At the same time, the layers of messages
and meanings conveyed may be increasingly open to subjective
personal interpretation in the modern picturebook, in the same
way as they are in artworks, which are more likely to be
experienced in the context of the gallery.
The rest of this chapter examines the picturebook makers
art through conversations with a number of artists and student
artists, touching on issues of visual research, sequential planning,
editorial input and the cultural differences and expectations that
can impact on the success and/or publishability of a picturebook.
60 Chapter 2
Student case study: Capturing a sense of place The outcomes for Last Summer by the Seaside were submitted
for Andrew Gordons final masters project at Cambridge
Andrew Gordon School of Art. Although this particular project was not
subsequently published, it played a major role in the artist
Last Summer by being given a contract to illustrate another picturebook text.

Gordons work during his masters studies had always
incorporated observational drawing and a great deal of
the Seaside sketchbook research. He was keenly interested in the traditions
of British art that are rooted in landscape and a sense of place,
embodied by artists such as Edward Bawden and John
Lawrence. Initially, he had little idea of what to focus on in this
project, but it was agreed that he would begin with an
open-ended period of visual research in his native north-east
England. It was also agreed that the final form of the project
should be allowed to grow out of this process:
Initially the North Yorkshire setting came into it when I was
researching the idea for a non-fiction book about Captain
Cook. I was interested in the setting and atmosphere fishing
cottages perched on cliffs, boats tied in the harbour, fishermen
at work, the cold North Yorkshire weather. With the initial
sketchbook work I was exploring various subjects and themes
about the seaside. It was an opportunity to explore the
Below and opposite: Andrew Gordons on to develop rudimentary storyboards

picturebook project grew out of an and eventually a finished pictorial narrative.
immersion in place. Beginning with
sketchbook work on location, he went
possibilities of media, composition and subject matter, to be work I had produced so far into a childrens picturebook. From
playful without having to produce images for a specific text. there, I drew up a very rough storyboard showing the basic
framework for the story and the concept for each spread. I
He filled sketchbooks with a mixture of location drawings,
avoided roughing out the spreads in too much detail in order
character sketches and unstructured flights of fancy, all the
to retain spontaneity when working on the finished illustrations.
while experimenting with different media. Much of the subject
Delaying the writing of the actual text enabled me to
matter focused on the small coastal towns and resorts of the
accommodate changes to the sequence as I went along, and
area. As the final deadline for the project neared, Gordon
allowed me time to consider what the text was going to be
became increasingly anxious about how exactly he would use
which I found very beneficial as I did not feel confident about
this material. But previous projects had perhaps arrived at
writing it at the beginning of the project.
outcome a little too quickly. Various ideas were floated for
narratives that would take place against the backdrop and Sitting by his rainswept urban window he recalled the
mood that had been established in the sketchbooks. But these sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a long, hot summer day
were feeling a little contrived and incongruous. Gradually it was by the sea. It had become clear (as it often does) that this
the sense of place that asserted itself as the main character of would not be a case of writing a story and then setting about
this project, and a picturebook began to emerge in the form illustrating it. The pictures would carry the main essence of
of a young childs winter recollection of a day at the seaside. what was to be conveyed. The text would gently augment
them, spoken entirely as dialogue by the child narrating his
I remember the storyboarding stage being quite a struggle, but
thoughts and memories. The result is a picturebook project
it was through the process of note-making and drawing that I
that powerfully projects an intimate, nostalgic sense of place.
arrived at the idea of the boys reminiscence. I remembered
visiting these places for days out as a child and thought I could
combine these memories with the observational work. This
idea seemed the most honest way to develop the body of
62 Chapter 2
Student case study: Narrative non-fiction Madalena Moniz is from Portugal. She was in the first semester
of her final year as an undergraduate student of illustration at
Madalena Moniz the University of the West of England in Bristol when she
completed Manu is FeelingFrom A to Z. Her images resonate
Manu is Feeling with the subtlety of her ideas and have a quiet lyrical intensity
that rewards slow contemplation. The delicate, fragile linework
seems to give each image a powerful emotional presence. This
From A to Z is an alphabet book with a difference. Avoiding traditionally
playful approaches to this kind of picturebook, Moniz has sought
out more complex relationships between word and image on
each spread. The adjectives chosen to represent each letter are
descriptive of a state of being emotional or physical and are
often described through visual metaphor, requiring the reader to
make links across several steps between word and image.
Through its design and conceptual consistency the book
has a strong visual identity, using white space to emphasize
scale and tension. The developmental sketchbook work
evidences a fastidious process of thinking through drawing.
Below and opposite: Madalena Moniz uses

sketchbooks to methodically try out various
possibilities for her alphabet book. Patterns,
letterforms and characters are explored in
detail to test their graphic potential.
From a publishing perspective, this book might be seen to So I thought about feelings. To illustrate something that
break too many rules for some markets, where age categories cant be seen, such as feelings, requires creativity, which is the
are rigidly adhered to. Most alphabet books are, of course, main reason why I liked the subject. I chose to use only one
designed for very young readers. Placing, as it does, greater character for the whole book. All the feelings from A to Z would
demands on the visual literacy of the reader, Manu is Feeling be this boys feelings, hence the title Manu is Feeling.
may find its natural home in cultures where picturebooks are For my characters to be really convincing I usually base
allowed to appeal across wider age ranges. them on real people. For this one I used old photographs of
Moniz was clear that she wanted to tackle a picturebook my brother, and I named him Manu after my brother Manuel.
at this stage of her studies. She says: He would wear the same clothes throughout the book, except
on a couple of letters to relate to a different weather or activity. I
I chose to do an alphabet book because I liked the idea of
used strong colours on his clothes and a light brown for his hair.
focusing only on the image and spread compositions not on
a story, and the challenge that presented in holding the Moniz was keen to avoid the obvious representations of
viewers interest without a story to follow. The first step was emotions such as S is for Sad. Rather, she wanted the whole
choosing a theme a thread that would run through the whole image to project the particular emotion, making the viewer
thing and make the viewer want to turn the page. It couldnt think about it and explore the relationship between the image
just be A for Apple and B for Ball. It had to have a deeper and the word. The structure of the book would be consistent
meaning so the viewer wouldnt lose interest along the way. throughout: the letter and word would be on the left page of
64 Chapter 2
the spread and the image representing the feeling would picturebook and much of this can only be realized during the
always be on the facing page. She felt confident about this actual process of making.
simple approach from the outset. Pattern plays an important
Throughout this process Moniz kept a sketchbook in
part in the design and communication of mood:
which all the development work and studies evolved. Referring
The letter would be inserted in a pattern or a pattern would be to these notes and sketches, she developed each of the final
inserted in the letter, always a pattern that would relate to the spreads, in no particular order, except that she began with the
feeling or the image in question. I like to use patterns on my ones she was most excited about. Using A3 (11.69 16.54 in)
work. I researched and created patterns in order to find the watercolour paper she worked up the final designs with ink and
appropriate one for the different images and used them to help a very fine brush for the linework, along with watercolour washes:
convey the feeling. During the making of the book I would think I tend to give a delicate look to my images with thin lines, soft
of words and images together, rather than thinking of a word colours, the use of pattern and the small scale of the figures.
and then trying to illustrate it. Sometimes the image would Many spreads were worked and reworked until Moniz was
come first and then Id need to search for the perfect word. entirely happy with the outcome. All the artwork was handmade,
Sometimes it was the other way round. My ideas didnt come with Photoshop used to clean up the background and fix small
in any organized way! They would come at any time so the mistakes: This is how I like to use Photoshop just as a final
trick is always to get them down in the sketchbook as quickly tool. I like the look and feel of handmade artwork.
as possible. There is a great deal to work out when making a
Opposite and below: Finished spreads

for Manu is Feeling...From A to Z.
66 Chapter 2
Professional case study: The innocent eye Beatrice Alemagna is one of the most admired artists in
childrens picturebooks today. She has won many international
Beatrice awards and prizes. As well as working in the field of childrens
literature, she has worked as a poster artist for the Centre
Alemagna Pompidou in Paris for over ten years, and has designed fabrics
and ceramics. Her graphic work combines a rare depth of
visual literacy with a gentle, poetic humanity and a fearless
Un Lion Paris approach to experimenting with media and materials.
Originally from Bologna in Italy, Alemagna is now based in
Paris. She is perhaps an example of the kind of artist whose
language is untaught or unteachable in the sense that it seems
to come so directly from the heart, in the form of a visual
poetry apparently untainted by conscious technique or facility.
Her educational background is interesting in this respect.
Growing up in a cultured environment, she absorbed the
books of Bruno Munari, Emanuele Luzzati, Leo Lionni and
Tomi Ungerer among others. She read the fables of Gianni
Rodari, Italo Calvino and the Brothers Grimm. Alemagna says
that she has known she wanted to do what she now does
since she was eight years old: As a child, illustrated books
were my private space, for me alone. I would leaf through them
for hours, sniffing the smell of the paper. They made me dream.
In adolescence she studied literature. Although all she
wanted to do was draw, her family encouraged her to take a
Below and opposite: A few of Beatrice
Alemagnas early studies for Un Lion
Paris. At this stage the drawings are simple
compositional studies and the character
of the lion is only just beginning to emerge.
broader cultural education before attending art school. Eventually invent my own techniques, to improvise with oils or pastels,
Alemagna accepted a place at the Instituto Superiore per le experimenting with tissue paper or wool. I do think that
Industrie Artistiche (Superior Institute of Industrial Arts) in Urbino. studying graphics gave me a sense of composition, of weight
Here she found that the focus was on design, typography and and space. In terms of my drawing, perhaps it has retained
editorial graphics with little attention to drawing. At the time a purity, thats to say a closeness to my childhood. It isnt
she found this very hard. The school has since developed formatted behind a precise style or technique. This is something
illustration as a subject specialism. In the summers she was that I have only recently learned to value.
able to attend short courses in illustration, notably under the I know that I have a multitude of personalities that express
tutelage of Stephan Zavrel and Kvta Pacovsk. themselves differently in my drawing. Perhaps if I had learned
This lack of direct tuition in illustration during the main or acquired a particular technique I would have settled into a
period of study once again begs the question whether there particular way of working and would not have fallen into this
are instances where a nascent, personal visual language is perpetual search. Its a painful process but one which is
best protected from some elements of a traditional, formal art intimate and personal. This is why I dont know how to illustrate
education. Certainly, it is possible to argue that Alemagnas texts that dont touch me personally and also why my books
graphic work manages to retain that element of naivet that is dont tend to resemble one another. I look back at each book
so powerful when combined with sophisticated design skills. as representing and reflecting a stage of my personal evolution.
Here, a thorough grounding in typography and graphic design
Un Lion Paris (Autrement Jeunesse, 2006) was awarded
seems to have provided a perfect structure in which to place
a special mention in the 2007 Bologna Ragazzi Awards.
a highly sensitive and expressive visual language. Speaking
Published in large-format hardback, unusually bound on the
about this, Alemagna says:
long side, it tells of a lions arrival in Paris and his surprise at
Yes, I felt that I suffered a lot through not studying the not being feared, noticed even. He tours the city in his melancholy
techniques of drawing, not knowing how to use acrylics or state as an outsider, searching for something, and ultimately
watercolours and so on. But in the end I realized that I like to returns to his place on a plinth in the square. This exquisitely
68 Chapter 2
beautiful, poetic book is appropriately described as follows by where I would meet a very dear friend who is the lady in the
Anna Castagnoli: Beatrice Alemagna doesnt just draw, she book with the white hair. LIsle St Louis was near to where I
composes symphonies with the colours of music.6 lived in my early days in Paris and the Canal Saint-Martin is
Alemagna says of the original inspiration for the book: where I later came to live. The baguette under the arm is a
motif that has always had great resonance for me. There are
The idea for the story was born in a conversation with a friend
also tiny portraits of my father, my sister and I. So when I am
who lives near the statue of the lion at Place Denfert-Rochereau,
asked whether the little girl on the last page is me, I reply,
and who spoke to me about how much the Parisians love this
Absolutely not. I am the lion!
lion. I had already found inspiration in this lion, so proud in the
Graphically, in this book I feel that there is a use of space
middle of the square. I had been to look at him many times
that is different in comparison to all my other books. I wanted
and the idea grew to use him as a way of telling the story of
to show real places in Paris but reinterpreted in my own way,
the stranger, looking and feeling different in an unknown city. I
showing the city as it is, but also as I see it. It is an ode of love,
also wanted to create a character with charm in his attitude to
of my love of Paris a ballad to the streets. I didnt want to
others. The theme of identity, in its different facets, is a central
make an infantilized city, all jolly houses and pointy roofs. I
one in most of my books. In making the images, I wanted to
have tried to show the real city, with its chaos, its grey buildings.
recreate the Paris that inspired me through the films of Truffaut
Ive just added my view. I wonder whether, in its realization,
and Goddard and through the photographs of Henri Cartier-
Lion is really a book for children, because it speaks to the
Bresson among others.
child through the eyes of an adult, albeit an adult with perhaps
Its the story of a visitor with his shifting view of the city
a childlike eye.
and the reality that surrounds him. In fact, the book is in many
Above all, I wanted to create images full of detail, full of
ways autobiographical. Each scene that the lion encounters in
people but retaining a regard for composition and space, not
Paris is one that has importance for me. The Caf de Flore
overcrowding each page. I do storyboard my books but my
where I would go after my meetings with a publisher, Beaubourg
working method is a little bizarre. If I decide on the final form of
because of my work in creating the posters, and Montmartre
the book too soon, I lose the emotion and joy. I usually prefer
to just have an idea in my head, remaining a little fluid and

allowing it to flow on to the paper without knowing exactly
what will happen. Sometimes I tear up dozens of sheets of
paper before arriving at the right image. Its not the most
economical way of working!
Such a delicate process requires a real relationship of trust
between the artist and publisher. Alemagnas work in many
ways exemplifies the very different attitudes to visual aesthetics
in mainland Europe compared to those in English-speaking
countries. Her books are enormously successful in several
European countries and also in East Asia, especially South
Korea, but she has only just begun to break into the English-
language market. This may be because Britains longer tradition
of illustration for children, with its roots in representational
painting, has led to narrower perceptions of graphic suitability
in picturebooks.
6
www.lefiguredeilibri.com/?p=69
Below and opposite: Preliminary sketch

and finished artwork for Un Lion Paris.
70 Chapter 2
Below: Cover of Ajubels Robinson Crusoe.

Professional case study: A wordless book Now based in Valencia, Spain, the artist Ajubel is originally from
Cuba. His visual work covers a wide range within the graphic
Ajubel arts, but he is perhaps best known for his posters and for his
editorial illustrations in leading newspapers and magazines.
Robinson Crusoe: Ajubels entirely pictorial version of Robinson Crusoe evolved

through discussion with Vicente Ferrer, at the Valencia-based
publishing house Media Vaca (see pp. 17879). Robinson
A Wordless Book Crusoe: A Wordless Book was awarded the Ragazzi Award for
fiction at the 2009 Bologna Childrens Book Fair.
Vicente and Ajubel had known each other for some time.
The distinctive books from this small, independent publishing
house are normally produced in limited (usually two) colours,
always with the greatest attention paid to design and production.
Media Vaca books also come with the reminder on the back
covers, LIBROS PARA NIOS NO SLO para nios! (BOOKS
FOR CHILDREN NOT JUST FOR Children!). Vicente explains
that he had been thinking about producing a book in full colour
for some time and that Daniel Defoes famous story had always
been one of his favourite texts. He says:
I wanted to make a book with Ajubel, and with his background
growing up on an island, and his sense of colour, he seemed
the perfect choice for this project. I decided to get rid of the
Below: Finished artwork for Ajubels

Robinson Crusoe.
72 Chapter 2
verbal text altogether as I didnt want to abridge it in any way. Ajubel tends to work initially through drawing on paper and
The narrative is simple and highly visual. I like the way that in then developing colour on screen. However, he finds that the
this novel it is clear that nature is not always your friend. Often, processes of drawing and painting digitally tend to merge and
in Robert Louis Stevenson for example, the tropical island is become one:
portrayed as a romantic paradise. Ajubels images are full of
nowadays drawing and colour for me are almost the same.
subtle narrative detail. He wanted to make a book suitable for
I have been working with the computer and the electronic pen
all ages so he was careful to avoid violence.
for many years and almost dont make the distinction any more.
A close working relationship between publisher and artist/ At the end of the day these are just tools.
author is essential to the success and integrity of a book. But
Whether we can label Robinson Crusoe: A Wordless Book
this relationship will vary greatly depending on the size and
a picturebook, in the sense of our previously offered definitions,
nature of the publisher. At large conglomerate publishing
is unclear. Like all Media Vaca books, it happily rejects the
houses many people are involved in the editorial, design and
rules, breaking out of the 32-page picturebook stereotype and
marketing elements. This can lead to a well-rounded book that
pretty much every other convention. It tells the story entirely
serves its market well or it can have a reductive, flattening
through full-bleed double-page spreads, without the use of
design by committee effect on the artistic ambition of the
comic-strip framing conventions. Ajubels paintings have an
book. In the case of Robinson Crusoe: A Wordless Book,
almost visceral sense of the primitive, propelling the narrative
the editorial process was collaborative and relaxed. Ajubel
forward with a strong left to right dynamic, and an acute
describes it as follows:
awareness of the page-turning impulse. The visual text is highly
The idea for the book came from Vicente at Media Vaca. I was stylized, but at the same time articulate in its communication
given total freedom from the beginning including deadline, colour, of the narrative.
creativity, number of pages. I only had to respect the format of
the series and not use words. Our conversations about the
progress of the book generally took place over lunch, and were
relaxed and entertaining. Obviously the storyboard changed
during the creative process, a few changes were suggested
during our conversations and other intuitive changes took place
along the way to produce the book that we see now.
Below: Finished artwork for Ajubels
Robinson Crusoe.
Chapter 3
74 Chapter 3
the picture book, which appears to be the cosiest and most intensity of her gaze and the seriousness of her scrutiny teaches
gentle of genres, actually produces the greatest social and me that some children need several lookings to get a proper
aesthetic tensions in the whole field of childrens literature.1 sense of a picturebook. Im impressed by the strength of the
childrens desire to make meaning of these texts, and the
Sheila Egoff
pleasure they take in them is infectious. Ive explored most of
these books with the children several times and now they are
Preamble enjoying them independently for the fourth, fifth, maybe the
tenth time. Some older children walk by on their way to the
I
am in a library in the middle of a primary school, with a few
six-year-olds, some of whom cant yet read print. On a large gym. Noticing me and the picturebooks they stop to take a
table, Ive laid out varied picturebooks which the children can look, giving groans of delight and longing as if they were in a
select at will. Two boys are sharing Anthony Brownes Zoo wonderful toyshop at Christmas. What is it about outstanding
roaring with laughter, fingers pointing at favourite illustrations, picturebooks that provokes such reactions in children? They
trying to compete with each other in finding more hilariously appear to weave themselves seamlessly into the lives of young
funny examples of humans metamorphosing into animals. readers, encouraging a perpetual readiness for the unexpected,
One little girl is gazing sadly at the final spread of John and a welcome for both experienced and inexperienced
Burninghams Granpa which suggests, but does not say, that readers alike.
the grandfather has died. Another is deeply absorbed in Jan Morag Styles
Pienkowskis Haunted House, carefully opening every flap of
every pop-up. She is reading the book on her own after we 1
Sheila Egoff, Thursdays Child: Trends and Patterns in Contemporary Childrens
have already looked at it together three times in a row. The Literature, p. 248. American Library Association, 1981.
The Picturebook and the Child 75
The nature of picturebooks is discussed earlier in this volume,

Children but it is useful to consider the definition by the American
academic Barbara Bader, which is the one most favoured by
reading scholars of childrens literature. In American Picture Books: From

Noahs Ark to the Beast Within (Macmillan, 1976) she writes:
picturebooks A picture book is text, illustrations, total design; an item of

manufacture and a commercial product; a social, cultural,
historical document: and foremost an experience for a child.
As an art form it hinges on the interdependence of pictures
and words, on the simultaneous display of two facing pages,
and on the drama of the turning page.
As Bader points out, picturebooks are simultaneously art
objects and the primary literature of early childhood, offering
compelling drama for readers through the interaction of the
visual and verbal narratives. It can be hard work to make sense
of the readerly gap created by the space and tension between
what the words say and what the pictures show, and young
readers only make the effort if the picturebook is worth the
trouble. Fortunately, there are many excellent examples that
repay readers endeavours. Most of the texts by the illustrators
highlighted in this book come into this category.
In the definition above, Bader infers that picturebooks are
a means by which we integrate children into a culture, yet the
best of these books also encourage divergent readings as we
will show. In historical terms, different periods construct childhood
differently and this is represented in the literature produced for
the young. For example, in the so-called golden age of childrens
literature (in the 1920s and 1930s between the two world wars),
there was a desire to emphasize the beauty and innocence of
childhood. Just think of Ernest Shepards illustrations for A.A.
Milnes poetry and his Winnie the Pooh stories they delighted
readers then and are still popular today. We may be living in a
so-called postmodern age where playfulness, rule-breaking,
fragmentation and uncertainty are commonplace (and feature
in many challenging picturebooks), but romantic and idealized
representations of childhood still appeal to adult nostalgia, and
are still represented in many picturebooks.
The picturebooks we highlight in this volume are not these
cosy ones, but those that are more risk-taking in every sense
demanding themes, sophisticated artistic styles, complex
ideas and the implied notion of a reader as someone who will
relish these challenges and take them in their stride, as long as
the books are engaging. As Maurice Sendak put it:
Children will tolerate ambiguities, peculiarities, and things
illogical; will take them into their unconscious and deal with
them as best they can The artist has to be a little bit
bewildering and a little bit disorderly2
Some authors create complicated metafictive picturebooks
that playfully draw attention to the fabric and materiality of the
book itself and are full of mischievous subversion of the normal
conventions. Lane Smith and Jon Scieszkas The Stinky Cheese
Man (Viking, 1992), for example, highlights, makes fun of, and
turns upside down sometimes literally every unspoken rule
of the picturebook. A character from the book (Little Red Hen)
argues with publishers conventions on the back cover; parts
Opposite: Anthony Brownes books, of the dedication page are upside down and amusing asides
such as Zoo (Julia MacRae, 1992), are directed at the reader; the contents page is a carefully
have fascinated children and academics
alike for their use of visual metaphor to 2
Maurice Sendak, Caldecott & Co: Notes on Books and Pictures.
explore a range of themes. Viking Penguin, 1989.
76 Chapter 3
crafted jumble of jokes, incomplete sentences, The End and today and, incidentally, the respect the authors have for their
so on. young audience by assuming they will work hard to tease out
Sendak is also a master of such effects. We are all in the meaning and find the book rewarding. Such picturebooks require
Dumps with Jack and Guy (HarperCollins, 1993) has no title advanced skills on the part of the young reader, who has to
or author on the front cover. Instead, there is a stage set that negotiate meaning, reading between the lines and the pictures.
introduces some of the themes Sendak is playing with. As well
as the familiar stylized urchins from some of his other books
(such references are called intra-textual), which are reminiscent
of Charles Dickens young vagabonds, there are skinny
children with bald heads, suggesting chemotherapy treatment
or concentration camps or the victims of AIDS. The written text
includes Kid elected President and Meaner times, leaner
times. The reference to homelessness is further picked up in
the endpapers, which are blank, brown cardboard-type paper
suggestive of basic cardboard shelters.
The sheer rule-breaking potential of a couple of pages
from The Stinky Cheese Man and We are all in the Dumps
gives some insight into the challenges offered by picturebooks
Below: The term metafictive has been

employed by academics to describe the
self-referential play evident in books
such as The Stinky Cheese Man. Children
are assumed to have a full grasp of
postmodern irony when negotiating the
works of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.
In this title page the designer, Molly
Leach, makes an important contribution
to the meaning of the pages.
Visual literacy (see p. 56) is a contentious term as there are so

Defining many different ways of conceptualizing what it means to read
image, let alone multimodal texts that contain a mixture of
visual literacy verbal and visual elements. Kate Raney, who in 1998 wrote
her doctoral thesis on visual literacy, puts an emphasis on
social practices associated with cultural and ideological
considerations that seem to fall somewhere within the disciplines
of art, education and philosophy. Her definition is simple and
persuasive. Visual literacy is:
the history of thinking about what images and objects
mean, how they are put together, how we respond to or
interpret them, how they might function as modes of thought,
and how they are seated within the societies that gave rise
to them3
Our view is that in this increasingly visual world it is essential
that children learn the skills of looking, appreciating and
interpreting visual material, including its design. This is something
most children do quite naturally at an early age as they are
drawn to pictures, colour and form, but this instinct can be
developed and enhanced by enlightened teaching and by learning
how to analyse visual texts insightfully. From a very early age
most children draw unselfconsciously, merging the seen and
the imagined. Learning to look and see through drawing promotes
and nurtures vital visual literacy skills. Sadly, the activity of
drawing is often undervalued in primary education. Furthermore,
once children have mastered print it is important that they
continue to extend their awareness of the visual so that they
are able to value, understand and intelligently analyse visual
material from advertisements and computer games to fine art,
film and animation. Picturebooks seamlessly provide lessons in
looking at, and evaluating, visual texts.
3
Kate Raney, Visual Literacy: Issues and Debates. Middlesex University School
of Education, 1998.
78 Chapter 3
Before discussing some of the critics who are best known for
Visual texts and writing about childrens interpretations of picturebooks (other
theoretical approaches to the genre are discussed in chapter
educational 4), it is necessary to consider briefly how the way children

develop is linked to visual literacy. It is generally assumed that
they follow a fairly predictable developmental pattern in most
development things, including their understanding of visual codes.
Jean Piaget, one of the earliest and most influential
educational psychologists, argued that children can make
sense of the world only within the limits of their developmental
stage. Writing from the 1930s until well into the second half of
the twentieth century,4 Piaget broke new ground in his attempts
to describe how childrens minds develop. One of his great
insights focused on the role of maturation in childrens increasing
capacity to understand the world around them. While his
theories of how children learn were innovative in their day, they
are now considered too narrow and rigid to take account of
the huge variations in child development. For example, Piaget
wrote that between the ages of two and seven (what he called
the pre-operational stage) children are so egocentric in their
thinking that they are unable to consider any viewpoint different
to their own. He believed that between seven and eleven years
(the concrete operational stage) children develop the ability to
undertake many formal operations, but that it is only after
twelve that they are capable of abstract thought. Since then,
several distinguished psychologists, most notably Lev Vygotsky
and Jerome Bruner,5 have argued that Piagets theory is too
simplistic, and pointed out that some children can achieve
abstract thought before the age of eleven, or sympathize with
Below: Children seem to identify strongly

with the way pictures can often express
feelings and fears more clearly than words,
as in Satoshi Kitamuras Lily Takes a Walk.
the views of others before they are seven. With specific reference Kate Noble, who contributed to the project, went on to
to visual literacy, these ideas are important because it is often investigate, for her doctoral thesis, how 24 children responded
the pictures in picturebooks that enable children to interpret to picturebook versions of The Frog Prince (including editions
ideas in a more sophisticated way than might be expected by Jan Ormerod, Walker Books, 2002; and Jon Scieszka and
given their age. What most educators and psychologists do Steve Johnson, Viking, 1991). She focused particularly on their
agree about is the huge potential of learning by looking. drawing processes, their own artwork and their physical
In the research project by Evelyn Arizpe and Morag Styles reactions to the picturebooks, and also used conventional
discussed below, there was ample evidence that some young interviews and semistructured discussions. She shows how
children were able to formulate clever and perceptive responses when children draw and talk about picturebooks they reveal
to picturebooks, far beyond what might be expected of them their cognitive, aesthetic and emotional awareness and, indeed,
developmentally. The converse was also true, in that some older contribute to our understanding of the development of visual
children made interpretations that were rather more inadequate literacy. Some of Nobles findings are discussed in Janet Evans
than would be expected for their age group. recent book, Talking Beyond the Page (Routledge, 2009).
Arizpe and Styles conducted their research between 1999 In Literacies Across Media (Routledge, 2002), Margaret
and 2001, on the detailed reactions of 100 children to the Mackey highlights the two-way interaction between the human
picturebooks Zoo (Julia McRae, 1992) and The Tunnel (Julia body and the text in the act of reading. She describes it as a
McRae, 1989) by Anthony Browne, and Lily Takes a Walk (Corgi, physical as well as cognitive activity a playful process of
1987) by Satoshi Kitamura; and discovered how discerning negotiation, imagination, orchestration, interpretation and
even a very young and a bilingual readership can be. There experimentation, using visual strategies of noticing, searching,
was illuminating evidence of children drawing in response to exploring, hypothesizing, comparing, labelling and strategizing.
the picturebooks: what they couldnt always express in words Anything but passive! She also explores these ideas in Art,
they could often show in their visual work. Since the publication Narrative and Childhood (Trentham, 2003) in a chapter on
of this research in Children Reading Pictures (Routledge, childrens responses to David Macaulays Shortcut (Houghton
2003), other researchers have, as a matter of course, videoed Mifflin, 1995), which one ten-year-old describes tellingly as
interviews and drawing sessions with children, so that their the most thinking book.
physical responses (body language, gestures, etc.) can be
4
taken into account, and tabs can be kept on how they draw, See, for example, Jean Piaget, The Childs Construction of Reality. Routledge, 1955.
5
Two excellent volumes that summarize these arguments and explore developmental
which can be very revealing. learning are Margaret Donaldsons Childrens Minds (Fontana, 1984) and David Woods
How Children Think and Learn (Blackwell Publishing, 1998).
80 Chapter 3
You can learn on a stained-glass window and then when it

How children comes to a book youre ready and you can look at the pictures
and know whats happening.
respond to Tamsin (aged 8)

Tamsin was one of the children who took part in Arizpes and
picturebooks Styles research project, and she already knows not only that
you take images as seriously as words in picturebooks, but
also that you have to learn how to read them insightfully. This
is something she picked up looking at the pictures in stained-
glass windows when she went to church as a little girl. Barbara
Bader has suggested that the foremost function of the
picturebook is as an experience for a child. In the sections
that follow, we show some of the research evidence of how
children experience picturebooks.
Of course, we can never know all the subtle effects
picturebooks have on children because a child doesnt have
the language skills to convey them and, indeed, some aspects
of a visual experience cannot be conveyed verbally. And the
younger the child, the harder it is for them to express the
nature of their response. In the research that led to Children
Reading Pictures, in addition to answering interview questions
the children were given the opportunity to look at the same
book several times and each session ended with a free-rolling
discussion among those of the same age group. The further
invitation to the children to draw in response to the picturebooks
(with no time limit) offered a chance to get as close as possible
to their understanding of the texts, which they often could not
articulate. Frequently, more was learnt from the drawings and
open-ended discussions than from the formal interviews.
The 100 children in the sample were aged four to eleven,
and represented fluent readers, children who had just started
to read independently and those who were struggling with
print. Their real names are not given in any part of this chapter
but the quotations are verbatim. What comes across strongly
is the childrens sheer excitement and pleasure, and their
willingness to engage with the challenges picturebooks offer.
As Kathy (aged 6) put it: A good storys got to have a problem
and the problems in the pictures. Kathy is probably also
referring to the fact that the text in many picturebooks is
straightforward enough, but the complications are presented
in the pictures (see Counterpoint and duet, pp. 9496).
Responding to wordimage interaction

There is a sort of love affair between very young readers and their
picturebooks, especially before they can read print. Amy (aged
5) said: I always remember pictures. I sometimes forget words.
Older children can discriminate between the different
functions of words and pictures. Below are some of the replies
children in the project gave to the following questions:
Do you find the words or the pictures more interesting?
Do they tell the same story in different ways?
Would the words still be good without the pictures?
Would the pictures still be good without the words?
if it was just writing you wouldnt really feel like you were
in there because there was nothing to show you what it was
really like. OK, you could use your imagination, but if you want
to know what the girls point of view is youd have to have
pictures to see.
Tamsin (aged 8) (our emphasis)
Some books are better without the pictures because then you Heres Polly (aged 5) talking to herself as she draws.
can make up your own thing, but I think this is better with Ill just switch my brain on thats the house in the distance
pictures the words need the pictures more than the thats why its really small Now here I am going to use
pictures need the words. another green. Isnt grass two different shades of green?
Keith (aged 10) (our emphasis) This is a lime shade of green
Well I couldnt really choose between words and pictures
because the illustrations are excellent and the words he uses Reading body language
just capture your imagination and then if he didnt have any Even the youngest children are good at reading body language,
pictures you could still understand because the words he uses something they probably learn from cartoons on television.
describes it very well. Some ten-year-olds responded sympathetically to the emotive
Gemma (aged 9) image of an orangutan crouching miserably in a corner in Zoo.
The writing doesnt explain everything what you think about I [Interviewer]: How do you think the orangutan is feeling?
So I like the pictures better because then you can think E (aged 7): Very sad.
more stuff. I: What makes you say that?
Lara (aged 10) (our emphasis) E: Well, if hes not showing his face then it might be because
the pictures seem to bring out the story. hes sad and he just doesnt feel like it he hasnt got
Sue (aged 11) anything around him. Like the elephant, no natural habitat.
S (aged 10): He is sort of similar to a human, he should be
treated like a human.
Analysing colour for significance L (aged 11): Because he looks like hes got hair coming
Children are appreciative of illustrators and often try to work down really long hair.
out how they achieve their effects and what these effects T (aged 11): And it has got grey hairs like an old person.
signify. Young readers are especially sensitive to colour and S: He looks like hes got his hair in a bun at the top and like
tone, and seem to analyse its significance quite naturally. Note
the serious attention children pay to every aspect of pictures Reading visual metaphors
that intrigue them. Heres Seamus connecting darkness with
fear in Lily Takes a Walk, followed by three children who make While children enjoy a good story, most look for more than that
careful judgements based on colour analogy. in a picturebook. So it is not surprising that, when faced with
complex multimodal texts, they puzzle over what the pictures
Erm, its getting dark, so I think [Nickys] a bit worried so hes might symbolize or how words and images together construct
going to look around and make sure nothing tries to snatch meaning. Without knowing the vocabulary, or understanding
him or anything. See, because at the beginning its broad terms such as visual metaphor, they nonetheless interpret
daylight and shes out for the whole day. If you turn the pages visual symbols, sometimes with extraordinary aplomb. In the
it gets darker and darker and darker I like the way hes done first example below, a five-year-old understands the symbolic
the colours, and made them really blue and swirly colours and significance of the fact that, in the final endpaper of The Tunnel,
its a bit black. the ball (which represents the older brother) and the book
Seamus (aged 7) (which represents his sister) are positioned together, representing
Cause the way the shades done on that, its lighter then it gets a new harmony between the fighting siblings.
darker, cause the sun is on part of the roof, it makes this part I [Interviewer]: Why do you think the ball and the book are
dark and this part light and how its not just like flat. I think together on the final page?
its really wonderful the way theyve done the shadow S (aged 5): Because now the ball and the book can cuddle.
Tamsin (aged 8)
Matt (aged 8) knows that the piece of piping on the ground
M (aged 10): She probably feels sorry for the animals. between the brother and sister in The Tunnel refers to the
I [Interviewer]: So how do the colours signal that? hostility between them. Ruth (aged 8) shows emotional literacy
M: Cos shes wearing that black and dark dull and by recognizing the close bond between the siblings in the
dark colours. story, even though they fight a lot:
I: Right. So you wear black for funerals. And what do black
and purple represent? You can see the brother dont want her near, because you can
M: Sad and sorryness. see the pole and he dont want his sister to cross it. Like me and
my sister. We dont actually get along very much, because we
I like how hes mixed them colours up. Like theres light green, fight a lot. Well when shes upset, I really, well I dont feel good.
then a little darker then really dark and then lighter again. Hes
mixed all the colours up together to make them look like
theyre from the sunlight as its shining on the curtains and you
Looking and thinking
can see the shadows as well After reading Zoo, many of the children commented that it
Louise (aged 6) made them think. Brownes theme of captivity and freedom
emphasizes the relationship between human beings and
Unfortunately, there is no space to show children drawing in
animals, often to the detriment of the former, but this is never
response to picturebooks, but there is plenty of evidence to
mentioned in the written text. It has to be inferred from the
reveal how their imaginations were fired by what they read.
illustrations and through the ironic juxtaposition of word and
82 Chapter 3
image. As Sue (aged 10) remarked: The people are acting like night sky with two wild geese flying into the unknown. Dan
animals or what we think animals act like. (aged 7) gave an emotional response:
He doesnt just want to say the animals want to be free blah, D: Hes in a cage and been sad and all that lot. On the little
blah, blah. He leaves you to find it out a bit better makes picture there is hardly any [border] but then on the big pictures
you keep thinking about things. [of animals] there is a big black outline round the pictures on
Erin (aged 7) (our emphasis) this page it hasnt got a border at all, so it looks like hes an
animal and hes also free.
The most powerful image in Zoo is a gorilla with a soulful,
I [Interviewer]: Do you think the boy was feeling bad about the
intelligent gaze who is depicted in four rectangles that make up
visit to the zoo?
the shape of a cross. As Yu (aged 4) put it: Hes got like a
D: Yeah, and sometimes when your worst dreams, you like cry
grandpas eyes. None of the children recognized the religious
in the middle of the night and all that lot I like this page
iconography in their first few readings of the book but all of
because its all black, dark and all that lot. And then birds come
them, even the four- and five-year-olds, saw it eventually. This
along and fly away. And its nice and peaceful in the dark
demonstrates the value of rereading picturebooks. Indeed,
both authors of this book believe you have to examine a
complex picturebook at least half a dozen times before you Rising to the challenges offered
begin to make inroads into its possibilities. by picturebooks
The final spread of Zoo features the young narrator looking
We have tried to show the purposeful way children approach
thoughtful for the first time in the book. Browne depicts him
picturebooks. They love to be amused, but they also want to
silhouetted against the bars of a cage on the verso page,
be challenged. We have seen children sit for more than an hour
making an ambiguous connection between human beings and
with a picturebook in single-minded pursuit of its essence. The
captivity. On the recto the architect-designed zoo buildings are
best illustrators are those who respect their young readers and
set against a beautiful but perhaps threatening purple/blue
never sell them short.
Opposite: Children seem to understand Below: Lauren Childs Whos Afraid of

the use of visual metaphor in Anthony the Big Bad Book? gives children a riot
Brownes The Tunnel quite easily. of wordimage fusion and the occasional
mise en abyme on which to muse.
84 Chapter 3
Below: Children read Steve Johnsons

illustrations to Jon Scieszkas The Frog
Prince Continued in various ways, but
the visual clues augment the general
feeling of ennui.
E (aged 7): I really love his books (Browne). interpret visual codes. For example, when children see drooping
I [Interviewer]: I want to know why you say that. flowers in cartoons they soon realize this means that things are
E: Well he doesnt just say, Ill just write a story he actually not good for the protagonists. Here two five-year-olds discuss
thinks about it. Or he plans it ahead and then he does really with Kate Noble (in her unpublished doctoral study) the
good pictures and the pictures tell a different story, the same opening spread of The Frog Prince Continued (Puffin, 1994)
story only in a different way. where the prince and princess both look thoroughly miserable.
P (aged 7): I look carefully and I see what may be the problem
I [Interviewer]: The flowers are unhappy!
because you see the dog notices things and the girl isnt
Kate: How do you know the flowers are unhappy?
noticing, so then I split the book into half and I see what Lilys
T: Because theyre drooping.
seeing and I will look at the dog and see what hes doing.
K: Why are the flowers drooping?
I: So you get sort of one side and then the other side?
T: Because they havent any water.
P: And try and put them together.
I: And no sunlight.
When you are little things scare you more than when youre T: They have got sunlight. It is light in there [points].
bigger When you are little sometimes your imagination just K: But not enough.
wanders and then when you are older you can tell things look I: Yeah, thats what I mean. Not enough.
like that or not K: OK. Why do you think the artist has put the flowers
Angus (aged 9) drooping?
I: Because he thought that cos they were unhappy theyd
The rest of this chapter looks at evidence from other research
forgotten about the flowers.
projects connected with the authors of children interacting
with picturebooks.
Affective responses to picturebooks
Looking and learning Children sometimes make strong emotional bonds with the
authors of the books they love. This lively piece of transcript
Picturebooks engage minds as well as hearts, and make
discussion provides evidence of a group of children aged
cognitive demands on the reader. The most challenging books
seven and eight acting out, as well as reacting with delight,
make children think in new ways which they often find deeply
to Whos Afraid of the Big Bad Book?6
absorbing. In the examples that follow, provided by Louiza
Mallouri, then a student on the Cambridge Faculty of Education L [Louiza]: Who is that?
masters course on childrens literature, young readers of Whos C: Herb.
Afraid of the Big Bad Book? (Lauren Child, Hodder, 2003) D: No! No! Its Goldilocks!
speculate about the picture within a picture where the central [All laughing]
character, Herb, holds a copy of the book with himself on D: [pretending to be Herb trapped in Goldilocks body] Oh my
the cover. goodness, look at my hair!
[All laughing]
E (aged 7): Thats quite funny because hes on a book and he
L: What is she doing here?
is in a book and he is in a book (pointing to the picture of Herb
C: Shes writing. Shes writing.
in the book on the cover). And so he is in a book and it goes
D: I cant stand my hair, please send a hairdresser!
on forever cos hes reading the book we are reading.
[All laughing]
D (aged 8): Its funny because we are reading it now and hes C: Shes writing because she wants to be the best star.
reading it there except in this book, Herb is in it and when he The divinely
is reading it right now he is not in it E: I love Lauren Child! [takes the book and kisses it]
[All laughing]
Children today grow up in a highly visual world, and quickly
D: If pictures are real and people can jump out of books
overtake their parents in their ability to master new multimodal
E: Yeah, that would be so cool! And they will come alive And
technologies. In most cases, they encounter moving images
then imagine it happen Imagine!
as early as, if not earlier than, books and easily learn how to
6
A longer extract from Louiza Mallouris M.Phil essay can be found in Postmodern
Picturebooks. Sipe & Pantaleo, 2008.
86 Chapter 3
Conclusion
Mention has already been made about the picturebooks key
function as the first literature most children experience, usually
in the guise of a narrative that combines word and image.
Jean-Paul Sartre, the existentialist French philosopher, once
said childhood decides everything, and it is important that a
wide range of challenging, inventively illustrated picturebooks
features strongly in childrens early reading diet. But we have
also shown that picturebooks are for all ages, and there are
plenty of excellent examples to tempt, excite and challenge
readers of eight years and above. The picturebook is also
the main vehicle through which children are introduced to art,
so parents and teachers will want to ensure they are given
examples by the finest illustrators. This chapter has demonstrated
how reading picturebooks can encourage children to think
deeply. It has also shown how picturebooks can provide a safe
space in which children can explore emotional relationships,
including some of the big issues of life love, divorce, death,
violence, bullying, environmental issues and so on. There is
no topic so taboo or taxing that it has not been tackled in a
picturebook. We need to value this extraordinary visual literature
that gives so much pleasure to children, yet makes demands
on, and contributes so positively to, their cognitive, emotional,
aesthetic and intellectual development. After all, as Perry
Nodelman put it in Words about Pictures (University of Georgia
Press, 1990), good picturebooks offer us what all good art
offers us: greater consciousness the opportunity to be
more human.
Chapter 4
88 Chapter 4
Below: In Come Away from the Water,

Shirley, John Burningham creates a
structure for two worlds. The prosaic
comments of the parents on one side of
each spread are offset by full-bleed
visual representations of the childs vivid
imagination on the facing page.
Word and Image, Word as Image 89
I
n most contexts, illustration provides a visual accompaniment not be a success. On the other hand, the written text may be
to words, a prompt or aid to the imagination that aims to superb but if the pictures are bland the overall effect will be
augment the overall experience of a book. But in the case mediocre. The very best illustrators Maurice Sendak is a good
of picturebooks, words and pictures combine to deliver the example create memorable picturebooks where the words
overall meaning of the book; neither of them necessarily makes and pictures connect brilliantly. A few very talented picturebook
much sense on its own but they work in unison. And the most writers, such as Martin Waddell, Jon Scieszka and Chris Raschka
satisfying picturebooks create a dynamic relationship between (an illustrator who, like an increasing number of artists, also
words and pictures. Often this duality can be in the form of a writes stories for others to illustrate) have collaborated with
playful dance, where images and words can appear to flirt illustrators to produce picturebooks that deliver a satisfying
with and contradict each other. Increasingly, the boundaries interplay between the two forms of visual text.
between word and image are being challenged, as the words
themselves become pictorial elements and the outcome as a
whole is visual text. In the last few decades, the potential for
creative exploration of this relationship has been recognized and
exploited by picturebook makers in increasingly sophisticated
ways, and is also appreciated by a rising number of critics and
theorists interested in complex picturebooks.
As scholars, artists and children alike have discovered, the
nature of the relationship between word and image clearly lies
at the heart of what makes a picturebook good, bad or indifferent.
Fabulous artwork can be admired, but if the words dont interact
with the pictures in interesting ways the book as a whole will
90 Chapter 4
Academic theorists analyse aspects of picturebooks and visual

Theorizing literacy from a range of perspectives. Their studies over the last
30 years have looked at and recognized not only the dynamic
picturebooks relationship between word and image in childrens picturebooks,

but also the importance of visual design and the multiplicity of
meanings offered by the genre. Below is a brief survey of some
of the approaches of influential scholars in the field.
Perry Nodelman and Margaret Meek wrote seminal books
that have changed our understanding of how picturebooks
achieve their effects: Words About Pictures (University of
Georgia Press, 1990) and How Texts Teach What Readers
Learn (Thimble Press, 1988) respectively. Nodelman argued
that placing words and pictures into relationship with each
other inevitably changes the meaning of both, so that they
are more than just a sum of their parts. He believed it was the
unique rhythm of pictures and words working together that
distinguishes picturebooks from all other forms of both visual
and verbal art. He also claimed that words can make
pictures into rich narrative resources but only because they
communicate so differently from pictures that they change the
meaning of pictures. For the same reason, also, pictures can
change the narrative thrust of words.
As the title of her book makes clear, Meeks focus was
about the way that quality picturebooks subtly teach children
the rules of narrative; in particular, she pointed out that a
picturebook is an icon to be contemplated, narrated, explicated
by the viewer the story happenings are in the pictures which
form the polysemic text. Since then many artists and scholars
have tried to describe the interaction between words and
pictures in different ways using various metaphors. Allan Ahlberg
talks of interweaving for the word and image relationship:
You can come out of the words and into the pictures and you
get this nice kind of antiphonal fugue effect1 while Meek
herself uses interanimate to suggest the dynamic way words
and images work together.
In Looking at Pictures in Picture Books (Thimble Press,
1993), Jane Doonans focus is on the aesthetic, as she
analyses form, line and artists particular styles of illustration. young readers. Postmodern Picturebooks: Play, Parody, and
She points out that every mark displayed in a picture is a Self-Referentiality (Routledge, 2008) which they edited
carrier of meaning, beginning with the chosen material or together, offers examples of some of the foremost international
medium and how the mark is made. Her insightful analysis of scholars, themselves included, who are working in this
pictures in picturebooks draws on both a deep understanding exciting genre. In this volume, Margaret Mackey, the renowned
of the artistic process and knowledge of young learners, in her and prolific Canadian scholar of visual texts, demonstrates
case secondary school pupils. She also makes the important how exciting postmodern picturebooks such as those by Chris
point that, Once a child discovers how much there is to be Van Allsburg, Sara Fanelli, Emily Gravett, Peter Sis, Lane Smith,
made from looking into pictures, reading a picturebook Colin Thompson and David Wiesner interrogate the static
becomes wonderfully taxing something the previous chapter qualities of the picturebook demanding a multi-constructed
attempted to exemplify. reading stance and help to create a plasticity of mind that is
One of the earliest influential articles on picturebook codes also honed on other textual forms. Here Mackey is referring to
was by William Moebius who in 1986 drew readers attention the fact that picturebooks have to compete in a market that
to elements of design and expression, including colour, brims with sophisticated high-tech films and games. She
perspective, position, size, frame and line. Later, in Reading believes that when other dynamic texts are so seductively
Images: The Grammar of Visual Design (Routledge, 1996), available, knowing that books can also play lively and
Gunther Kress and Theo Van Leeuwen applied a detailed entertaining postmodern games is a lesson that cannot be
semiotic analysis to picturebooks, showing that there is a learned too young.
grammar to visual design. One simple example is that the
1
verso side of most picturebook spreads deals with the known Quoted in David Lewis, Reading Contemporary Picturebooks. Routledge, 2001.
2
Perry Nodelman, Illustration and Picturebooks in Peter Hunt, International
whereas the recto favours new information, thereby Companion Encyclopedia of Childrens Literature. Routledge, 2004.
encouraging the reader to turn the page. Nodelman also
emphasizes the importance of semiotic analysis: Making
ourselves and our children more conscious of the semiotics of
the picturebooks through which we show them their world and
themselves will allow us to give them the power to negotiate
their own subjectivities2 David Lewis provides a useful
summary of Nodelmans and Kress and Van Leeuwens
approaches in Reading Contemporary Picturebooks
(Routledge, 2001). In this volume, he also makes some
reference to how children respond to visual texts, as well as
showing the complexity of this art form and different ways of
examining it.
Both Sylvia Pantaleo (University of Victoria) and Lawrence
Sipe (University of Pennsylvania) have considered the potential
of sophisticated picturebooks in numerous individual books
and articles which often also take account of the responses of
92 Chapter 4
After this brief look at some of the key theories surrounding

Word and image word and image interplay, it is time to examine some outstanding
picturebooks, starting with several examples that are artfully
interplay simple and satisfying. The work of two further important critics,
Maria Nikolajeva and Carole Scott, is discussed in this context.
Filling in the gaps

In How Picturebooks Work (Routledge, 2000) Nikolajeva and
Scott use the term complementary for picturebooks where
the images reflect and expand what is in the written text or
where each fills the others gaps. This is much harder to do
than it looks, with the best leaving room for readers to make
their own interpretations. Many popular and highly regarded
series are complementary picturebooks: Beatrix Potters The
Tale of Peter Rabbit (Warne, 1902) and the many wonderful
books that followed; the enchanting Frog and Toad stories by
Arnold Lobel (HarperCollins, 1970); the gentle honesty of the
Frances books by Russell and Lillian Hoban; and the tender
Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice
Sendak (HarperCollins, 195768). Old and young readers alike
have been dazzled with the sheer inventiveness of the Jolly
Postman series by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Puffin, 198695)
which, as well as being extremely funny and wonderfully creative
in paper-engineering terms, plays with a wide variety of literacy
artefacts (from advertisements to circulars and birthday cards),
thereby familiarizing children with the way our culture works.
Below and right: Martin Waddell

originally wrote a much longer text for
this key spread in Owl Babies, where the
tension is released as the mother returns
to her chicks. In conversation with the
authors of this book he revealed that,
They were the best lines I ever wrote,
but when I saw the image, I knew they
were redundant.
Much-loved, and often award-winning, individual and its the little details Big Bears sporting trophies on the
picturebooks by the Ahlbergs and hugely talented illustrators mantelpiece, the photograph of his younger self hanging on
are not always easy to categorize but they certainly involve the wall that make the books so enjoyable for old and young
words and pictures enhancing each other. In Eric Carles The readers alike. The language is repetitive and easy for children
Very Hungry Caterpillar (World Publishing Company, 1969), for to anticipate, which is important in the early stages of reading,
example, we can admire the colourful artwork that works so the artwork is gently traditional and the overall effect leaves a
well with the delightful story, so beautifully crafted to engage warm, reassuring glow.
young children. It was also one of the earliest examples of the Unfortunately, there is not space here to discuss the work
inventive use of design and layout. The Very Hungry Caterpillar of many other outstanding illustrators who deserve mention in
is now almost an industry in its own right; its huge sales over this context Michael Foreman, Mick Inkpen, Colin McNaughton,
40 years no doubt helped to enable the illustrator to set up Jan Pienkowski and Nick Sharratt all fall into this category. In
the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst. their picturebooks, word and image work together creatively to
Writer Martin Waddell has collaborated successfully with a form a composite text, each enriching, expanding and enhancing
number of illustrators because of his particular sensitivity to the the other. There are also edgier picturebooks that demand
nature of pictorial text: for example, Owl Babies (Walker Books, more of the reader and sometimes present the world in an
1992) with Patrick Benson, and the Cant You Sleep, Little uncomfortable or confusing way.
Bear? series (Walker Books from 1994) with Barbara Firth. Some apparently simple picturebooks offer multiple
Waddell has talked about having to cut and change his original interpretations. For example, less experienced readers can
text in response to Bensons exceptional artwork and inspired enjoy Ruth Browns Our Cat Flossie (Dutton, 1986) as a funny
vision in Owl Babies. The choices must have been the right story about a cat getting in the way of adults, while a more
ones as this picturebook quickly took on classic status with mature audience might notice the delicious exercise in irony.
critics and children alike. The words tackle the timeless theme Helen Coopers Kate Greenaway Medal-winning The Baby Who
of separation anxiety in children with great warmth and Wouldnt Go to Bed (Doubleday, 1996) explores with honesty,
simplicity while Bensons wonderfully textured, haunting tenderness and psychological realism a wilful omnipotent
nightscapes and appealing depiction of baby owls perfectly infant in conflict with its mother. Here a straightforward text is
mirror, and add depth to, the narrative. Similarly, in the Little accompanied by rich, strange, almost surreal imagery.
Bear series, words and pictures enhance each other beautifully Interestingly, this very picturebook is a favourite with many
94 Chapter 4
young children, which is perhaps not so surprising as reliable respected fantasy author, talks about counterpoint as the
mother love is at the heart of the book. potential possessed by words and pictures in combination to
Motherchild conflict is also the starting point for Maurice show different things happening at the same time.4
Sendaks Where the Wild Things Are (see p. 38), a picturebook A picturebook that demonstrates counterpoint in action is
that is the very model of excellence in wordpicture interaction. Pat Hutchins Rosies Walk (HarperCollins, 1968), one of the
The text is spare, concise, poetic. At the most powerful moment first picturebooks to fully subvert the relationship between the
of action in the book, when fury and imagination merge, the seen and the heard. The secret lies in what the words dont
words retreat so that three dynamic spreads are nothing but say as the fox is never mentioned in the written text which
pictures. However, when our hero, Max, returns home, anger comprises a single sentence about Rosie, a confident little hen,
spent, to where someone loved him best of all, and his taking a walk across the yard, around the pond, etc., then
forbidden supper still awaits him, the closing words that signal coming safely home. The fun comes from the fact that the fox,
that love transcends disagreements and it was still hot of whom Rosie appears to be unaware, has one misadventure
make their impact against a white page. One of the reasons after another as he chases after her. The book never fails to
this book is a work of genius is because of the subtlety and elicit pantomime squeals of Behind you! in young children as
vigour between word and image throughout. they try to alert the hen to the danger. The reader never knows
whether Rosie is very cool, very stupid or just plain lucky, but
Counterpoint and duet picturebooks like these provoke young readers to be actively
involved in making meaning as they fill the gaps in for themselves.
Maria Nikolajeva and Carole Scott use the term counterpoint They may also provide childrens first taste of irony in literature.
when words and pictures tell different stories and provide Satoshi Kitamuras Lily Takes a Walk (Corgi, 1987) is
alternative information or contradict each other in some way, another good example of this duet. Lily takes a happy stroll
resulting in several possible readings.3 Philip Pullman, who is through city streets, blithely unaware of all the menacing
an expert on comics and graphic novels, as well as a well- terrors witnessed by her dog. Whenever he spies something
dangerous, Lily is always looking the other way. The written sometimes go nowhere such as questions that have no
text is entirely from Lilys point of view but the reader sees what answers. For example, the pink embarrassed face of the
the dog is seeing in the pictures (see pp. 7879). A much more little girl who has clearly made some sexual remark or sign
extreme case in point is David McKees I Hate My Teddy Bear, accompanies the comment I didnt know teddy was another
which perplexes many adults as well as children with its surreal little girl. Even more shocking is the yawning gap between the
and strange pictures that have little apparent relationship to the two characters, who turn their backs painfully on one another
written text. with the words That was not a nice thing to say to Granpa.
John Burninghams Shirley books are also typical of Every reader, and that includes every child reader, has been
counterpoint; the faint bleached verso pictures feature verbally unkind and most know how horrible it feels to have
conventional parental concerns be careful, dont do hurt someone. Burningham is the master of less is more.
while the much more colourful recto reveals glorious adventures Burningham uses devices like sepia drawings and muted
in the childs imagination. Burninghams classic, Granpa colours to suggest that granpa is becoming a bit fragile and
(Jonathan Cape, 1984), is also outstanding in the way he is thinking about the past, even when his granddaughter is
juxtaposes words and pictures. In this case, as in many of demanding his attention in the present and, indeed, looking
his picturebooks, the written text is based on conversation to the future. Occasionally, at most, the words hint at a change
between the protagonists, the words of each character being of status between the two, as when the little girl says You
represented in different typefaces. But its not quite that simple. nearly slipped then, Granpa, and gives him a supporting hand.
Long before postmodernism was discussed in terms of Most powerful of all is the final spread where the little girl,
picturebooks, Burningham was turning conventions upside whose body posture is one of dejection, looks across at granpas
down and leaving tantalizing gaps for the reader to fill. In empty chair. Burningham leaves the reader to respond to the
Granpa, and in many of his other picturebooks, the grandfather
3
and granddaughter dont have an actual dialogue; instead, Maria Nikolajeva and Carole Scott, How Picturebooks Work. Routledge, 2000.
4
David Lewis, Reading Contemporary Picturebooks. Routledge, 2001.
the words are made up of those scraps of conversation that
Opposite: Pat Hutchins Rosies Walk Below: David McKees I Hate My

delights children with its use of the Teddy Bear creates surreal visual
pantomime tradition. The central landscapes with disparities of scale
character is oblivious to the unseen to disturb the readers expectations
foxs thwarted pursuit. of wordimage relationships.
96 Chapter 4
image and interpret whether granpa has died or not. Children Below: John Burninghams Granpa is
visual literature at its best. Never afraid of
often come up with alternative explanations for his ambiguity, the author leaves room for the
disappearance as they dont want to face the inevitability of reader to fill in large gaps between word
death. Such picturebooks allow young readers that licence. and image.
Most of these picturebooks offer young readers a chance

to feel a bit bigger, older and wiser than the protagonists. Books
such as these paved the way for the kind of postmodern
picturebooks that are becoming familiar today, and which are
rapidly defining themselves as an important new area of the
visual arts. Chris Van Allsburg, Raymond Briggs, Emily Gravett,
Peter Sis, Colin Thompson and David Wiesner are excellent
exponents of postmodern picturebooks.5
5
We have refrained from mentioning those whose individual books are considered
elsewhere in this volume.
As we have shown, all challenging picturebooks make readers

Wordless work hard (though its enjoyable toil) at filling in the gaps
between the words and pictures to construct meaning. The
books and wordless variety require young readers to create the text for
themselves, providing what Anne Rowe calls voices off: The
events may seem to tell themselves but they are given voice by
graphic novels a reader/narrator. She goes on to point out that the narrator
(illustrator) who directs the telling appears invisible and is
supplemented by the readers re-creation of the implied text.6
We begin, therefore, by disabusing readers of any preconceived
ideas about these books being simple or even completely
wordless as they all have titles. Many of the best of this genre
are extremely complex and sophisticated. Quentin Blakes
Clown (Jonathan Cape, 1995) is a good example, as many
careful readings are required to make sense of this painful
and tender story. Even wordless picturebooks for a young age,
such as Jan Ormerods Sunshine (Kestrel, 1981) and Moonlight
(Harmondsworth, 1982), and Monique Flixs Little Mouse
books (Moonlight Publishing, various dates), require assiduous
6
From Styles, Bearne & Watson, Voices Off. Cassell, 1996.
Right: Wordless picturebooks require

detailed planning, as the author
becomes director, stage manager and
actor in a theatrical production. This
sequence is from Quentin Blakes Clown.
98 Chapter 4
observation to understand what is happening and to get all the In Um Dia Na Praia (A Day at the Beach, Planeta Tangerina,
jokes. Raymond Briggs The Snowman (Hamish Hamilton, 1978) 2008) Bernardo Carvalho also plays wordless visual tricks by
is now a classic animation but it started life as an exquisitely using simple, toneless flat colours and the sophisticated
told visual story for six-year-olds and younger which, for all its handling of space to give visual clues in almost pictogram form
tremendous vitality and fun, is about the inevitability of loss. taking the viewers eyes and mind on a journey full of surprises
Shirley Hughes Up and Up (The Bodley Head, 1979) is a tour and aesthetic harmony. Wordless picturebooks are emerging
de force that requires painstaking attention on the part of the as an increasingly common form of visual literature and, of
reader to pick up all the threads. course, have the great benefit of being universally readable.
Serious issues as well as fun are frequently tackled in The growth in interest in graphic novels in recent years has
wordless books. Jeannie Bakers Window (Julia MacRae, 1991) had considerable impact on childrens picturebooks. In some
was one of the first picturebooks to tackle the destruction of the instances, the boundaries between these and sequential comic
environment head-on without using a single word. Istvan strip art have become blurred: the use of multiple framed
Banyai, Philippe Dupasquier, Peter Collington, David Wiesner images and speech bubbles for four- to seven-year-olds is
and, of course, Mitsumasa Anno are other great exponents of increasingly commonplace. Shaun Tans The Arrival (Lothian,
this genre. Banyai in particular has taken the wordless book 2007) has been particularly influential as it is wordless, sequential
to new levels with his ability to subvert the very nature of the and difficult to pin down in terms of target audience. Such
image as a two-dimensional representation of three-dimensional crossover books can cause problems for booksellers, who are
form. In Zoom (Viking, 1995), he plays with our inherent often confused about where to place them. Tan himself states
assumptions when reading visual text by cleverly setting up that such considerations cannot be uppermost in the artists
expectations before undermining and disturbing them. mind when making a book:
Left and opposite: In Um Dia Na Praia

flat colour without line is used with
careful attention to the placement of
every element in order to develop a
wordless text. The very simple shapes
need to carry the entire weight of a
subtle pictorial narrative.
It often doesnt set out to appeal to a predefined audience but

rather to build one for itself. The artists responsibility lies first
and foremost with the work itself, trusting that it will invite the
attention of others by the force of its conviction.7
A more mainstream, but nonetheless original, example is
Jason Chapmans Stan and Mabel (Templar, 2010). Chapman,
who combines book-making with a role as artist in residence at
the Battersea Dogs Home in London, uses a melange of sequential
structures to create a hybrid of road movie and picturebook.
7
http://www.shauntan.net/essay1.html
100 Chapter 4
Pictorial
The blurring of boundaries between text as the representation
of something visual and text as a pictorial element in itself is
not new. Lewis Carrolls The Mouses Tale has been described
text as the first concrete poem; the text exists in the shape of a tail
and plays on the tale/tail spelling. In other words, it is formatted
to visually resemble its theme. El Lissitzkys use of letterforms
as characters is another well-known example.
In Art and Text (Black Dog, 2009) Will Hill writes:
To give text a pictorial form reveals complex contradictions
between visual representation and linguistic description, and
reminds us that language is a fragile and illogical construct,
bound to its subject by cultural compact alone. While we take
for granted the equivalence between the word and its subject,
they are not linked by any actual resemblance, but only by the
shared perception of meaning inherent in language.
Hill also quotes Stefan Themerson who, in collaboration
with his artist wife Franciszka, wrote and published a number
of influential picturebooks from the 1940s:
Language is one species of the genus sign and pictorial
representations are another species of the same genus. These
two species can be wedded to one another. They can be
wedded, either politely and comfortably (as when an illustration
is wedded to a text or a caption to a drawing) or they can start
an illicit liaison, so intimately integrated that one doesnt know
anymore who is the bride and who is the bridegroom.
As the merging of pictorial and verbal text has become
increasingly commonplace, more and more artists have taken
control of the overall design of the page. Hand-lettering has
become more common, even though this presents problems
for publishers in terms of printing foreign language co-editions
(traditionally, it has been a rule of thumb that picturebook text
is black so that only this colour is reprinted in foreign language
editions, thereby saving costs).
An example of the new wave of picturebook makers is
Oliver Jeffers. Originally from Northern Ireland, Jeffers is now
based in Brooklyn, New York. His understanding of the creative
potential of the picturebook is particularly acute. His books
have become increasingly sophisticated yet are always entirely
accessible. This is at least partly because of his particular
sensitivity to wordimage interplay. Speaking about his work,8
he stressed the fact that the relationship between word and
Above: Lewis Carrolls The Mouses Tale image is central to his work in its various contexts, including
is an early example of text taking the
visual form of that which it describes or
paintings for exhibition in art galleries.
alludes to.
I dont call myself a picturebook writer or illustrator. I use the
term picturebook maker. When writer and illustrator are
different people, I suppose texts are given to the artist in a fully
formed state. But I do both and the two will evolve together.
Sometimes the pictures can inform the words rather than the
other way around. Often its easier for me to not say something
in words. I show it rather than say it.
In recent books such as The Great Paper Caper and The
Heart and the Bottle (HarperCollins, 2008 and 2010 respectively),
Jeffers has increasingly experimented with structure. By his own
admission, The Great Paper Caper owes something to the TV
detective Columbo in that it turns the traditional whodunnit on
its head by revealing the guilty party at the outset. Thereafter,
we follow the various characters affected by the crime in their
efforts to identify the perpetrator. Jeffers masterly use of
pictorial space is another key to the books success. Superficially, Below: Stefan and Franciszka Themerson
were influential writers, thinkers, artists
his oeuvre as a gallery artist may seem to be very different from and film-makers who published books
his book work. In fact, concerns with spatial relationships and through their Gaberbocchus Press.
the ways word and image interact are central to both strands Stefans pertinent observations on the
potential relationships between word and
of his work but are articulated differently. image were ahead of their time. My First
The following case studies look at contemporary artists Nursery Book has recently been reissued
who are at the cutting edge of the art of picturebook-making. by Tate Publishing (London, 2008).
For all of them, the interplay between word and image is

central to their creative practice.
8
In conversation with Martin Salisbury, Association of Illustrators Forum, March 2010.
102 Chapter 4
Left and below: The Heart and the

Bottle by Oliver Jeffers. The interplay
between word and image plays a key
role in Jeffers output as both
picturebook maker and gallery artist.
Left and below: Oliver Jeffers takes the

extensive textual information on the
copyright page of The Great Paper
Caper and forms it into a tree motif in
keeping with the theme of the book,
blurring the boundaries between text
and image.
104 Chapter 4
Professional case study: Author and illustrator collaboration An interesting aspect of the ongoing collaborations between
Vladimir Radunsky and Chris Raschka is that they are both
Vladimir artists and they are both writers. The traditional concept of
writers coming up with ideas and illustrators visualizing them
Radunsky and does not apply here. This is a genuine meeting of minds where
projects emerge and evolve with fluctuating creative dynamics.
In the 1970s, Radunsky studied at the Moscow Architectural
Chris Raschka Institute, one of the descendants of the legendary Vkhutemas
studios set up by Lenin in the 1920s to prepare master artists
Hip Hop Dog of the highest qualifications for industry, and builders and
managers for professional-technical education. He says his
education was of a very classical nature: six years of formal
drawing, painting and architecture. This, he feels, was an
important foundation for him creatively.
I have never felt restricted or locked in by this rigorous
training. I never felt This is what Im going to do for the rest
of my life. I still think architecture is the best training in the
creative arts. But at that time in Russia, I couldnt see any
future for myself as an architect. It was the time of the paper
architects, such as Alexander Brodsky, when the best
architectural work existed only on paper. All of the graduates
pursued anything but architecture music, design, etc.
Radunsky left Russia in 1982 and worked in New York
where he designed art books, working for clients such as the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Abbeville and Marlborough Gallery.
Below and opposite: Vladimir

Radunskys swirling vortex of type and
image perfectly complements Chris
Raschkas rap text in Hip Hop Dog.
I always liked childrens books. In Russia it was an area of a book. I had the idea to do a hip hop book for children. But I
escape and relative creative freedom, free from oppression. couldnt do it. I dont have the language! It needed some space
There is a wonderful tradition of Russian illustrated books. The between real hip hop and this hip hop a different vocabulary.
collaborations of writers and artists such as Samuil Marshak So I asked Chris if he would write it. I just gave him the character
and Vladimir Lebedev, for instance. Even in Stalins time there of the dog really. I didnt want to restrict him.
were avant-garde poets and artists working in childrens books.
In Hip Hop Dog Radunsky takes Raschkas words and
I always respected this tradition but didnt get involved in
creates integrated page designs where the visual shape, weight
making books until I arrived in the US. It happened by accident
and direction of the words is as important to the page as the
really. An illustrator (Robert Rayevsky) invited me to design one
characters that share the space. The text sits on roughly cut
of his picturebooks. I became so involved in the design that I
panels, with extra weight given to the words that need to be
think I started taking over his book without realizing it. So then
emphasized to express the rhythms of the rap. Sometimes the
I started making my own books. I suppose my particular way
panels fall away gradually; sometimes they spiral into the centre
into picturebooks was one of not understanding any separation
of the page, requiring the reader to spin the book rapidly in
between word and image or between design and illustration.
order to maintain the meter of the poetry.
When I am the author, I do everything except my wife
Radunskys love of words is clear. He has also worked
translates my English into English.
with the late American Poet Laureate, Joseph Brodsky: He
The initial idea for Hip Hop Dog (HarperCollins NY, 2010) came to my studio and told me he was going to write a book
was Radunskys. Chris Raschka is a highly successful writer, for me; and has illustrated work by another of his favourite
artist and musician. The two had collaborated on a number of writers, Edward Lear, whose writing, he says makes me feel
books with great success but, rather than signing a binding like I wrote it.
deal with the publishers, they chose to make theirs an informal
arrangement, and agreed to come together when an idea
inspired them. Radunsky says:
We didnt want to be tied down. In a way, we work like
partisans. We do jam sessions together and the outcome is
106 Chapter 4
Professional case study: Designer and illustrator collaboration Pink Piglet was originally published in Polish by Wydawnictwo
Znac in 2006; the publisher of the English-language edition
Marcin was WingedChariot Press, which has attempted to introduce
a number of European picturebooks to the English-speaking
Brykcynski (text), market. The book describes Pink Piglets moment of

dissatisfaction about being Pink Piglet, and his subsequent
journey across the fields to encounter all the other animals
Joanna Olech whose identities seem infinitely preferable to his own. A final
encounter with a chameleon reassures Piglet that being pink
and Marta may not be so bad after all. Its a common theme but one that
is addressed with a particularly adventurous use of the page.
Once again, we see design and illustration merging to make
Ignerska visual text. In this instance the designer and illustrator are not
the same person, but the designers work adds meaning to
(illustration), the page and plays a crucial part in the creation of the page.
So much so that Marta Ignerska is credited as both designer
and co-illustrator.
Marta Ignerska Ignerska reassembled Joanna Olechs drawings digitally
along with the text to create pages that are teeming with
(design) movement, life and narrative meaning. The original Polish

version is a large-scale hardback edition which projects the
full impact of the sprawling sketchbook effect of the pages.
Pink Piglet WingedChariots Neal Hoskins explains that some compromises
were necessary for the English-language market:
We had to change the font from the one used in the Polish
edition but we tried to stay true to the feel of it. And where the
text appears in pink we made the colour a little more intense.
It was felt that there might be a legibility problem. The English-
language market is more used to a standard black font and
this might be too difficult to follow. Having said that, since the
book was published there has been more experimentation with
the visual side of text through people like Oliver Jeffers. We
were drawn to this book for a number of reasons, the unique
colour palette, for instance, and the unfinished look.
Ignerska also took control of the scale of the drawings:
Olech provided the raw ingredients which were then composed
and arranged at differing levels of reduction and enlargement.
It is interesting to speculate about what the results would have
been had designerartists of the 1950s and 1960s, such as Paul
Rand, had access to similar digital collage methods.
Opposite: Pink Piglet is the result of

collaboration between a number of
artists and designers, which results in a
complex fusion of word and image that
breaks free from normal conventions
about the relationship between the two.
Sketchbook character studies are
resized and reorganized to give texture
to the page.
108 Chapter 4
Student case study: Exploiting wordimage disparity No! was developed by Marta Alts about halfway through
her studies for her masters in childrens book illustration at
Marta Alts Cambridge School of Art. Having studied visual sequence in
the previous module, she was eager to experiment with the
No! picturebook format and, in particular, to explore the potential

for wordimage disparity and playful counterpoint. After toying
with a number of ideas, she settled on one that exploits the
gap in understanding between a dog and his owner. Based
on the artists own dog, the character narrates his story, and
explains to the reader his perception of the world and his place
within it. At the beginning of the sequence, he introduces
himself, Hi, Im No. Alts explains:
When I started thinking about this story, I wanted to explain
how my dog was growing up, and how he was not doing
naughty things any more. And trying to resolve the ending of
this story, I started wondering what he could be thinking about
when he was being so naughty Sometimes dogs do bad
things because they are playing, because they are angry with
us or simply because they are dogs. Then I thought it could be
funny to imagine the story from the dogs point of view, and
imagine that dogs do these things because what they really
want is to help us. While they are helping us they can hear us
Below and opposite: Images and

storyboards from Marta Alts No!
110 Chapter 4
shouting to them Dont!, No!, Get out! and so on. So I pictures and words. We are able to experience the world from
imagined that maybe they think that this is their name. And the dogs misguided viewpoint; we hear his version of events
they feel very proud helping us. while we see what the despairing owner sees. There is no
need for us to see a pictorial representation of the owner. All
In the book we know what the dog thinks from the text,
we need is to hear the voice from offstage.
while what we are seeing is an image of him being naughty.
For the picturebook maker, having a clever idea is one
This combination, the text and the image telling us different
thing, but planning it out carefully and structuring it to fit neatly
things, makes it possible to have two different points of view,
within a given number of pages (usually 32) is not easy. The
two realities the dogs and the readers at the same time.
storyboarding process is essential in order to allow the artist
This makes the book funnier because you can see this
to see how well the wordimage balance is working. The
contradiction between them. The images give more story,
drawings are often kept very basic, so that the charm and
one that is not explained by words.
vitality of the work is not left behind at this stage and also to
Throughout the 32 pages, the dog describes to the reader
ensure that the creation of final artwork does not become
the various helpful services he performs for his owners. These
simply a deadening copying process. Alts tries to draw as
include tasting their food to check it is OK, digging for treasure
directly as possible on to the finished artwork, but in doing this
in the garden, and taking the washing off the line. Accompanying
she has to be sure that the positioning of the text has been
the image of each of these activities is a speech bubble from
carefully considered before the drawings are made. All this is
out of frame containing the increasingly desperate exclamation
done at the storyboarding stage.
Nooo!.
Of course, the previous paragraph perfectly illustrates the
clunky limitations of words alone as a means of expressing the
humour of this idea. But the elegance of the outcome of the
project is achieved through carefully considered editing of
Below: Image from Marta Alts No!

Chapter 5
112 Chapter 5
Left and below: David Hughes stark,

uncompromising cover for Bully (Walker
Books, 1993) gives a clear indication
of the picturebooks theme, which is
addressed through Hughes typically
forthright graphic language.
Suitable for Children? 113
erceptions of suitable or appropriate content1 for
P
play across a wide range of publishing houses. On the one
childrens picturebooks have changed greatly over hand, edgy, highly experimental books are being published in
the years. They also vary considerably across cultures all these countries, but on the other particularly in the United
today. It is something of a paradox that, while the marketing States the conservative force of the Christian right is a
departments of many publishing houses in the West insist that countervailing influence.
picturebooks come with clearly labelled, target audience ages, The reasons for these differences are too numerous to
many artists and authors are creating crossover books (even consider here, but attitudes to, and perceptions of, childhood
these need to be named and labelled) that can appeal to are highly significant. We know that the notion of childhood is
different age groups on different levels. The picturebook as socially constructed and varies over time and across cultures.
a medium of communication for all ages is an increasingly No book is ever socially or politically neutral, and books for the
evident and welcome phenomenon, albeit one that can cause young are especially sensitive to the way a particular culture,
problems for booksellers in terms of where to place the books at a specific time, views childhood. The United States is an
on their shelves. The CJ Picture Book Festival in South Korea interesting case in point, as the ideologies of, for example,
celebrates this emerging trend and states in its publicity material: downtown New York and rural West Virginia, are poles apart
but the former has more influential publishing houses. And, of
Picture books, in the present era, enjoy a status as a culture
course, social mores vary greatly between societies. In the
form to be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a precious and
context of picturebooks, this affects the extent to which it is
versatile art that has already left the confines of paper behind,
acceptable to discuss uncomfortable subjects openly. Aesthetic
shattering the boundaries of its own genre and fusing with
sensibilities also come into play, and are influenced by each
various other forms of art and imagery.2
countrys unique historical traditions in the graphic, decorative
How do we as adults decide what is suitable for children? and fine arts.
Early childrens stories, including many fairy tales, were often The stylistic suitability of visual texts for children is an equally
extremely savage and dark in their cautionary nature. While subjective and contentious matter. Many publishers and
difficult subjects, such as death, illness, abuse and racism commentators express views about the suitability or otherwise
have been tackled in childrens literature over the last 50 years, of artworks for children, yet there is no definitive research that can
many commentators particularly in the West have increasingly tell us what kind of imagery is most appealing or communicative
come to believe that young children must be protected from to the young eye.3 The perceived wisdom is that bright, primary
all things unpleasant and dangerous, in both life and literature. colours are most effective for the very young. The difficulty is
It could be argued that this perception extends to all walks of that children of traditional picturebook age tend not to have the
life in our contemporary risk-averse culture. And although language skills to express in words what they are receiving
domestic violence, dying, sex and relationships, sadness and from an image. They can also be suggestible and prone to
war have all been explored in the pages of the picturebook, saying what they imagine adults want to hear. So, even with
some feel that childhood has become more and more the best designed research projects, the world that children
sentimentalized in certain areas of visual and verbal literature. are experiencing will inevitably remain something of a mystery
Nevertheless, there are many cultures where discussing the to us. As adults we make decisions on their behalf, even though
less cosy aspects of life (and death) in picturebooks is more we may struggle to retain the magical ability to read pictures
commonplace than it is elsewhere, along with a reluctance to that appears to come so naturally to the young.
specify a target audience age notably in Scandinavia, other This chapter looks at the varying ways some taboo subjects
parts of mainland Europe such as France, Belgium and have been approached in childrens picturebooks, with examples
Germany, and in the Far East, especially South Korea. In the from a number of different countries.
United Kingdom, however, publishers have tended to allow
1
difficult subjects only in works by more well-known authors Content refers here to both subject matter and the stylistic nature of the pictorial
texts that convey it.
such as John Burningham, David McKee and Quentin Blake 2
www.cjbook.org/english/about/introduce.php
those with a long track record of sales who are seen as 3
There has been some research into childrens preferred art styles, such as Childrens
having earned the right to make what are regarded as more Preferences in Picture Story Book Variables (Ruth Helen Amsden, 1960) and Effect of
Art Style on Childrens Picture Preferences (Inez L. Ramsey, 1982).
risky books. It is less easy to generalize about the United
States, Canada and Australia, where there are many forces at
114 Chapter 5
Left: Katje Vermeires artwork for Mare

en de Dingen (text Tine Mortier;
De Eenhoorn, 2009) sensitively explores
the subject of ageing and death.
116 Chapter 5
The Norwegian husband and wife team, artist Svein Nyhus

Violence and writer Gro Dahle, are well known for creating picturebooks
that deal with uncomfortable themes. Sinna Mann (Angry
Man, Cappelen, 2003) deals with domestic violence. A close
working relationship between author and artist allows words
and pictures to synthesize in a harrowing portrayal of the
build-up of tension in the domestic environment. The growing
anger of the father is described visually by the use of scale.
Through the pages, the father gets bigger and bigger in relation
to the mother and child. His explosive anger is reflected in
burning colours. Nyhus uses visual devices such as sharp
objects perched precariously on the edge of surfaces to give
a heightened sense of impending violence. He says of the
audience for this book:
The audience is mainly children, especially those who have
experienced domestic violence and parents with mental illness.
These childrens books may be classified as allalderlitteratur in
Norwegian, i.e. literature for all ages, a crossover genre, as
it also has a psychological and symbolic side, which is best
understood by adults. So the books have at least two levels;
the concrete what-you-see aimed at children, and a deeper
or higher meaning aimed at adults. The text is poetic and
symbolic with a lot of verbal metaphors but also contains
quotations from people with similar problems.
Right and opposite: Svein Nyhus

and Gro Dahles Sinna Mann uses
exaggerated extremes of scale and
colour to emphasize the simmering
anger of the father and the vulnerability
of the wife and child in this exploration
of domestic violence.
Asked why he feels a picturebook was the appropriate Hret til Mamma was also a job initiated by a therapist. As
medium for addressing such a topic, Nyhus says: with Sinna Mann we had free hands to write and illustrate it
like an ordinary and normal childrens book. The Norwegian
Sinna Mann was made in response to a request from a family
governments generous financial support for new quality
therapist needing a simple book about children witnessing
literature in Norwegian makes it possible to publish narrow
domestic violence to use as a conversation piece in his talks
titles without taking commercial success etc. into consideration.
with his clients, both children, women and men. I think he
This way Norwegian illustrators, writers and publishers can
initially wanted an information book that ideally should have the
experiment a little bit more than foreign colleagues may do.
potential of saving the world from all evil. We could only offer
an artistically free fiction book as we thought the educational Nyhus tends to work mainly in childrens books
twist may subdue or weaken the content and impact. So this is nowadays, but previously worked for newspapers as a
our (i.e. my wife Gro Dahles and my) way of trying to solve his caricaturist and cartoonist. Clearly, he has found a natural
challenge. The book has by no means become a sales hit, of canvas in the picturebook:
course, but it has generated a lot of reaction and even been
A picturebook is in many ways like a gallery wall to me, with
adapted into some theatrical plays and an animated film. I also
lots of space and room to fill with my illustrations. It also has
think there is a slightly provocative or sensational effect when
the qualities of a stage with scenography making it a small
combining disturbing subjects with traditionally nice and cute
universe of its own, so to speak. I have a lot of ideas and great
childrens literature. This may have helped making such serious
optimism and energy when beginning a book project, but
matters more visible in the media and the public debate.
always end up totally exhausted and frustrated with my own
In Hret til Mamma (Mums Hair, Cappelen, 2007) they insufficient talent and ineffective ways of doing things.
explore the issue of a parents depression from the perspective
As for the difficult issue of whether the picturebook can
of the child. The mothers hair is used as a visual metaphor; it
reach a broader audience than the traditional three- to
becomes increasingly entangled as the situation deteriorates,
seven-year-old readership, Nyhus is optimistic:
and the child movingly tries to comb out the depression.
118 Chapter 5
It is, of course, a matter of definitions. If you mean books

with pictures there already are a lot of them. I think the new
generations mix visual culture, both popular and more serious,
for children and adults alike, much more freely than before.
Then there also becomes a commercial potential for books
aimed at all ages. Picturebooks for children are usually read
aloud by adults for small children, and it is a good trick to make
something for the adults as well and not bore them with
exclusively childrens material. Both target groups need something
to make them interested, I think. But this broad appeal and
richness is, of course, a quality found in all great literature.
We have been a couple for almost 30 years, making books
together since 1993. Gros intuitive and poetic creativity has
stimulated my more analytic approach and traditional style and
helped me develop it in a more experimental direction. A good
combination of different natures, I think.
Reactions in English-speaking countries to books such as
those of Dahle and Nyhus can be extreme. Some people are
outraged at the idea of exposing children to their subject matter;
other people (often artists and educators) despair that such
books are not more widely available.
Below and opposite: In Hret til Mamma

Nyhus and Dahle approach another
sensitive issue depression through
the visual metaphor of tangled hair.
120 Chapter 5
Below and opposite: Welhavens Vase

could be considered a picturebook for
adults; there are no children in its cast
and the storyline deals with the triumph
of love over material possession. But
the intricate visual detail appeals on
many levels.
Bjorn Rune Lies Welhavens Vase (Magicon, Norway, 2010) is a

Love touching tale of a love that blossoms in unlikely circumstances.
Welhaven, a wealthy, haughty man finds himself forced to travel
and sex in the company of a lowly truck driver when he moves his
valuable possessions from one mansion to an even larger one
he has acquired. He clings to his priceless Ming dynasty vase
as the kindly driver chats to him. Along the way, they encounter
a circus troupe, stuck at the side of the road because their truck
has terminally broken down. To Welhavens horror, the driver
offers to take the troupe to its destination so that the show can
go on. Welhaven falls for the contortionist and, to cut a long story
short, eventually has to free her from the interior of the priceless
vase by smashing it the perfect metaphor for Welhavens
release from his own entrapment by material possessions.
As a picturebook, Welhavens Vase could be said to break
many of the suitability rules that tend to apply to the more
commercial end of the market. There are no children in evidence,
and the visual and verbal texts do not make any overt
concessions to an audience in the usual three- to seven-year-
old age bracket. Many of the feelings and emotions expressed
could be said to be primarily adult yet the underlying message
that it is important to put people ahead of possessions is a
universal one. Some publishers may argue that the busy, painterly
visual text is too complex for the young reader. The artists
keen interest in letterforms and graphic motifs certainly makes
each page a complex fusion of word and image that is
challenging for the younger child. But this is a picturebook that
can be enjoyed by all ages, one that succeeds on many
different levels. The story can be read out loud to the youngest
children but is also filled with subtle visual references that will
only register with the adult reader. Asked whether he considered
the book suitable for children, Bjorn Rune Lie says:
An illustrated book tends to become a childrens book by
default, but I normally refer to my books as picturebooks,
because I want adults to appreciate them too. Children and
childish adults was the age range!
I guess the book does deal with adult concepts to an
extent; love, loneliness, consumerism, class, etc. All the
characters are adults. I wanted to do a book about a trucker,
and when I started working on ideas, it just became set in an
adult world. I got cold feet about the story at one point and did a
whole new version with a boy as the protagonist, but my
publishers ditched it. In the end I just tried to remember what
fascinated me when I was young. My favourite books when I
was little were the Serafin books by Philippe Fix. They had a lot
of adult references in them which went over my head, but I
absolutely loved them. The drawings are amazing!
Style wise I just did my own thing with this book, just
trying to experiment and have fun. I was more interested in
doing something I liked than trying to appeal to the sensibilities
of a specific target audience. A bit self-indulgent perhaps, but
it was for a small independent publisher who wanted to push
things a bit.
122 Chapter 5
Over the years many artists and authors have attempted to

Death tackle the subject of mortality in picturebooks. Of course,
death in its generalized sense often crops up in books for
and sadness the young, but using the subject as the central theme of a
picturebook is a very different matter. The natural, insatiable
curiosity of the young mind will always want to know more,
especially about subjects parents may be inclined to avoid. In
the developed world, for better or worse, many people are
choosing to have children later in life. This means that instances
of children of picturebook age experiencing the loss of a
grandparent are becoming increasingly common.
Approaches to the subject of death have been many and
varied. Most commonly perhaps, it is dealt with through a
much-loved pet dying and a reassuring representation of heaven,
where everyone is having a lovely time and looking down
benignly and comfortingly on our worldly travails. A rather
different approach can be found in Wolf Erlbruchs Duck, Death
and the Tulip, which was first published in Germany in 2007
as Ente, Tod und Tulpe. The book follows Duck as he nears
the end of his life and becomes aware of Death depicted in
uncompromising form as a clothed skeleton following him.
Who are you? What are you up to, creeping along behind
me? asks Duck at the beginning of the book. Good, comes
Below and opposite: The bleak,

uncompromising visual and verbal text
of Wolf Erlbruchs Duck, Death and
the Tulip.
the reply, You finally noticed me. I am Death. The pages of the telly-conditioned parents! Erlbruch never consciously
book are sparsely populated, on a white background, and considers his audience when he creates books, though he
consists largely of the ensuing philosophical dialogue between hopes to initiate a dialogue between parents and children:
Duck and her follower. When Duck eventually feels cold and a thing which has become rare nowadays in a more or
lies lifeless, Death carries her to the water, gently places a tulip less speechless society.
(which has hitherto provided a rare splash of warm colour on Sunkyung Chos Blue Bird (Yellow Stone, 2009) deals with
the pages) on Duck and nudges her on her way. the complex emotional issues of parentchild relationships,
Many people, particularly in the English-language publishing growing up and independence. Word and image come together
world, may see books such as Duck, Death and Tulip as a to create a somewhat harrowing exploration of the ultimate
form of vanity publishing, indicative of the different, northern love of a parent: letting go and releasing her offspring only
European attitude to death, and published to win awards for through her own death. Printed in two colours black plus the
artistic brilliance and sensitivity. It certainly provides an extreme blue of the bird the book speaks in a poetic tone with no
contrast to some of the over-sentimental picturebooks published trace of sentimentality. Although it was inspired by a deep
in the English-speaking world. Opinions differ over whether personal experience, the artist explains that he hopes it has
such a book has a place in a childrens bookshop. Erlbruch wide appeal:
himself has strong views. He bemoans what he describes as
Individuality exists based on age, gender, and background but
the pinky aesthetics in English picturebooks, and speculates
as human beings like any other, there also exists some form of
that this may be both a cultural and a marketing phenomenon.
emotional homogeneity. In addition, despite this work taking on
Where have all the Tenniels and Shepards gone? he asks in
a personal theme, it has universal appeal because it includes
despair. Asked whether he thinks English-speaking children
all the basic emotional elements that all humans share. I dont
are being deprived of quality visual literature by marketing
believe that explaining emotionally complex issues to children
perceptions, he says: Absolutely so. Their childhood is being
is easy, but children are well capable of experiencing an array
stolen by the rubbish given to them by their marketing-and-
124 Chapter 5
of universal human emotions. They may lack in life experiences, low-key but devastating darkness of parts of the written text is
but they too can take part in sharing these complexities of brilliantly mirrored in Blakes illustrations; overwhelmingly grey
emotions if we respect them as fellow beings that can think with a few telling, scratchy pen-and-ink lines, they depict utter
and reason. misery. Blake is also good at lifting the mood with a touch of
yellow, an exuberant child character, a toy raising an eyebrow
Sunkyung Cho hopes picturebooks will increasingly appeal
to the reader, a flickering candle flame. From its murky cover
to adults: If picturebooks exist with contents and level that are
with bits of rubbish strewn around a city street, to its unrelentingly
appropriate for adults, I believe them to be another important
grey endpapers, the books treatment of some of the toughest
means of communication.
emotions human beings ever suffer is frank, straightforward and
The Sad Book (Walker Books, 2004), written by the popular
true to life. It was critically acclaimed in the West and may have
poet Michael Rosen (Childrens Laureate 200709), and
gone some way to breaking down the barriers outlined above.
illustrated by Quentin Blake, takes a painful and honest look at
depression, death and grieving. The book is based on his sons
sudden death as a late teenager, and Rosen writes in the first
person about everything from feeling that people will avoid him
if he shows his sadness to moments of utter despair, mixed
with happy memories of his son, accounts of trying to cope,
the kindness of friends and, at the end, a little bit of hope. The
Opposite: Sunkyung Chos Blue Bird

was developed from a deeply personal
perspective on relationships between
parents and children. The first notebook
compositions shown here already
demonstrate the intensity of vision that
is retained in the final version.
Below: Michael Rosens and Quentin

Blakes The Sad Book was one of the
most high-profile books to deal with the
subject of death.
126 Chapter 5
Very different approaches to the broad subject of wars and

Mans racial tension can be seen in Armin Greders award-winning
The Island (first published in Germany by Saurlander Verlag in
inhumanity 2002 as Die Insel) and David McKees The Conquerors (Andersen
Press, 2004) and Tusk Tusk (Andersen Press, 1978).
The Island offers a bleak view of mankinds propensity to
to man be influenced by a lynch mob mentality. Here is a picturebook
that provides a stark contrast to the pinky aesthetics
bemoaned by Wolf Erlbruch. Once again, we have to look to
Australasia for an English-language edition (Allen & Unwin,
Australia, 2007).
With limited use of colour and dark Honor Daumier-like
drawings, Greder creates an island world that is turned upside
Below and opposite: Armin Greder

offers little in the way of hope in The
Island. A dark, classical visual tone
combines with a bleak view of mankinds
ability to see aliens as being to blame
for societys ills.
down by the arrival of a naked, wretched-looking man, washed uses humour and irony to tackle equally serious material. The
up on the shore. What possible harm can this sorry figure Conquerors is a beautifully understated book that tells the tale
cause? But gradually he becomes a focus of blame, a convenient of a small nation which, rather than engaging in war, prefers to
scapegoat for all the islanders ills, all their fears. Mothers use devote its time to culture in the form of storytelling, singing songs
him as the bogeyman with which to threaten their children if and quietly celebrating its heritage. Its larger and aggressively
they dont eat their food. The Island plots the gradual spread expansionist neighbour, led by the stereotypical medal-strewn
of suspicion and fear of someone different. It is a bleak book general, continually invades the nation but somehow never
that doesnt offer any hope in the form of a traditional happy conquers it. The invading soldiers are greeted quietly, told stories
ending, but its universal message is powerfully conveyed. and sung to; eventually they have such a good time that
In The Conquerors and Tusk Tusk David McKee takes a before they know it they themselves are being conquered with
much gentler look at mans apparent perennial need to invade culture and charm. The book sends a profound message with
and conquer his neighbours territories. McKees approach is effortless elegance.
a more typical, less direct Anglo-Saxon one than Greders, and
128 Chapter 5
Although McKees Tusk Tusk is a small picturebook that loving forebears. The reader believes McKee will provide a
features apparently simple, sweet, stylized elephants set against happy ending after all, but the final sentence in the book is:
a colourful jungle background, its themes are hatred, racism, But recently the little ears and the big ears have been giving
war, violence, difference, outsiders. It is designed and marketed each other strange looks. McKee is not afraid to challenge
for a young audience, but McKee offers a no-holds-barred children. He is better known for the gentler elephant series,
view of some of the worst aspects of humanity. The Eden-like Elmer, but it is worth pointing out that even here the hero is
existence of the elephants in a land bursting with gorgeous multicoloured and multicultural.
vegetation soon ends as the black elephants hate the white
elephants and vice versa. Trunks turn into guns, and war and
killing ensue until the environment is laid waste, and the peace-
loving elephants are left no choice but to hide in the depths of
the forest. Decades later, as the land once more bursts into
beautiful life, grey elephants appear, the progeny of their peace-
Left and below: In books such as

The Conquerors and Tusk Tusk, David
McKees use of rich colour and a relatively
traditional picturebook language belie the
underlying seriousness of the messages
that are conveyed.
Professional case study: Portraying physical love The issue of sex education for the young has long been a
battleground, and will always provoke a wide range of views
Sabien Clement and standpoints. But the visual portrayal of physical love in
a picturebook is a difficult and challenging task for any artist.
Jij lievert In Jij lievert (De Eenhoorn, 2002, subsequently published as

Amourons-nous), Sabien Clement demonstrates that it is
possible to tackle the subject with sensitivity, humour and charm.
The book is a collaboration between Clement and writer
Geert De Kockere, whose poems about love and being in love
the artist interprets. In Colouring Outside the Lines (Flemish
Literature Fund, 2006) Marita Vermeulen writes eloquently about
Clements illustrations:
The pen drawings and coloured shapes in Jij lievert represent
human beings in all their vulnerability. The fragile lines can
scarcely rein in the sensual bodies. Within the pictures there is
130 Chapter 5
a constant friction between the physical and the emotional. It Asked about the tricky issue of defining suitability for children,
appears as though Clements characters hardly have enough she says:
body and limbs to express their love and their anxiety. Arms
Hmmm thats very fragile. It even depends on the education
and legs that are much too long or just too short touchingly
of parents. A child of eight can sometimes be more grown-up
symbolize the awkwardness of human beings trying to
than one of fourteen. I remember a girl of about eight looking
demonstrate their love.
at Amourons-nous. She wasnt shocked or embarrassed at all
It is Clements nervous, searching line that gives the book to see naked people. She acted very normally and liked it in a
a rare innocence and warmth. The pictures dance playfully in, nice, gentle way. In my opinion, Amourons-nous isnt shocking
out and around the text, sometimes expanding the words, at all. Its love described in a gentle, universal way. So in answer
sometimes offsetting them. As Vermeulen observes: When the to the question, I would say that you cannot put in boxes what
text is explicit, her pictures are ambiguous; when the text is is or isnt suitable. Except when the subject is genuinely shocking.
harsh, she adds gentleness. Clement is always respectful to
On the broader subject of her sense of self as an artist/
the spirit of the text.
illustrator, Clement says:
Speaking about her approach to such a project,
Clement makes clear the importance of understanding the I see myself as a drawer from the heart. If this becomes a
authors intentions: picturebook, thats fine. If it becomes a painting, thats fine too.
In my free time, I draw just for myself on a big canvas or in
When a writer asks me to make illustrations for his book, first
a small diary book. I do life drawing just because I adore it. I
I read the text, but also I like to meet with the writer, to know
like to balance on the edge of being an illustrator and a painter/
his thinking, his opinions, his vision. I always ask about the age
creative artist. If a picturebook transcends the normal, if the
of the intended audience but when I start the work, I try not
pictures move you emotionally, then for me its fine art. But I
to let it rein me in too much. I just try to build an atmosphere
am not really concerned about the words.
that fits.
Previous page and below: In Jij lievert

(subsequently published as Amourons-
nous), Sabien Clements delicate
drawings perfectly complement Geert
De Kockeres text on the subject of
love. Clement hits just the right tone of
gentle humour without diminishing the
seriousness of the subject.
Student case study: Stylistic suitability The following case study examines the nature of the stylistic
suitability of pictorial imagery for children, through two masters
Rebecca students currently grappling with the concept.
As with all areas of creativity, individual stylistic identities
Palmer and and preoccupations vary greatly from one illustration student to
another. Each of the two featured here have highly distinctive
visual signatures despite the fact that their work is still evolving
Kow Fong Lee and developing. Although studying in the same masters cohort,
both work in very different visual idioms. Kow Fong works
entirely in digital media to create his richly coloured artworks,
while Palmer uses traditional media pencil and oil paint
(thinned with Liquin) to produce her much more subdued,
sombre-hued illustrations. Their respective approaches reflect
and represent many aspects of their differing personal creative
journeys, but each is aiming to speak to the child through a
personal voice.
Personality and, of course, cultural background play a large
part in the development of these students unique languages.
Kow Fong is from Singapore, where graphic traditions tend
to embrace the use of intense colours and highly stylized
characterization. Palmer is British and has a keen interest in
northern European narrative art. As with all students of childrens
book illustration, there is always something of a juggling act to
Below: Kow Fong Lees illustrations are

constructed digitally using a drawing
tablet and digital colour.
132 Chapter 5
be performed retaining the integrity of ones own distinctive I am exploring various media but dont want to lose the
artistic voice, while endeavouring to ensure that this voice fundamental way in which I draw. I am interested in everyday
communicates effectively with a particular audience, or at least life. Children notice these little things and I want to share them.
that it convinces publishers that it will do so. I dont want a conscious style to interfere. As with drawing,
Each of the two artists is conscious of these issues, but is the kind of writing I admire is the sort that acts as a seamless
concentrating primarily on creating work he/she feels to be true conduit for the message of observation and truth no intrusive
rather than allowing him/herself to second-guess audience style. With words you have to read everything but with pictures
needs. On the subject of whether her work might be perceived you have options to interpret and take what you need.
as suitable for children, Palmer says:
Kow Fong says:
Its certainly something I have been thinking about. Agents
With regards to the importance of keeping a target audience-
have said that I need to lighten it for children. But at the
age in mind when making a picturebook, I think we can see it
moment I feel these drawings get at the real people I am
from two perspectives. As an illustrator, Im not too mindful as
trying to portray. The challenge to make my drawing more
to who Im drawing for. Im simply creating pictures to be
appropriate, though, is one that I think is worth taking on.
aesthetically pleasing and satisfying, that will touch the heart or Im not too sure if it is really a general sentiment among
arouse the interest, I hope, of any of my viewers. I believe the publishers to react negatively to digital aesthetic, some do
appreciation of visual art is universal, is beyond, and should definitely show preference for traditionally rendered illustrations
not be confined by, the age of your audience. On the other over digital art. They do have their reasons and I respect that.
hand, the composition of the text, or the way of the narration, The versatility of digital tools has opened up new possibilities
would be more closely linked to your audiences capacity of for illustrators, in achieving certain visual effect more conveniently
acceptance. The choice of vocabulary, the standard of the and working more effectively. To me, working digitally is simply
language, the way of expressing a certain theme or idea of the a change of tool. Im still doing hand-rendered drawings but
story, would have to be catered to our intended primary reader. with a tablet and illustrating software instead of paper and
A picturebook does not serve the purpose of just telling a story. colouring material. I dont see digital illustration as just a fad. It is
The illustrations in fact have a rather crucial role to perform: of here to stay. With more illustrators going digital, we can expect
enhancing ones aesthetical awareness. to see more diverse digital artworks in styles and aesthetic
possibilities. The world will learn to appreciate digital art, it is
On the subject of the suitability of digitally generated artwork
just a matter of time.
for childrens picturebooks, he says:
Left, below and opposite: Rebecca

Palmers work is generated entirely
through traditional media, using subdued
colour and hand-rendered lettering.
134 Chapter 5
Below: Only the very first storyboard

drawings are rendered on paper in Kow
Fong Lees working process.
Chapter 6
136 Chapter 6
Left and below: Print Room: The

various printmaking processes that were
originally developed as a means of
multiple reproduction have experienced
a resurgence in popularity in recent
years. Drawing (below) by Hannah Webb.
Opposite: To keep costs down, many

books in the 1950s and 1960s were
illustrated in two or three colours, which
the artist rendered as separations, as in
Helen Bortens illustrations to Rain and
Hail by Franklyn M. Branley (Thomas
Crowell, 1963). Many artists now choose
to impose such limitations, despite the
technology available.
Print and Process: The Shock of the Old 137
T
he various processes and techniques that have been today continue to display the use of a wide variety of traditional
employed in book illustration during its evolution as an media pencil, inks, watercolour, oils, acrylics and so on. But
art form have, until very recently, been closely connected there is a particularly noticeable revival in the use of printmaking
to the printing processes used to reproduce them. Artists have processes for creating artwork for illustration. Despite the
needed to be aware of the characteristics and limitations of speed with which imagery can be generated on screen, the
reprographic technologies as they have developed their working time-consuming methods and raw effects of ancient relief
methods. In the early days of printing, from the sixteenth processes, such as wood- and linocut, have made a major
through to the eighteenth century, the method of reproduction comeback in the early twenty-first century. To some extent this
was in itself the artists medium. The distinction we now make may simply be a natural, cyclical reaction against what is seen
between the terms printing and printmaking did not exist. as a rather cold digital aesthetic. However, it is now possible
The artist carved an image on to a woodblock that was inked to generate imagery that begins with hands-on methods but
and printed repeatedly on to paper. A century or two later a which can then be manipulated and controlled with greater
skilled craftsman might be employed to translate an artists freedom using digital software. It is probably fair to say that the
image into a printable engraving. But with developments in overwhelming majority of artists under the age of 40 working in
technology, and later the arrival of the digital revolution towards the picturebook field today use digital media to some extent, if
the end of the twentieth century, it became clear that pretty only as a cleaning-up tool. Alongside this, and with the ongoing
much any medium could be reproduced satisfactorily. Highly development of the screen-based E-picturebook, ever greater
sensitive laser scanners could see and separate colours attention is paid to the physical form of the picturebook. The
and textures with great accuracy. Then Photoshop and other choice of papers, coverboards and print effects such as spot
software appeared and for a while seemed to suggest that the lamination, embossing and laser cutting have become
paper and pencil were becoming redundant. Suddenly it could important aspects of the development of the book as these
all be done on screen and sent to the commissioner at the assert its physical, sensual identity as distinct from its identity
touch of a button. It was no longer necessary to tear up on the screen.
pictures because the colour had gone wrong; it was possible For the artist, there are many attractions in using the
to erase and fiddle indefinitely. various printmaking processes. While these have traditionally
For a while, infatuation with software meant the Photoshop been seen as a way of creating limited editions of signed prints,
aesthetic dominated. Many designers decided they were now to augment sales of one-off paintings or artefacts, they can
illustrators. The ability to move found material around, to also play an important role in the development of an individual
appropriate and import any kind of image, briefly blinded many artists visual language. Placing a technical process between
to the importance of the basics of drawing and thinking. With artist and paper introduces an element of accident and surprise
any new technology, predictions tend, with the benefit of to the outcome. This lessening of control frequently has the
hindsight, to say more about the time in which they are made by-product of lessening self-consciousness in mark-making.
than the time they purport to predict. Happily, the handmade The following are brief definitions of the most commonly
mark has refused to go away. That direct line of contact between used printmaking processes.
brain, hand and paper still has a magical power. Picturebooks
138 Chapter 6
The act of cutting away at a surface, usually wood, linoleum or

Relief vinyl, in order to leave a raised area that can be rolled with ink
and pressed against paper to leave a reverse impression of the
printing image, is known as relief printing.

One of the techniques used to create the raised area is
engraving, which made a comeback in the first half of the
twentieth century with artists such as Claire Leighton and
Gwen Raverat, whose work demonstrated that it could still find
a place in book illustration. Wood engraving, as distinct from
woodcutting, is a process of cutting into the dense end grain
(the surface made when slicing through the trunk) of a hardwood
such as box or lemon. Today, it is used mainly in the world of
finely printed books from private presses; a few artists, such as
John Lawrence and Christopher Wormell, keep the tradition
alive in the mainstream. However, both Lawrence and Wormell
engrave more often on vinyl or lino.
Woodcutting is distinguished from wood engraving by the
way the wood is cut along the grain or plank of a softwood,
Below: John Lawrences illustrations

to Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure
Island (Walker Books, 2009) are created
by engraving on vinyl floor tiles. Each
colour is printed separately and then
cut and collaged.
which gives a raw and textured finish. Since Antonio Frasconi layered cardboard to leave a raised image area that gives
repopularized its use in the 1950s (see pp. 2930) it has pleasing organic textures when printed.
remained an occasional medium for the picturebook. A notable Separating colours for the various forms of relief printing
current exponent is the Belgian artist Isabelle Vandenabeele. means using methods to ensure that when the different ones
Vandenabeele carves wood in the traditional way, to leave a are printed on top of each other they are correctly registered, and
raised image surface to be inked, but initially prints all the colour thereby make visual sense. But the inevitable misregistrations
separations in black so that they can be scanned and the colours that occur during the process can be aesthetically appealing,
added in Photoshop. This retains all the textures of the crude and have often been seized upon by artists and incorporated
print process but gives the artist far greater control over colour. playfully into their work. The British artist John Minton once
The linocut seems to be currently more popular than ever, described his own working method as the successful steering
with artists all over the world enjoying its unique textures and of accident.1
effects. It was perhaps Edward Bawden (see pp. 2324) who
first popularized this apparently crude process by bringing his
1
Michael Rothenstein, Looking at Paintings. George Routledge & Sons, 1947.
unique wit and orderly sense of design to bear upon its use,
thereby propelling what had been seen as a kitchen table
process into the world of fine art and design.
Card printing is another process that is also showing signs
of a comeback. This is a simple process of cutting away at
Below left: The English artist, Edward linocut prints are translated into metal Below right: Card printing is one of
Bawden, elevated the linocut to a more line blocks in order to print on a larger the more rustic media that is making a
respectable position as a medium for commercial scale than the original lino comeback. Layers of coarse card are
making art and illustration. Here, in The could survive. cut into with a knife, leaving a raised
Sixpence that Rolled Away by Louis image area to be inked and printed, as
MacNeice (Faber, 1956), his original in this print by Chlo Cheese.
140 Chapter 6
Opposite: Pieter van Ouheusden and Below and bottom left: Colour Bottom right: Isabelle Vandenabeele
Kevin Vanwontrghems Liefde kan niet woodcuts by Isabelle Vandenabeele from at the Colouring Outside the Lines
zonder Liefde. Geert De Kockeres Vorspel Van Een exhibition at Cambridge School of Art.
Gebroken Liefde (De Eenhoorn, 2007).
142 Chapter 6
Below: Kazuno Koharas The Haunted printed in black ink on orange paper with
House (Walker Books, 2008) was occasional use of collaged white tissue
developed as a student project at paper for the ghosts.
Cambridge School of Art. The images
are created as single colour linocuts,
Below: Andrew Kulmans linocuts for

Red Light, Green Light (ABC, 1992)
feature strong shapes, limited colour
and heavily-inked cuts that give texture
and movement to the page.
144 Chapter 6
Screen-printing is not a process that is normally thought of

Screen-printing as being appropriate for childrens books. As a method of
reproduction it may have its origins in Japanese stencilling, but it
came into its own in the early twentieth century as a means of
printing on a large scale. It was especially suitable for flags and
posters. The process is similar to stencilling: an ink-resistant
substance is used to paint negative images on a screen for
many years silk was stretched tightly across a frame and a
squeegee is dragged across its surface to force a thin film of
ink through the unpainted areas to create positive images. A
different screen is made for each of the colours that will be
printed. The inks used can be mixed with a medium that allows
for varying levels of transparency so that layers of colour can
be overlaid to create new ones. Although most picturebook
artists choose Photoshop to create such effects, the process
of screen-printing is by far the best way to learn about the
subtleties of colour layering.
Below: In her Chain of Happiness

illustration, Marta Alts screen-prints
with three colours.
Like relief printing, etching, also known as intaglio, involves

Etching/intaglio cutting or engraving a surface in this case a metal plate,
most commonly copper or zinc. The difference is that the
engraved marks, rather than the area around them, carry
the ink that is to be printed on the paper. The plate is usually
coated with an acid-resistant substance through which lines
are drawn with an etching tool. The plate is then placed in an
acid bath for a period of time so that the lines are bitten more
deeply. The longer the plate is left in the acid, the more robust
the line. Ink is rubbed into the plate then wiped off its surface,
leaving ink in the bitten lines. Damp paper is laid on the plate,
which is passed through a press, leaving a reverse impression.
Textures and tones can be created through a process
known as aquatinting. This involves placing a layer of resin or
sugar on the plate; the acid bites around the finely granulated
texture. Different gradations can be achieved, depending once
again on how long the plate is exposed to the acid. Such an
apparently complex process seems unsuitable for making
picturebooks but an increasing number of examples have
appeared in recent years.
Below: Kaatje Vermeires complex

etchings are delicately coloured.
146 Chapter 6
Opposite: Kaatje Vermeires etching Right and below: The Little Red Fish by
process helps to give a unified overall Tae-Eun Yoo (Dial, 2007) is illustrated
mood to her books. with sepia-printed etchings with sparing
use of subtle shades of warmer colour.
148 Chapter 6
Lithography was invented by Aloysius Senefelder in Germany

Lithography in the late eighteenth century, and is the ancestor of modern
commercial printing methods. The process exploits the mutual
antipathy of oil and water, which allows an image to be
transferred from a smooth surface, originally limestone but
today a metal plate, commonly zinc, to paper. The image
can be drawn on to the surface with a greasy, water-resistant
crayon or ink. When printing ink is applied it sticks to the
drawn area but washes away from the rest of the surface,
leaving a slightly raised, inked image that will transfer to paper
when the plate goes through a press. As with other print
processes, multiple colours can be overlaid in registration.
Once again, the image is printed in reverse. Commercial
lithography is known as offset lithography as vast self-inking
machines transfer the reverse image on to a rubber blanket,
then on to the paper, and it is consequently the right way round.
Right and below: Red Striped Pants,

originally published by Borim Press in
South Korea, was created using direct
lithography. The lithographic prints were
scanned and reproduced without any
further digital intervention by the artist,
who has worked primarily in the fields
of ceramic and gallery installation work.
Monotype and monoprint describe a process that is essentially

Monotype a way of transferring an image to paper, rather like making a
printed painting or drawing. It is essentially used for a one-off
and monoprint print, though in theory the difference between the two terms is
that a monoprint can allow for more than one print of the same
image. However, the images will never be identical. Monoprints
can be made in various ways. One is to paint an image on to a
surface and transfer it to paper, in a press or by hand pressure.
Another method is to lay down a surface of ink on glass, then
lay paper over it and draw on the paper, thereby pressing
through the paper on to the ink; this leaves a reverse impression
of the drawing on the other side of the paper, along with random
textures picked up around it. Any form of monoprinting
embraces a greater degree of unpredictability and accident
than most other processes.
Right: Susan Chins monoprint shows Below: Nicola Killens Not Me! (Egmont,
the diffused line and random background 2010) was developed as a student
texture that characterize the process. project at Cambridge School of Art.
She used a range of table-top print
processes monoprint, hand-cut rubber
stamps and anything that came to hand.
150 Chapter 6
As so many artists confirm, the computers role is most

Digital commonly to bring together and assemble a range of other
media. Imagery is sometimes still created entirely through
printmaking particular software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. But the

arrival of the eBook in its various forms heralds a new stage
in the history of print and the picturebook, which is looked
at in more detail in chapter 7.
Right: Mike Smiths illustrations

for his award-winning student project,
Edward Hopper and the Carrot Crunch,
were created by generating the line-
drawing and the colour elements
separately and then reassembling them
digitally. This is a method that echoes
that of Edward Ardizzone (see p. 21)
some 80 years previously.
Professional case study: The handmade picturebook The particular effects that screen-printing traditionally creates
(flat colour with areas of transparent overlay creating further
Liz Loveless colours) are usually replicated these days by using Photoshop.
But Liz Loveless is an artist who uses screen-printing both as
technique and a method of reproduction for self-publishing.
Loveless creates hand-printed books in limited editions for
children and adults, each one signed and numbered. Like many
illustrators, she was initially unsure which area of art and design
practice to study. Her interest in pattern and surface led her to
take a first degree in textile design. There has always been a
close relationship between this and illustration, and the process
of screen-printing perhaps binds the two together. Loveless
explains how she moved to book-making:
There was a great deal of colour theory on the textiles course
and the market was dominated by floral designs. I think I drove
my tutor mad by wanting to be figurative and narrative. I was
also influenced by Russian graphic traditions. I had left school
at 16 without A levels and had worked as a pattern cutter for
French Connection. After the textiles degree I took an MA in
illustration at Camberwell College of Art, where I was greatly
encouraged in the direction of childrens books by Janet
Wooley. After completing the course I worked as a freelance
illustrator doing editorial work and used screen-printing on
some commercially published picturebooks. But I was never
entirely happy with them. It was my husband who suggested
that I do my own.
Loveless took a bookbinding course in order to better
understand the physical make-up of books, but used a
commercial bookbinder for her editions, making 350 books
Below and overleaf: The hand-printed,

limited-edition books of Liz Loveless
have proved to be a viable and
affordable alternative to the products
of mainstream publishing.
152 Chapter 6
in the first instance and going up to 650 for later titles. Clearly, I am not a particularly commercially astute person, and I know
the question of how to sell the books was, and still is, a key that if I pushed harder in this direction I could be a lot more
issue. As she explains, it has been a case of gradually building successful. But I have already made more money from each
up a network of outlets: handmade book than I did from the commercially published ones,
albeit over a period of five years or so. There is no bureaucracy
The first place to stock my books was a lovely little shop in
and there are no editorial restrictions, a privilege only reserved
east London (Shelf, in Cheshire Street). I was in the shop,
for the highly successful authors in commercial publishing.
browsing, and told the owners about my books. They invited
me to bring them in. I started in a modest way. I sent one to Ironically, Loveless has discovered that it is actually more
the Museum of Childhood and they asked me to send it to the lucrative to sell editions of individual prints than entire books,
main Victoria and Albert collection. The Tate Gallery also took as people seem willing to spend as much on a mounted
one. I sell in other, smaller galleries such as St. Judes in print as on a bound book. But she continues to create new
Norfolk. Its mostly word of mouth really. picturebooks that are original works of art as well as practical,
affordable, functioning childrens picturebooks.
Loveless sees the self-published, limited-edition, handmade
book as something of an antidote to the mass-market childrens
publishing industry. Having experienced both of these worlds,
she feels that the small-scale private press gives her far greater
artistic and editorial freedom, and also allows her to sell the
books over a longer period of time compared to the short shelf-life
of many commercially published books:
Professional case study: Merging old and new technologies Originally from Cologne in Germany, Claudia Boldt took an MA
in illustration at Kingston University in Britain after previously
Claudia Boldt studying at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. Her work
has been selected for the prestigious Bologna Illustration
Exhibition and catalogue. Boldts first book, Queens, Astronauts
and Extraordinary Sausages, is published by Childsplay. Her
working method, like that of many young artists now, involves
integrating a range of media and approaches, traditional and
digital. Speaking about her working methods she explains:
Once the layout works in pencil I cut out stencils from Scratch-
Foam. It is a thin foam made for children to use instead of
linocut. I use it to imitate what I liked about screen-printing! It
is much easier to cut and handle, although it is a little more
difficult to make good prints in terms of flat, even colour.
Moreover, the stencils can often only be used a few times as
they can easily be damaged in the press. The press is a hand
letterpress which can also be used for block printing. But
Below: Some of the various stages of

Claudia Boldts kitchen table processes
are shown here a Scratch-Foam print
is made in black before the image is
coloured digitally; the foam is cut into
shape and hand-pressed with ink,
spreader and roller.
154 Chapter 6
recently I have just been using hand rollers and no press any
more. Printing with the hand letterpress or a roller in my studio
is cheaper and quicker than using a commercial print studio!
Moreover, using stencils has the advantage that the
process of building up the image is more flexible in terms of
reworking parts of the illustration.
The prints are scanned in and coloured. The colour is applied
with the computer to save time. I would often add details with
line drawings. I use a mix of pens, pencils and ink, and again
scan the originals and add them on another layer in Photoshop.
Below and opposite: Stargazers,

Skyscrapers and Extraordinary Sausages
by Claudia Boldt reflects contemporary
trends in combining the handmade and
the digital.
156 Chapter 6
Professional case study: From screen to screen ABC des Petites Annonces (Topipittori, 2008) by the Belgian
artist Gwnola Carrre is a picturebook that feels visually,
Gwnola Carrre stylistically fresh yet at the same time harks back to earlier
forms of printing. Carrres distinctive digital graphic language
ABC des Petites did not evolve randomly. It grew from a background solidly
based in printmaking, in particular screen-printing, and these
origins can be clearly traced in the idioms that she employs.
Annonces Carrres work is redolent of Russian traditions in book
illustration and of the pochoir techniques that were in vogue
in the 1920s and 1930s (see p. 19). Pochoir was a method
of hand-colouring illustrations in books by applying watercolour
or gouache through specially made metal stencils.
When asked about the connections between old screen
and new screen, Carrre says:
Yes, my visual identity found its real consistency the day I
started screen-printing. Before that, I was much into painting,
but I was very rarely satisfied. When I started to scan my
paintings to screen-print them, I realized I had reached a whole
This page and opposite: Gwnola

Carrres ABC uses digital media to
create a retro aesthetic that echoes the
effects of stencil-based print processes
of the early twentieth century.
new and so exciting visual world. The limitations of the It took me almost two years to make this first book (it was in
screen-printing technique gave me an amazing new sense 2002 to 2003). Because before that, I had no style, I was a real
of freedom (how ironic, isnt it!). As for the Russian, retro chameleon. So the whole challenge of this book was to find
element well yes, but not directly. I mean, the day I discovered a harmony, something that would make me want to stop being
the golden age of Russian illustration (192030) was a big day, a chameleon, but at the same time, something open enough
but it was a few years before ABC. So of course I had Russian to make me feel unlimited
art in mind while doing ABC, for the shapes mostly (a sort of The story came to me while playing with figures I cut out
essential feeling) but there was also another, maybe more of reproductions of classic paintings from the museum of
vivid challenge for me in this book: trying to find the atmosphere Vienna (I grew up in Vienna). I found a character made out of
I loved so much in my so old childrens books. So I thought these different pieces: a head, a back, one perfect leg and two
about these picturebooks from the fifties, published by Pre arms. But I just couldnt find the missing leg. That was the start
Castor and Les Deux Coqs dOr. And also, I thought a lot of the story
about Richard Scarry. So I had these references in mind. But
The images are constructed entirely in Photoshop. As
the challenge was to not go and look at these books for real.
Carrre explains:
Just let the memories speak
Nobody believes it, but I use Photoshop every day. Even for
Carrre has combined working as a printmaker, artists typography. For me its the best way to combine scanned
book-maker and teacher with her work in mainstream publishing. things and digital things (digital things are for instance typography,
She initially produced a handmade artists book for children: drawn or typed).
158 Chapter 6
Student case study: Yann Kebbi is a student studying at the Design Department
Experimental narrative sequence in monotype of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. His series of
monotype prints was selected by the jury for the prestigious
Yann Kebbi Bologna Illustration Exhibition in 2010. The prints have a fluid,
painterly quality typical of the effects of this medium but also
retain a highly individual, personal narrative language. Kebbi
says about his working process:
Each of the monotypes was made in several printings on the
same paper, like the principle of silkscreen printing. The surface
can be whatever you like since you just paint on it but it must
fit into the press. Copper, zinc, plastic I used zinc. The inks
I use are either for etching or lithography, offset inks. In fact any
inks which are washable with alcohol, or white spirit, so it
doesnt get dry too fast, and most of all you can come back
on it, erase and start again, etc.
The interest of the monotype is that even if its supposed
to be printed only once, there is still what could be called a
ghost of the previous picture on the plate, so you can print
it again or play with it.
For the pictures I first print the black areas. With a roller I The images are related to a picture I had in mind, because
fully cover the plate of black ink (used for etching, its called of a dream, so its not related to a text. In this picture everything
encre vignette in France, the softer the ink, the better) and then was in double, so I had the idea of that one man, who wouldnt
with some cloth I take off the black to keep only the areas I visually fit in with the usual aspects of life, since he is different
want, then I print. This step allows me to have a full and deep and has no double.
black, and also to give depth even to the areas supposed to Besides, I wanted to explore the technique of monotype
be white on the picture. and create a solid series of pictures, and the idea of the double
Then I use the coloured inks and alcohol, and I paint on went well with the fact that in monotype you can reprint and it
the plate and make as many printings as I need for the picture creates like an echo. So its less about a story than a graphic
to be complete. Like I said you have a ghost of the previous principle really.
picture on the plate, so you always see (more or less) what you For me, it was a challenge to create pictures with this
are painting on, and where its going to be on the picture. Its technique, pictures that can be attractive and understandable
the same process of thinking as silkscreen printing, but its for the young ones. Since I didnt start from a text there isnt a
more about drawing and accidents. real story, but I related the pictures to different views of different
The set of images was created in response to the Bologna situations of communal urban life; the pictures order is like a
competition brief which required five images from a continuous trail. So basically there isnt any real end yet, only a trail and
sequence. So, in a sense, the series is a wordless pictorial the demonstration in different places of this mans loneliness.
sequence from an imaginary potential picturebook.
Left: The fluid effects of ink being

wiped and moved around on a smooth
surface are evident in Yann Kebbis
monotype prints.
160 Chapter 6
Professional case study: Digital printmaking Fabian Negrin is an artist whose work is familiar in many
European countries but who is always experimenting with new
Fabian Negrin techniques and methods. So much so that his work is often
unrecognizable from one book to the next. As well as using
On va au parc! a wide range of traditional media, he has experimented with

various stylistic and structural methods in making picturebooks.
In 2010 he was awarded the Bologna Ragazzi prize for
non-fiction for The Riverbank (published by The Creative
Company). In On va au parc! (Rouergue, 2009) Negrin tells the
story of a small boy imploring his father to take him to the park.
The boys pleading becomes increasingly desperate and
increasingly loud as his father sleeps from page to page. The
noise of the attempts to waken the father from his slumber
is often represented typographically.
For this picturebook Negrin used a form of digital printmaking
creating separate colours as flat ink-and-wash stencils then
scanning and colouring in Photoshop. The white of the paper
Right and opposite: In On va au parc!

Fabian Negrin uses the computer to
assemble flat colour separations that
begin life as inked shapes on paper. The
shapes are scanned and then coloured
and overlaid in Photoshop.
is frequently used to create negative shapes. Colours are kept of the story, which made me accept the changes introduced
entirely flat but with occasional washy textures and transparency by Rouergues art director.
allowing for overprinting to make extra colour. Here the computer
Negrin is unusual among illustrators in the way that he has
is used, as so often nowadays, to create an effect that looks
no distinctive stylistic identity or preferred medium. But he has
as undigital as possible. In fact, the book is inspired by early
strong views on this:
twentieth-century Russian design and printing but, as Negrin
explains, the typography has varied according to the publishers The stylistic changes that one can find in my several books are
in different countries: due, in part, to my personality: I love trying new techniques
and styles, while I get bored doing always the same thing. On
The illustrations were built through ink lines and spots on paper
the other hand, though, I think that this is the only way to make
that I scanned, put together and coloured with Photoshop. I
illustrations really meet a text and become one with it, in
looked for a style that would be reminiscent of the work of
childrens books. People using only one style limit themselves
Levedev, Lapsin and other Russian illustrators of childrens books
to reproduce the same forms over and over, independently
that I really love. In the Italian version of the book my typographic
from the tone of a story. The same forms for a horror tale or a
design, more rigorous, was left unaltered. In the French version
love story, for a fairy tale and a science fiction one, without the
there were some changes, and the introduction of fonts less
least shift in the register and atmosphere. I think that very often
obviously taken from the Russian golden age of childrens books,
this way of illustrating does not work. To attach predefined
but these changes meet in fact the noisiness that is characteristic
162 Chapter 6
forms to any story makes the forms themselves less meaningful, I am illustrating. This happens always, even when the
it makes them become some sort of decoration, where the economic aspect does not justify it. Secondly, it is the starting
drawings live a life of their own without really biting the text. I point in my work when I begin a new book and consider
am not the only one to work in this way. Without in any way different possible types of images until I find a certain visual
wishing to compare my work to theirs, Maurice Sendak writes world that is perfect for the words that is always the same.
more or less the same things somewhere in Caldecott & Co, That moment, when I search for an illustrative style that is in
Milton Glaser says the same in Art is Work, Art Spiegelman tune with the literary style of a certain story, is, I think, the most
does not look for a stylistic consistency in his various works important one of my work. Even when one compares two of
and sometimes within the same one, the books by Igram my books that seem to have been done by two different
Ibatouline are very different from one another. So are the ones people, there will always be this same initial intention, a search
by Levedev, and not even Rackham had only one way of for a unity between text and image. Of course this relationship
working. I am not in a bad company, after all, am I? between text and images must not be a simple one: it can be
ironic, parallel, contradictory, quarrelsome; we can also say,
Views on this subject will, of course, vary and most artists
through the images, the opposite of what the words are
will feel they have little choice in the matter their so-called
saying. But it must be a choice, and it does not have to be so
style is an involuntary, unconscious identity that cannot be
only because our style is of a certain kind and we cannot draw
discarded whether it is desirable or not. Ultimately, it is content
in any other way.
that should dictate method, as Negrin continues:
To me to work at a childrens book is the most serious thing
one could do, but also the most exciting one, the one in which
I can throw all of my self and of my skills, keeping in touch with
the world around. In the first place, as an illustrator, what
connects my work as a whole is the total devotion to the story
Chapter 7
164 Chapter 7
Above: Its a Book by Lane Smith

The Childrens Publishing Industry 165
C
hildrens book publishing is a massive global industry,
one that plays a significant role in the economies of
many countries, particularly when successful books are
Publishing
exported as co-editions in other languages. For many smaller
nations with minority languages, the traffic is predominantly in houses
the other direction with well-known titles being imported and
published in translation. But the picturebook also has a cultural In a large, well-known publishing house, there may be an
role to play. Many of the smaller nations, such as Norway, array of individuals in various posts who are responsible for
Belgium and South Korea, value the indigenous book as part commissioning new work: senior designers, commissioning
of their particular cultural and artistic heritage, and some provide editors, etc. In a small, independent publishing house there may
subsidies to ensure that books that reflect this are published. be one or two individuals who are responsible for the whole
Generally speaking, though, childrens publishing is a commercial process of design, editing, print management and distribution.
industry that involves writers, artists, designers, publishers, The larger houses dominate the market but, as the case studies
printers, marketing people and booksellers. These exist in an show, many small independent ones survive and flourish.
interdependent chain in an increasingly global context. Mergers and takeovers are common and it is sometimes difficult
Around the world publishers can have very different ideas to know which company belongs to which as smaller companies
about picturebooks for children, but they also vary greatly are taken over but retain their name as an imprint within a
within individual countries in the kind of books they publish. It larger one.
is essential, therefore, that young artists and authors research
carefully before approaching a publisher, to make sure they
are fully acquainted with any particular visual flavour of an
individual publishing house.
For the aspiring picturebook maker, the publishing industry
may seem intimidatingly large and confusing. Breaking into it is
not easy. As with the world of writing, just getting your creation
seen is the first hurdle. The economic climate of recent years
has had a particular impact on the picturebook, with well-
established authors and titles tending to dominate the market,
often with seemingly endless versions of the same story or
character. In countries with a free-market approach to commerce,
selling books in supermarkets is having a major impact. These
dominant chains often sell only a narrow range of picturebook
titles, but with so many outlets this greatly affects sales.
Publishers are eager to find new talent, however, so persistence
is essential.
In this chapter we look at a range of publishing houses,
large and small, hear different opinions from those who
commission picturebooks, and examine how picturebooks
come into being, and are marketed and sold. A series of case
studies reveals the differing philosophies of publishing houses
and more about the mechanics of getting picturebooks into
shops and into the hands of the consumer.
166 Chapter 7
Below: Oliver Jeffers first book, How

to Catch a Star, was presented as a
well-produced dummy to a selection
of publishers who the author carefully
researched beforehand.
Approaching a publisher
The The publishing process begins when the picturebook maker
publishing manages to make contact with the picturebook publisher. With

most successful picturebooks now composed by one person,
the most common way to present an idea to a publisher is in
process the form of a dummy version of the proposed book. This is a
mock-up of the whole book, and most commonly contains a
few spreads that reproduce finished artwork with the remaining
images in the form of rough pencil sketches. The text is
included on each page. This allows a publisher to get a good
feel for the overall structure of the book, the characterization,
the pace and flow, the page-turning experience. There are a
number of online companies who will create a one-off bound
book relatively cheaply by uploading page designs on to a
template. Some publishers are happy to receive PDFs by email
but may well ask to see a dummy as well if the book interests
them. If a picturebook idea is taken forward by a publisher, it is
always likely that the editorial team will want to have an input
on various aspects of the content, including the design, so
there is little point in completing a book at this stage. The level
of difficulty in actually getting your work seen, getting past the
notorious slush pile, varies from one publisher to another. But
most will try very hard to look at everything that comes their way.
The highly successful picturebook maker Oliver Jeffers
might be seen as a model example of how to approach
publishers on first leaving college. He struck a deal with a local
printer to produce an edition of printed, bound dummies of
what was to become his first book, How to Catch a Star
Above: The graduation exhibition is (HarperCollins, 2004), in return for some original artworks.
still an important event for student
picturebook makers. Most childrens After researching the publishers whom he felt might be most
editors and designers at publishing sympathetic to his particular visual and conceptual approach,
houses make a point of scouring he mailed dummies to a group of carefully targeted top ten
shows for new talent.
editors. I sent the packages out on Tuesday and on Wednesday
I received a call from Sue Buswell, publishing director for
picturebooks at HarperCollins.1 So began an ongoing
partnership. Its not usually quite that straightforward, but
Jeffers story does illustrate the importance of an organized
and confident approach to selling an idea.
The larger the publishing house, the longer the chain of
people and departments that need to be consulted and
convinced before a book can go to contract. An editor sometimes
has to wait for a prearranged acquisitions meeting at which to
present a recently received picturebook proposal, and this can
occasionally mean losing out to another publisher which is able
to be quicker off the mark. Just occasionally, a new talent
emerging at a graduation show attracts the interest of a number
of publishers and causes a bidding war. The lucky object of the
competition is then able to pick which publisher to go with,
and money is not necessarily the only consideration. A mutually
comfortable feeling about working together is very important.
1
In conversation with Martin Salisbury at the British Association of Illustrators,
March 2010.
168 Chapter 7
The literary agent picturebook maker with a strong record of sales will expect
to receive a much higher advance than a first-time author.
Another way in which a publisher might be approached, or a Royalties are only paid when the book has sold enough copies
publisher might approach an artist, is via a literary agent. The to pay off the advance. For most books, this actually never
role of an agent is to represent and promote an individual, happens and in this eventuality the author is not expected to
helping to maximize their earning power by making sure that repay the advance.
what he or she does or produces is brought to the attention of A typical picturebook contract states the amount of the
as many potential sources of income as possible. Sportsmen advance and the breakdown of payments. It includes detailed
and sportswomen, actors, writers and illustrators may choose clauses on royalty payments on books sold at discount and on
to be represented by agencies. For providing this service, the co-editions sold to other countries in translation. It is important
agent will take a percentage of the income generated. Many to remember that the contract is not a sign it or forget it
illustrators choose not to be represented by an agent, while arrangement. Publishers will be open to negotiation about the
others are represented by artists agents who seek work for details. Most countries have a society of authors or a similar
their clients in a wide range of areas. Picturebook makers often association, and membership of these can be very useful when
prefer to be represented by literary agents who specialize in it comes to contracts. A member can get help from an expert
representing writers and artists who work mainly in publishing. who will check over the contract and offer advice.
Penny Holroyde is an agent with the renowned Caroline
Sheldon Literary Agency in London. She explains what she
perceives to be the benefits for an artist of being represented
The editorial process
by a literary agent: We charge substantially less than artists Once a contract has been signed, and deadlines agreed, the
agents 15 per cent as compared to anything up to 35 per process of creating a book begins. With picturebooks the
cent. The main advantage to the artist is simply the greater contract is often awarded on the basis of a completed dummy
exposure. The work is constantly being shown and we have book, so the extent to which the publisher will want to propose
an online presence too. We deal with all of the nuts and bolts, changes and exert editorial influence will vary from project to
for example dealing with contracts, deadlines and hold-ups. project. A contract is sometimes awarded even though the
Childrens publishing is quite an idiosyncratic business. With publisher is not interested in publishing the book idea that has
our experience of the whole process we are able to say to the been presented. The quality of the artwork, and evidence of
artist This situation is perfectly normal or This is not normal. the makers understanding of the picturebook format, may have
Day-to-day activities may involve meeting with publishers been enough to convince the publisher of his or her potential.
who are looking to match texts with suitable artists. On the The specific visual nature of the picturebook means
other hand, publishers sometimes give picturebook deals to editorial and design input can often overlap. In other words,
artists before they have suitable, publishable texts. In this the way the text and image are integrated visually has an
situation, they speak to agents, looking for writers. Agents also impact on the message the book conveys. So, although the
attend the major book fairs, where they meet with publishers picturebook maker will work with one editor as a main point of
from many countries in the hope of securing deals. Literary contact, if the project is for one of the larger publishing houses
agencies, like publishers, come in different sizes, but most he or she can expect meetings with a range of people who will
strive to achieve a close working relationship with all their artists have input into the development of the book. This can involve
and writers. changes to the characterization, the overall structure of the
sequence, use of colour almost any aspect of the books
Contracts and fees identity. There may be regular meetings between the companys
editorial team and its sales and marketing team, particularly
A picturebook maker usually receives payment in the form of when it comes to the cover of the book, which will be seen to
an advance and a royalty in the form of a percentage of the have a major bearing on its sales.
income on sales. Fees and contracts vary greatly from one
country to another and from one publisher to another within any
country. In many European and Far Eastern countries typical
The designer
advances are considerably lower than those paid in Britain and An often underappreciated contributor to the creation of a
the United States, but royalty percentages can be higher. The good picturebook is the designer/typographer. Although many
latter is often the case with smaller independent publishers, picturebook makers play an active role in the overall design
who are more likely than the bigger houses to take a risk on of their book, the graphic designer within a publishing house
publishing an unknown author but may be less likely to be in is usually key to its development. In a picturebook where
a position to pay up front. Where the writer and illustrator of a visual elements come together to create meaning placement,
picturebook are not the same person, the total of the two fees harmony and graphic emphasis take on considerable
tends be higher than the fee paid to a single artistauthor. importance. For an artist who is not entirely comfortable with
The initial payment for a book is usually in the form of an typography and with making some of the other design decisions,
advance against royalties. This is paid before publication, and a mutually trusting relationship with an in-house designer is a
is often broken down into two or three payments, the first on real bonus.
signing of contract, the second on delivery of roughs, etc. Mike Jolley is the art director at UK-based Templar
A publisher may offer a two-book deal. The amount of the Publishing, which has created a number of highly distinctive
advance payment will, of course, depend on how many copies books in recent years. He has noticed a change in picturebook
of a book the publisher expects to sell. A well-established makers attitudes to design in recent years.
Interestingly, the older generation of artists tends to be more Sometimes a book evolves visually as a design idea. The
relaxed about the designers input. The younger artists have Princess Blankets (Templar, 2008) by Poet Laureate, Carol
grown up with computers and are more likely to present a Ann Duffy developed in this way. The beautiful text is illustrated
picturebook idea as a formed type and image creation, by a series of paintings augmented with scatterings of gold
presenting spreads with text on, maybe with wildly inventive and silver foiling that have clear relevance to the content of the
typography! There are certain things we have to remind them narrative. With Leon and the Place Between (Templar, 2009),
of, like the fact that the text usually has to be printed in black with text by Angela McAllister, Grahame Baker-Smiths digital
in order to save on the printing of translated editions. We try collage illustrations evolved with ongoing design input, including
to have a flexible attitude, though, and usually work through the use of die-cutting, special fifth-colour ink and highly
things together. Just occasionally, an artist may stick integrated typography.
stubbornly to something we dont feel will work and we have Reflecting on the role of the designer, Mike Jolley says he
to trust our judgement and, if necessary, be prepared to sometimes feels as though he is a tightrope walker: In my
walk away. But usually, if our comments are valid, they will be position I have to walk a fine line between remembering that I am
taken on board. On the other hand, some books can reach employed by the publisher while also passionately championing
publication without too many changes from the original an artist or a particular book. The publishers view may be from
concept. Kevin Waldrons Mr Peek and the Misunderstanding the storytelling rather than primarily aesthetic perspective.
at the Zoo (Templar, 2008), for example. There were one or Visions can inevitably sometimes become compromised. Scale
two editorial changes but the typographic style was pretty or format can be an issue for example. A book that we may
faithful to his original version. have envisaged in large format may get a response from the
Left: Kevin Waldrons award-winning

Mr Peek and the Misunderstanding at
the Zoo came to the publisher, Templar,
as a fairly complete design concept.
170 Chapter 7
marketing people along the lines of People wont pay so opportunity to learn from each other and to enjoy the various
much for this book. It needs to be smaller. So we need to exhibitions, lectures and awards ceremonies that take place
have a rethink. But I think the designers role is to find a way alongside the main agenda of commerce.
to accommodate these concerns without compromising the
artists or authors vision. Printing
With high-quality printing now possible all over the world,
The Bologna Childrens Book Fair and global movement and transportation increasingly available,
Before a book is printed it is usually tested, in the form of a the key criterion in choosing a printer is often cost. Most
facsimile dummy, at a major international book fair. The Bologna picturebooks are now printed in the Far East where very high
Childrens Book Fair is of particular importance to the industry. quality can be achieved at competitive prices because of lower
Publishers of childrens books come together from all corners labour costs. The unit cost of a print run (the cost per book) is
of the world to do business, to sell co-editions of their latest relatively small in relation to the final sale price, which takes
books, or to arrange future meetings and generally network. into account the many costs associated with the production
Here it is possible to encounter tiny independent publishers, and of a book. As a rough guide, for many publishers the print
publishers from emerging cultures and economies alongside unit cost needs to be around 10 per cent of the sale price
huge global publishing houses with massive marketing machinery. to be cost-effective. The more books printed, the lower the
The four-day fair also gives professionals within the industry an unit cost. As the paper picturebook battles to assert itself
Left: Catherine Hydes paintings for The

Princess Blankets are enhanced by
various design and production decisions
that included adding gold and silver foiling.
alongside screen-based alternatives, production quality is of, their books. This is often organized by the publishers
increasingly important. marketing department.
The timing of publication can be an important factor
Distribution in the success of a picturebook. Many books are themed
to coincide with particular seasons and festivals, including
The movement of books from printer to bookshops is a major Christmas and Halloween.
logistical issue. Many larger publishers have their own
distribution operations but others employ separate companies
with enormous warehouses and transport fleets.
Booksellers
The final port of call on the picturebooks journey to a childs
Sales and marketing bookshelf is, of course, the place where it is sold. This may
be a single independent bookshop or an outlet of a national
In the larger publishing houses, sales and marketing chain. As with publishing houses, the former are now vastly
departments play a major role in the promotion and success outnumbered by the latter in many cultures. In the case of
of a picturebook. Their people liaise with the major bookstores, bookselling chains, selecting the picturebooks to be displayed
the press and even schools to give publicity to, and generate and promoted in a shop may be done at national level, which
interest in, the product. Many picturebook makers visit schools provides little opportunity for the products of new, smaller
and bookshops on a regular basis to talk about, and sign copies publishers to gain entry. Publishers can pay major bookselling
Above: The annual Bologna Childrens

Book Fair is a key event in the calendar of
the global childrens publishing industry.
Right: Discounting and 3 for 2 offers

can play a key role in the success of
a picturebook.
172 Chapter 7
chains to promote their books. Independent bookshops have There is a danger, particularly in short reviews, of simply
the freedom to buy the books they wish to sell, or which they retelling the story and adding a word about how nice the pictures
feel will appeal most to their customers. Representatives of are. Picturebooks are principally visual in their communication.
publishing houses visit bookshops regularly, to show them For children, the story is very important, but in this context the
the publishers latest publications and encourage their buyers narrative is often told visually. I receive an avalanche of books
to order them. Discounting is now commonplace: 3 for 2 for review. I have to be drawn in to a book visually in order to
offers are worthwhile for publishers when they gain national feel that I want to write about it. Similarly, when people choose
exposure for books, even if profit margins are reduced. With picturebooks to buy, apart from occasionally looking for a book
the deregulation of selling rules in recent years, the role of that addresses a particular subject, they will usually select on
supermarkets in selling books has become increasingly the basis of what is visually engaging.
important. Many supermarket chains stock a small range of I suppose reviewing is essentially an individual, idiosyncratic
picturebooks and those that are chosen are exposed to a thing, but it is also partly objective. I think you can judge quality
vast buying public. as with any form of literature. I like to think that I can
Of course, online booksellers, such as Amazon, have a sometimes point out works of real quality. Left entirely to their
major slice of the market. But browsing is particularly important own devices, young children will pick up something that makes
when it comes to buying picturebooks, so the child-friendly a noise or has an element that they recognize from the TV. But
bookshop still has a key role to play. we wouldnt leave children to choose sweets or burgers all the
time, so it is equally important to help them find books that are
The library market nourishing and will have lasting quality. We all spend a great
deal of time looking at fast images now. Slow images are
The library market is particularly important in the United States, important. Children are naturally visual. They have a powerful
where sales to libraries and schools can make a significant capacity to look and to absorb images. Its something that we
difference to the overall sales of a picturebook. Many editors can lose as we get older. Visual thinking is important, not just if
have this in mind when they are commissioning. you are an artist, but in anything. You have to be visually aware
in order to write. Picturebooks are important!
The reviewer
Good reviews of a picturebook in major publications can be
vital for the sales of the book. Publishers send new books
to magazines and newspapers in the hope that they will be
favourably reviewed. But how are picturebooks reviewed?
They are evolving and changing so quickly as a form that it has
proved difficult for reviewers to keep up with their essentially
visual nature. Many reviewers come from a non-visual, literary
background and are unsure how to write about them. In the
United Kingdom, Nicolette Jones is childrens book reviewer
for the Sunday Times and is acutely aware of these issues:
Case study: The publishers perspective Helen MacKenzie Smith is editorial director for picturebooks
at Random House Childrens Books in London. She has been
Random House responsible for publishing a number of exciting new talents in
recent years including Alexis Deacon, Katie Cleminson and
and Nadia Shireen Nadia Shireen. MacKenzie Smith explains how she goes about
finding new talent:
Its about fifty-fifty attending graduation shows and being
sent samples. I do try to look at all of it. For example, Katie
Cleminson sent in samples including her Box of Tricks idea.
I opened it and immediately loved it. I telephoned her straight
away. She was a bit shocked, I think. I suppose its an
instinctive thing. The more difficult part is knowing how to say
no to people with the sheer volume of stuff sent in. Im always
interested if people demonstrate a knowledge of what we
publish. I remember when Louise Yates first made contact, she
was a fan of Alexis Deacons work. Its a good idea to know
whos publishing the books that you really love. Sending your
Right: Early storyboard for The Good

Little Wolf.
174 Chapter 7
website address in is OK. It doesnt mean it gets seen any challenging. Everyone is more cautious about anything new.
quicker though. We have good working relationships with particular publishers
When it comes to picturebooks I would say that its quite in the US, Knopf for example, who publish Mini Grey. I have
rare to get good artwork and good writing together. When it to ask people to trust me on new books. I focus on about ten
happens, as in the ones Ive mentioned, you just get this books a year.
intangible sense of Shes got it!. And as an editor, youve got
On what shed like to see for picturebooks in the future,
to really love the book to get it through the system to publication.
MacKenzie Smith says:
Youve got to be able to champion it.
Well Id love to see more picturebooks for older children getting
The people to be persuaded can be numerous. As
through. Picturebooks dont have to be just for the three- to
described above, they can include those in editorial, design,
seven year-olds. Id like to see hardbacks surviving more, too.
sales, marketing and publicity right through to the sales reps
In the UK they are very difficult to sell. Id like to see more
who take the books out to shops, and finally the bookshops
books breaking out of the 32-page format. We do need to take
who have to persuade people to buy them. For British publishers,
a few more risks. There is a tendency for one extraordinary
selling books to the American market has been very important.
book to emerge and then everyone follows the format until its
With the global recession of recent years, this has become
dead. With all of these things you need the seller who will push
more challenging. As MacKenzie Smith explains:
them. I think we need to value picturebooks as part of our
In times of recession the word classic has a particular culture much more. Initiatives such as Quentin Blakes new
resonance. Its a lot harder to sell books that are scary or House of Illustration will certainly help.
This page and opposite: Nadia Shireens

The Good Little Wolf caused something
of a feeding frenzy among publishers on
her graduation in 2010. Eventually, the
author settled with Random House, a
decision based on personalities; both
parties felt comfortable with each other.
Passionate about picturebooks, MacKenzie Smith is a comfortable about working closely together, to feel like we are
committee member for the Big Picture, an organization devoted on the same wavelength.
to raising awareness of the genre. As she says, many adults Shireen took time to speak to all of the interested parties
have little sense of what the word really means: Someone and also to take advice on the details of the various contracts
asked me the other day what on earth there is to do as a offered: But there was a calmness about our conversations that
picturebook editor Surely there arent enough words? It put was very reassuring. Also, I grew up with Roald Dahl and Quentin
me in mind of the famous quotation I would have written Blake. They had a major influence on my childhood so I think
you a shorter letter but I didnt have the time.2 the fact that this was the same publisher also had an effect.
MacKenzie Smith first encountered the work of Nadia
Shireen at the latters graduation exhibition in London in early 2
Variously attributed to Blaise Pascal or Mark Twain.
2010. Shireens book, The Good Little Wolf, had been produced
as her final project for her masters degree in childrens book
illustration at Anglia Ruskin University.
At her graduation show Shireen was lucky enough to be
pursued by a number of publishers, but ultimately chose to
accept an offer from MacKenzie Smith at Random House.
As she explains, the reasons for her choice were not primarily
financial: I think it was mostly gut instinct. I knew that
whoever I would be working with, we would need to be
176 Chapter 7
Case study: Growing a publishing business Editions TM in Paris is one of the best-known publishers for
children in France. The books are published in numerous
Thierry Magnier languages and Thierry Magnier, who set up the company, is
in great demand as a speaker and international jury member.
His publishing empire now includes Actes Sud and the highly
influential Editions du Rouergue.
Prior to working in childrens publishing, Magnier studied
horticulture and worked as a florist and a gardener. He also
studied education, science and psychology, and went on to
work as a schoolteacher. He says: I think I was a subversive
teacher. I decided to leave teaching as I was too free-spirited.
I met friends who had opened a bookshop. I opened two
bookshops in Normandy and ran these for five years.
In the bookshops Magnier specialized in childrens literature,
working with teachers and children to promote reading and the
imagination. He then returned to Paris to take on the role of
communications director for the Association of Bookshops.
After a while, he set up a newspaper called Page and later
another for children, Petit Page, promoting childrens literature.
He left to work at Gallimard with the legendary Pierre Marchand,
who had initiated the childrens publishing section in 1972.
Once again, itchy feet got the better of him and he left to set
up Editions TM, which has quickly established itself as a highly
Right and opposite: Tout un monde

and rendez-vous nimporte u have
been big-selling titles from Editions TM.
successful publishing house. Magnier finds time to teach I have too great an appetite for something new. Of course, I
on various masters courses and to write novels. He is also would like to make lots of money but it is never possible to
working with psychiatrists on a project researching the babys predict the big successes. When I prepare a book I try to make
relationship with books. it a beautiful book. When a book has big success, it allows a
Speaking about his personal philosophy in relation to little more risk with another book. Each new book I am in love
publishing for children, Magnier says: with as it is in preparation. You have to believe in a book to
publish it.
Its instinct and intuition really. I have this passion for cooking
and gardening, and there are many parallels. A picturebook On the subject of electronic or eBooks, he feels that
has many ingredients, harmony of colour and flavour. And it is technology cannot be resisted but that it will simply help define
about sharing and about presentation, about finding the right the qualities that make paper picturebooks special: It becomes
ingredients, flavours and textures. My philosophy also involves even more important to make even more beautiful books.
always looking for something new. With a new picturebook The book is a physical object, a material, sensual thing to feel
maker it is important that he or she feels total ownership of the and touch.
book, but also appreciates that it is a team project. There is no
standard recipe for a good book, but a good book for children
is also a good book for adults. The more ingredients and layers
there are, the more levels or ages it will reach.
It is generally perceived that picturebooks in France have,
in recent years, been especially innovative visually. Magnier
feels it has been possible to take risks, but that this is becoming
more difficult. He does not publish series books.
178 Chapter 7
Case study: Small, independent publishers Although, as in many industries, childrens publishing has
become increasingly dominated by large conglomerates, small
Media Vaca, independent publishers continue to flourish. They are often
created by one or two individuals with a passion for quality
Topipittori and visual literature and its important role in the intellectual and
cultural development of the child. Frequently, it is these small
publishing houses that introduce new and innovative visual
De Eenhoorn approaches and ideas to the picturebook world. Without the
need to convince layers of marketing and sales people of a
books commercial potential, there is much more likelihood
that books that have not been designed by committee will
emerge. It is no accident that the majority of books awarded
the Bologna Ragazzi Award for Fiction have, in recent years,
emerged from small-scale set-ups.
Media Vaca (half a cow) is based in Valencia, Spain, and
was formed in 1998 by Vicente Ferrer Azcoiti and Begoa Lob
Abascal. Since then, Vicente Ferrer and Abascal have created
highly distinctive books, their small flow of carefully considered
and beautifully produced publications increasing only slightly
Below left, top: Vicente Ferrer Azcoiti over the years. Apart from printing, everything is done in-house.
and Begoa Lobo Abascal, founders of
In many ways, Media Vaca is redefining the concept of
Media Vaca, at their offices in Valencia,
Spain (photo: Daniel Garcia-Sala). the picturebook. All the books are hardback with dust jackets.
They are shaped like traditional hardback novels for adults but
Below left, bottom: The Media Vaca
logo: half a cow.
Below right and opposite: No Hay

Tiempo Para Jugar/No Time to Play
(text Sandra Arenal, illustrations Mariana
Chiesa; Media Vaca, 2004). Produced
in typical Media Vaca hardback format,
the book gives voice to the child labourers
of Mexico in words and pictures.
the imagery always plays as important a role as the text. The drawings, the best paper. The size of the book is very important
number of pages is usually far greater than in the standard to me. It is a matter of respect for the reader. And you cannot
picturebook. Vicente Ferrer says: ask good artists to work in a small space.
I dont understand this thing called a picturebook. What is it? Vicente Ferrer and Abascal explain that in Spain, the
Its a commercial thing. Most of the texts are stupid! In Spain concept of the picturebook is a relatively recent one:
we still have many teachers who write picturebooks with subjects
You would buy the next book in a well-known series. These
such as the family and so on. Children can be turned off
would be small, paperback books with only the writers name
reading by this experience. They are not poets, they are teachers!
on the cover. The status of the artist had been much higher in
Vicente Ferrer originally worked as an illustrator. This may the 1930s, before the civil war. After Francos death in 1975,
partly explain his passion for the visual and production quality some books began to be imported and translated.
of books, but he is equally passionate about the importance of We started by making only three books a year. We still
content visual and verbal text: have a very small output. We currently have 12 books in
production. I cant produce catalogues because I never know
If we think of the first artists in their caves they would paint a
when anything will be ready!
picture of a buffalo. But it is the idea of the buffalo that matters.
The idea is that you want food a buffalo in the stomach. Saul Most of the books are the brainchild of the publisher. They
Steinberg wrote his ideas in pictures. Goya knew how to make are often obscure texts that Vicente Ferrer discovers lurking
narrative artworks. His paintings are movies. You need to spend in previously drab packaging, and he does justice to them by
time to read them. He was the greatest of illustrators. If the making them into books more worthy of their content:
illustrations do not say anything, it is preferable to have a book
Sometimes the text is very small. I choose an artist and invite
with blank pages, in order to imagine better things. Children
them to help me make this into a more important book. I am
should have the very best books the best stories, the best
motivated by curiosity. Humour is important to me, too. Our
180 Chapter 7
books are for children but are often about children too, in the Speaking about the various ways books come into being,
same way as the books of Charles Dickens. Canton says:
Like Media Vaca, Topipittori in Milan is a publishing house Sometimes people come to us with a project. Sometimes we
that has evolved from a design background with a strong have an idea that we want to pursue. Often publishers have a
interest in the visual. Paulo Canton and Giovanna Zoboli created strong idea of how they want things to be, but I prefer to find a
the company in 2004. Canton had wide experience of working way into an individual artists world. A book that we are working
with illustrators when he designed promotional brochures and on at the moment comes from an experience we had when
small books as editions of corporate gifts. The company now we were visiting the village where Giovanna grew up. It was a
publishes eight to ten picturebooks for children and young saints day and in the village a man was selling balloons in the
adults each year, and its books have won numerous international shapes of animals. It was visually magical and we wanted to
awards. Its stated aim is to produce picturebooks which can make this into a picturebook. We invited Beatrice Alemagna to
contribute to the intellectual and emotional growth of children. develop it. Beatrice felt it important that Giovanna should write
Cantons and Zobolis spacious apartment and offices are the story.
filled with light and with books. Canton explains that he has
Inevitably, with such a focus on quality, some have
always been interested in text and image, and has a substantial
described Topipittori books as difficult. Cantons view on this
collection of antiquarian books, especially herbals. This is a
is particularly interesting:
publisher with an unusual sensitivity to the art of the picturebook.
Below: Libro de las Preguntas/Book

of Questions (text Pablo Neruda,
illustrations Isidro Ferrer; Media Vaca,
2006). Ferrers three-dimensional
assemblages perfectly complement
Nerudas philosophical questions in
another Media Vaca book that stretches
the traditional perception of picturebook.
Well, I think we always have doubts about what we do. Doubts This approach has clearly not been detrimental to strong
are important. And Im always disappointed with a book I business growth for Topipittori. The company doubled its
always feel it could have been better. But Im not sure about turnover in 2008 and, despite the recession, business was still
the idea of difficulty. Nothing is too difficult for children. I think up by 30 per cent in 2009. A strong presence at international
it was Walter Benjamin who said that he had to learn to read book fairs such as Bologna (where the company teamed up
by reading the Bible. Certainly, I am always wrong if I try to with the like-minded Portuguese publisher Planeta Tangerina in
predict what will be commercially successful. It is strange that 2010) has been important for co-edition sales. In Italy, there are
parents seem to consider the book to be the last place where around 2,000 bookshops and four major bookselling chains,
children have the right of choice. Most people would not allow plus some mixed stationery/general shops and a reasonably
a child to choose to eat burgers and sweets all day yet it strong network of smaller independent bookshops. Topipittoris
seems OK to allow a poor visual diet. I saw a programme on books have a presence in about 250 of the bookshops.
TV the other day where experts were trying to understand why Marita Vermeulens route into the world of childrens book
a three-year-old was still speaking in baby talk. It turned out that publishing was slightly different. De Eenhoorn of Belgium is
the childs mother was still speaking to her in baby talk. This is another company with a strong focus on high-quality artwork.
what often happens in books the complexity of the world is Vermeulens background is as a writer and critic of many years
reduced to pictorial baby talk. We are compelled to suggest experience. She has long been a champion of Flemish
age groups for our books on our catalogue but its senseless picturebook makers and wrote the text for Colouring Outside
really. I would prefer to say that our books are for persons. the Lines, which accompanied a touring exhibition of the work
Below: Langelo delle scarpe/The Shoe

Angel (text Giovanna Zoboli, illustrations
Joanna Concejo; Topipittori, 2009). An
aesthetic treat, this book brings together
highly poetic text and illustration. Topipittori
market these books as crickets in the
head books written and illustrated to
open windows on hidden meanings
182 Chapter 7
of Flemish picturebook artists. Her passion for picturebook art Carll has gone further with his work on this book. We are very
led her to take a course in illustration, in order to better proud of it. As it evolved, the book became more and more
understand the processes involved in creative practice. She expensive to produce. People were telling me that I would
now combines her publishing activities with part-time teaching bankrupt the company! But it has been a great success and
of illustration at KASK, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in its reassuring to know that so-called difficult and expressive
Ghent. Here she works alongside the artist Carll Kneut, whose books can do well. People go for the beauty of this book. They
distinctive and distinguished work she regularly publishes. fall in love with this book. I want to make books that people fall
Kneuts most recent project, Het Geheim van de Keel van de in love with! This is a book that you look at over and over again.
Nachtegaal a retelling of Hans Christian Andersens The If you look at the best paintings that still have meaning today,
Nightingale with a text by Peter Verhelst (2009) has been very they are narrative. As a publisher, I want to make room to let
successful. The book is a beautifully produced hardback of the unexpected happen. If I lose the ability to be enchanted by
(pages) with gold printing on the paper edges and no expense a book, I will go and work in a warehouse. When illustrators
spared. Vermeulen explains: come to see me, I want them to leave with the feeling that the
Left: Beatrice Alemagnas Che Cos

un Bambino?/What is a Child? (Topipittori,
2008) has been a major success for
the publisher.
possibilities have increased. If you dont allow an illustrator this driven approach to art for children. Vermeulen has clear views
increased space, you suffocate them. You may get a couple on books for this market:
of OK books, but you lose the possibility of excellence. When
In some countries there can be a tendency to overprotect
meeting new artists it is important to know whether I can work
children and only give them a sort of fragrant Kate Greenaway
with someone. Its not just about talent. Its about stamina,
world; like a sort of sleeping pill if you like. As adults, we do
empathy, a flair for communication not just as an illustrator
often want to protect too much. When we have worked
but as a human being. Doubt is important too; doubt goes
directly with children and our books, as we did with Isabelle
with curiosity. I do try to instil confidence in students, though,
Vandenabeeles Rood Rood Roodkapje (De Eenhoorn, 2003)
in the sense of having belief that they can make a good book.
for instance, the children loved the book but parents said No
The Flemish Literature Fund plays an important role in it will frighten you! In a way, its a little like countries where
occasionally funding the production of books and sometimes we see oppression of women.
subsidizing picturebook artists. As with similar arrangements in
countries such as Norway, this can lead to a less commercially
Left: Isabelle Vandenabeeles graphically

sinister version of Red Riding Hood for
De Eenhoorn (text Edward van de Vendel)
caused some concern among parents,
but was well received by children.
Below: This lavish production of Peter

Verhelsts retelling of Andersens The
Nightingale, with illustrations by Carll
Kneut, proved to be a big success for De
Eenhoorn despite being more expensive
than originally planned.
184 Chapter 7
The eBook
Jon Skuse originally worked in the computer games industry,
then took an MA in childrens book illustration to develop his
illustration skills. He now works as a freelance developer with a
developer range of picturebook publishers, helping them to move into the

world of eBooks. With his background, he is uniquely equipped
to observe the relationship between the traditional and digital
picturebook. As he explains:
There are two aspects to this the business side and the
creative side. The eBook is cheap to make once the technology
is in place and it is cheap to buy. And you are not limited to a
certain number of pages in the way a print-based book is. It
doesnt have to be linear in its construction either. The creator
can make different branches or routes; for example, the
reader can tap on a door to take one route or tap on another
to follow a different narrative.
This, of course, begs the question about where the
picturebook ends and the game begins. Skuse believes that
there is a clear distinction:
The eBook isnt about winning or losing. Its about an
exploration, an experience, rather like a pop-up book. What
many publishers are doing wrong at the moment is just copying
printed picturebooks on to this format, which does both media
Below: Picturebooks are now being a disservice. Its just like looking at a PDF. Children will simply
developed specifically for the screen, as flick through. A printed picturebook is a particular kind of
seen here in the form of content from the physical experience that can be savoured and revisited. The
publisher WingedChariot. They can be
downloaded quickly and comparatively eBook needs to exploit its own particular characteristics and
cheaply. It remains to be seen whether strengths to evolve as similarly special but distinct experience.
this will provide a viable stream of
income for the authors.
It is clear that the picturebook will continue to evolve. The impact

The future of the emergence of the eBook and iPad will, as with most
technological developments, partly redefine and also coexist
with their ancestor. Reading on screen will undoubtedly become
an increasingly popular (and, arguably, more environmentally
friendly) alternative to reading on paper, particularly in the
context of information and news. It may be the case, however,
that the picturebook will be the most dogged survivor on paper;
its intimate and aesthetic physical relationship with parent and
child is less suited to the screen. Indeed, it may well continue
to distinguish itself from the screen by becoming increasingly
assertive in its physical three-dimensional form. Picturebooks
will become ever more lavishly and beautifully produced.
For the all-round health of the picturebook publishing
industry, it is vital that small publishers continue to flourish
alongside the larger houses, taking risks and nourishing the
industry as a whole. If new generations of innovative picturebook
makers are to emerge, passionate publishers such as those
described above will be essential. In an interview with John
Burningham, Deborah Orr asked him about todays approach
to publishing picturebooks. Burningham responded:
they have so many restrictions now. They have very good
editors out there, very good production people but its
committee-led. You have to get a committee to pass everything
the accountants, the salesmen, the marketing people. Im in
the lucky position where I can do what I want and just get on
with it, but I dont know what Id do if I had to start now.
Orr reflects:
In many ways, the vision of childhood that Burningham and
other young artists portrayed in their ground-breaking
picturebooks has gone the same way as the publishing houses
who championed them with such passion. The need for work
like Burninghams is as urgent now, if not more, than it was
back in 1962.3
Indeed it is. And that work is out there, with new
generations of innovative picturebook makers emerging from
all corners of the world, nourishing and reinvigorating the
childrens publishing industry.
Perhaps the last word (or, rather, the last word and picture)
should go to that modern master of the idiom, Lane Smith. In
his new picturebook, Its a Book (Roaring Brook Press, 2010),
Smiths ape tries to explain to Jackass that the thing he is
holding is called a book. Among the stream of questions asked
by Jackass are: How do you scroll down?, Does it need
a password?, Can you tweet? and Can you make the
characters fight?. When Jackass eventually gets the hang of
this strange object, ape is forced to enquire Are you going to
give my book back?. No, replies Jackass.
3
Independent, 18 April 2009.
186
Above: Lane Smith explores the clash

of cultures between paper and screen in
Its a Book.
187
Related reading and browsing

The following is a list of books, periodicals and Cummins, J. (ed.) Kiefer, B. Z.
websites relating to the making and the study of Childrens Book Illustration and Design Vol 2 The Potential of Picture Books
picturebooks. It is by no means comprehensive, PBC International Inc, 1998 Merrill/Prentice Hall, 1995
but it is a starting point.
Dalphin, M., Mahony Miller, B. and Viguers, R. H. Kingman, L.
Illustrators of Childrens Books 19461956 Newberry and Caldecott Medal Books
Books Horn Book Co, 1958 19761985
Horn Books, 1985
Doonan, J.
Alderson, B. Looking at Pictures in Picture Books Kingman, L.
Sing a Song for Sixpence: The English Picture Thimble Press, 1993 Newberry and Caldecott Medal Books 19661975
Book Tradition and Randolph Caldecott Horn Books, 1975
Cambridge University Press, 1986 Evans, D.
Show and Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Kingman, L., Foster, J., Lontoft, R. G. (eds)
Alderson, B. and de Marez Oyens, F. Childrens Book Illustration Illustrators of Childrens Books: 19571966
Be Merry and Wise: Origins of Childrens Chronicle Books, 2008 Horn Books, 1968
Publishing in England, 16501850
The Pierpoint Morgan Library, The Bibliographical Evans, J. Kingman, L.
Society of America, The British Library London, Whats in the Picture? Responding to Illustrations The Illustrators Notebook
Oak Knoll Press, Newcastle, 2006 in Picture Books Horn Books, 1978
Sage Publications Ltd, 1998
Amos, B. and Suben, E. Klemin, D.
Writing and Illustrating Childrens Books for Fisher, M. The Illustrated Book: Its Art and Craft
Publication: Two Perspectives Whos Who in Childrens Books: a Treasury of Clarkson N. Potter inc, 1970
Writers Digest Books, 2005 the Familiar Characters of Childhood
Klemin, D.
Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1975
Arizpe, E. and Styles, M. The Art of Art for Childrens Books
Children Reading Pictures: Gauch, G. L., Briggs, D. and Palmer, C. Clarkson N. Potter, 1966
Interpreting Visual Texts Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk
Kress, G. and Van Leeuwen, T.
RoutledgeFalmer, 2003 About Their Art
Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design
Philomel Books, 2007
Backemeyer, S. (ed.) Routledge, 1996
Picture This: the Artist as Illustrator Gibson, M.
Kushner, T.
A & C Black, 2005 Picturebooks, comics and graphic novels in
The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to the Present
Rudd, D. (ed.) The Routledge Companion to
Baddeley, P. and Eddershaw, C. Harry N. Abrams, 2003
Childrens Literature, pp. 100111
Not so Simple Picture Books: Developing Routledge, 2010 Lacy, L. E.
Responses to Literature with 412-Year-olds Art & Design in Childrens Picture Books: an
Trentham Books, 1994 Graham, J.
analysis of Caldecott Award-winning illustrations
Pictures on the Page
Baines, P. ALA Editions, 1986
National Association for the Teaching of English,
Puffin by Design: 70 Years of Imagination 1990 Lanes, S. G.
19402010 The Art of Maurice Sendak
Allen Lane, 2010 Harding, J. and Pinsent, P. (eds)
Abradale Press/Harry N. Abrams Inc, 1980
What do You See? International Perspectives
Barr, J. on Childrens Book Illustration Lanes, S. G.
Illustrated Childrens Books Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008 Through the Looking Glass: Further Adventures
The British Library, 1980 and Misadventures in the Realm of Childrens
Heller, S. and Arisman, M.
Blake, Q. Literature
The Education of an Illustrator
Magic Pencil: Childrens Book Illustration Today David R. Godine, 2004
Allworth Press, 2000
The British Library, 2002 Lewis, D.
Herdog, W. (ed.)
Blake, Q. Reading contemporary Picturebooks:
Graphis 155. Special Issue: Childrens Books
Words and Pictures Picturing Text
1972
Jonathan Cape, 2000 RoutledgeFalmer, 2001
Herdog, W. (ed.)
Bland, D. Lewis, J.
Graphis 177. Special Issue: Childrens Books
A History of Book Illustration: The Illuminated The Twentieth Century Book
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Manuscript and the Printed Book The Herbert Press, 1984 (revised edition)
Faber & Faber, 1958 Horne, A. (ed.)
Marantz, S. and Marantz, K. A.
The Dictionary of Twentieth Century British
Bland, D. The Art of Childrens Picture Books: a Selective
Book Illustrators
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Antique Collectors Club, 1994
Faber & Faber 1951 Taylor and Francis, 1988
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Chester, T. R. Marantz, K. A. and Marantz, S.
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Childrens Book Research: A Practical Guide to Creating Picture Books: Interviews with Editors,
Black Dog Publishing, 2009
Techniques and Sources Art Directors, Reviewers, Professors, Librarians
Thimble Press/Westminster College 1989 Hrlimann, B. and Showcasers
Three Centuries of Childrens Books in Europe McFarland & Co Inc, 1998
Colomer, T., Kmmerling, B. and World Publishing Company, 1968
Silva-Diaz, C. (eds) Marantz, K. A. and Marantz, S.
New Directions in Picture Book Research Hrlimann, B. (Brian Alderson, trans. and ed.) Multicultural Picture Books: Art for Illuminating
Routledge, 2010 Picture Book World Our World
Oxford University Press, 1968 Scarecrow Press, 2004 (2nd edition)
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Artists of the Page: Interviews with Childrens Caldecott & Co: Notes on Books and Pictures Drawn to Enchant: Original Childrens Book Art
Book Illustrators Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 1988 in the Beinbecke Shirley Collection
McFarland & Co Inc, 1992 Yale University Press, 2007
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Marcus, L. S. Writing With Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate
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the Picture Book Watson-Guptill, 1985
Dutton, 2002 Bookbird
Silvey, A. (ed.)
McCannon, D., Thornton, S. and Williams, Y. Childrens Books and their Creators Childrens Literature in Education
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Childrens Books The Lion and the Unicorn
Simon, F. (ed.) New Review of Childrens Literature and
Perseus Books, 2008
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McCannon, D., Thornton, S. and Williams, Y. A & C Black (annual) INIS
The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Books for Keeps online
Sipe, R. and Pantaleo, S. (eds)
Childrens Books Carousel
Postmodern Picturebooks: Play, Parody, and
A & C Black, 2008 The Story of Picture Books (S. Korea)
Self-Referentiality
Meek, M. Routledge, 2008 The Bookseller
How Texts Teach What Readers Learn
Spaulding, A. E.
Thimble Press, 1988
The Page as a Stage Set: Story Board Websites
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Bologna 2009) Scarecrow Press, 1995 www.alma.se/en
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Muir, P. Stories for Little Comrades: Revolutionary Artists www.bolognafiere.it
English Childrens Books, 16001900 and the Making of Early Soviet Childrens Books www.bookbrunch.co.uk
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Nikolajeva, M. and Scott, C. Styles, M. and Bearne, E. (eds) www.carlemuseum.org
How Picture Books Work Art, Narrative and Childhood www.chihiro.jp
Routledge, 2006 Trentham Books, 2003 www.childrensillustrators.com
Noble, G., Rabey, K. and Styles, M. www.corraini.com
Sutherland, Z. and Arbuthnot, M. H. www.dibuixamunconte.blogspot.com
Picture This! Picture Book Art at the Millennium
Children and Books www.elblogdeilustrarte.blogspot.com
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 2000
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Noble, I. and Bestley, R. www.ibby.org
Trumpener, K.
Visual Research: an Introduction to Research www.ilustrarte.es
Picture-book worlds and ways of seeing in
Methodologies in Graphic Design www.ilustrarte.net
Grenby, M. and Immel, A. (eds) The Cambridge
AVA, 2005 www.itabashiartmuseum.jp
Companion to Childrens Literature
Nodelman, P. Cambridge: CUP pp. 5575 (2009) www.lerouergue.com
Words About Pictures: the Narrative Art of www.metm.co.jp
Van der Linden, S. www.orechioacerbo.com
Childrens Picture Books
Livre LAlbum www.oqo.es
University of Georgia Press, 1990
LAtelier du Poisson Soluble, 2006 www.picturingbooks.com
Powers, A. www.sarmedemostra.it
Vermeulen, M.
Childrens Book Covers www.scbwi.org
Colouring Outside the Lines: Flemish Illustrators
Mitchell Beazley, 2003 www.sevenstories.org.uk
Making Their Mark
Salisbury, M. Flemish Literature Fund, 2003 www.teatrio.it
Illustrating Childrens Books: Creating Pictures www.thelightbox.org.uk
Watson, V. and Styles, M. www.theweeweb.co.uk
for Publication
Talking Pictures: Pictorial Texts and www.topipittori.it
A & C Black, 2004
Young Readers www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown
Salisbury, M. Hodder Arnold H & S, 1996 www.unaflordepapel.blogspot.com
Play Pen: New Childrens Book Illustration www.zazienews.blogspot.com
Whalley, J. I and Chester, T. R.
Laurence King Publishing, 2007 www.zoolibri.com
A History of Childrens Book Illustration
Schwarcz, J. H. John Murray/Victoria and Albert Museum, 1988
Ways of the Illustrator: Visual Communication
Wintle, J. and Fisher, E.
in Childrens Literature
The Pied Pipers: Interviews with the Influential
American Library Association, 1982
Creators of Childrens Literature
Schwarcz, J. H. and Schwarcz, C. Paddington Press, 1974
The Picture Book Comes of Age
Withrow, S. and Withrow, L. B.
American Library Association, 1991
Illustrating Childrens Picture Books
RotoVision 2009
189
Glossary Index
Advance (against royalties) Initial payment to Laminating Applying a transparent or coloured Page numbers in italics refer to illustrations
the artist/author for a picturebook. This may be plastic film to the printing, often in gloss, in order
broken down into two or three installments. If a to enhance or protect the surface. Abascal, Begoa Lob 178, 178, 179
book ultimately sells enough copies to exceed ABC (Wildsmith) 32
this initial royalty payment, then actual royalty Literary agent An agent who represents authors ABC des Petites Annonces (Carrre) 1567
payments to the author commence. and sometimes picturebook makers, promoting Adam and Paradise (Keeping) 34
them to publishers in return for a percentage of Ahlberg, Janet and Allan 42, 90, 92, 93
Adaptations When an original text appears in the income from contracts gained. Ajubel 70, 712
many different forms. For example, Briggs
Alemagna, Beatrice 6670, 182
wordless picturebook, The Snowman, has been Metafiction Any work which highlights its own
Alices Adventures in Wonderland (Carroll) 18,
adapted into an animated film. Images from both fictive nature. Metafictive picturebooks tend to
100, 100
texts have been marketed for a myriad of be funny and ironic. The Stinky Cheese Man is a
Alts, Marta 10810, 156
commercial purposes. prime example, where the author and illustrator
Anno, Mitsumasa 98
show the constructed nature of the text by
Board book Picturebook for very young The Arabs (Bawden) 23, 24
playfully sending up of all the usual expectations
children, printed on stiff boards and with fewer Ardizzone, Edward 21, 212, 51, 51, 150
from the title page to the back cover.
pages than the standard 32-page picturebook. Arizpe, Evelyn 7, 79, 80
Multimodal In the context of the picturebook, The Arrival (Tan) 44, 44, 98
Co-editions Editions of a book that are
this is a term used to describe the plurality of
published in other countries and languages than Babar books (de Brunhoff) 20, 201
modes of communication: e.g. words and pictures.
that of origin. The Baby Who Wouldnt Go to Bed (Cooper)
Contract Agreement of terms and conditions Novelty books Books that are characterized by 934
drawn up between, and signed by, picturebook novelty elements such as pop-up, fold-out or Badmin, Stanley 23, 24
creator(s) and publisher. other moving parts. Baker, Jeannie 98
Baker-Smith, Grahame 169
Copyright Exclusive legal right to print or publish. Paratext According to Genette (1997), this
Banyai, Istvan 98
consists of all the information extraneous to the
Counterpoint Often used in a musical context to Bauer, Jutta 46
central text itself. The term is often divided into
describe the art of combining melodies in such a Bawden, Edward 23, 24, 53, 53, 60, 139, 139
peritext all the information in a text that is not
way that they speak to each other and to the Beggarstaff Brothers 18
part of the central story such as authors name,
audience. In the context of the picturebook, the Bewick, Thomas 13, 13
publishing details, blurb, dust cover, preface,
term usually refers to the dynamic between Birds by Brian Wildsmith (Wildsmith) 33
endpapers; and the epitext consisting of
words and pictures. Blake, Quentin 51, 53, 58, 97, 97, 113, 124,
elements outside the actual volume such as
125, 174
Crossover books Books that straddle or do advertising, reviews and interview.
Blake, William 12, 13
not fall easily into an identified age or genre Postmodernism This is a contested term Blue Bird (Sunkyung Cho) 123, 124
category. which resists categorization. In the field of Boldt, Claudia 1534, 155
Bologna Childrens Book Fair 71, 170, 171, 181
Dcalage A French word meaning gap or picturebooks, it tends to refer to narratives
which often have many of the following features: Book of Nonsense (Lear) 14, 14
shift. Sometimes used to describe the way that
playfulness, rule-breaking, indeterminacy, Borten, Helen 137
the meanings of words and pictures on a
ambiguity, fragmentation, incompleteness, etc. Briggs, Raymond 32, 96, 98
double-page spread in a picturebook can
It is worth noting that many children take such Brown, Ruth 93
deliberately contradict or challenge each other.
challenges in their stride. Browne, Anthony 412, 74, 74, 79, 812, 82, 85
Dummy An early version or model of a Brykcynski, Marcin 106, 107
picturebook that is made initially by the artist as Recto Right-hand page of an open book. Bully (D. Hughes) 112
a maquette of the book to aid the development Reprint Printing of the book that is subsequent Burningham, John 32, 356, 51, 58, 956, 113,
of its design, pace and rhythm. Later, a more to the first printing. 185
finished dummy may be made up by the Aldo 36
publisher prior to final printing, in order to Rough An unfinished, simplified version of a Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with No
present at book fairs to potential co-publishers. design, drawing or layout. Feathers 35
Royalties Amount received by artist and/or Granpa 36, 74, 956, 96
Endpapers The first and last pages of a book, Humbert 35
author as a percentage of the income from sales
immediately inside the covers. Oi! Get Off Our Train 36
of a book.
Font A set of type of one particular design or Shirley books 88, 89, 95
Spread Printed matter across two facing pages.
face.
Storyboard A sequence of miniature frames on Cai Gao 42
Gutter The margin or fold at the centre of a a single sheet of paper on which the picturebook Caldecott, Ralph 16, 1617, 17, 49
double-page spread. maker initially plans out the structure and Cant You Sleep, Little Bear? series (Firth and
sequence of the picturebook. Waddell) 93
Intertextuality When one text makes reference Canton, Paul (Topipittori) 1801
to another text, which might be in the form of the Title page Normally the recto page after the Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor (Peake)
written word, illustration, media text or wider opening endpapers of a picturebook, carrying 22, 22
cultural forms. In other words, meaning does not the title and decorative motifs. Carle, Eric 51, 93
reside purely within any given text but from its Carrre, Gwnola 1567
relationships with other texts and/or cultural forms. Verso Left-hand page of an open book.
Carrington, Noel 23, 26
ISBN International Standard Book Number. A Carvalho, Bernardo 98, 98, 99
unique number that identifies each book and is cave paintings 10
also included in the barcode. Chain of Happiness (Alts) 156
chapbooks 12, 1213
190
Chapman, Jason 99 The Frog Prince (Scieszka and Johnson) 79, Kress, Gunter 91
Che Cos un Bambino? (What is a Child?, 84, 85 Kulman, Andrew 143
Alemagna) 182
Cheese, Chloe 139 Het Gehelm van de Keel van de Nachtegaal (The Lang, Katrin 57
Chiesa, Mariana 178, 179 Nightingale, Verhelst and Kneut) 182, 183 Langelo delle scarpe (The Shoe Angel, Zoboli
Child, Lauren 83, 85 George, Mabel 32 and Concejo) 181
children and picturebooks 805, 86 Gerrard, Roy 41, 41 Last Summer by the Seaside (Gordon) 601
Children Reading Pictures (Arizpe and Styles) The God Beneath the Sea (Garfield and Blishen Lawrence, John 60, 138, 138
79, 80 with Keeping) 35 Le Witt, Jan (Lewitt-Him) 27
A Childs Garden of Verses (Stevenson and Goggles (Keats) 36 Leach, Molly 44, 76
Wildsmith) 33 The Good Little Wolf (Shireen) 173, 174, 175, Lear, Edward 14, 14, 105
Chin, Susan 149 175 Legrand, Edy 19, 19
Clement, Sabien 12930 Gordon, Andrew 601 Leighton, Clare 138
Cleminson, Katie 173 Gorilla (Browne) 42 Leon and the Place Between (McAllister and
Clever Bill ( Nicholson) 18, 19 Grandpas Angel (Bauer) 46 Baker-Smith) 169
Clown (Q. Blake) 97, 97 graphic novels 98 Lewis, David 91
Collington, Peter 98 Gravett, Emily 91, 96 Lewitt-Him 27, 27
The Conquerors (McKee) 126, 127, 128 The Great Paper Caper (Jeffers) 1001, 103 Liao, Jimmy 43, 44
Cooper, Helen 934 Greder, Armin 126, 1267, 127 Libro de las Preguntas (Book of Questions,
Crane, Walter 17 Greenaway, Kate 17 Neruda and I. Ferrer) 180
Crocodile Tears (Franois) 31 Grey, Mini 44, 174 Lie, Bjorn Rune 120, 121, 121
Crowther, Kitty 46, 46 Guarnaccia, Steve 53 Liefde kan niet zonder Liefde (Ouheusden and
Curious George (Rey) 22 Vanwonterghem) 140
Hale, Kathleen 23, 24 Lily Takes a Walk (Kitamura) 78, 79, 79, 81, 85,
Dahle, Gro 116, 116, 117, 117, 118, 118, 119 The Happy Lion (Duvoisin) 30 945
dAulaire, Ingri and Edgar Parin 267 Hret til Mamma (Mums Hair, Nyhus and Dahle) Un Lion Paris (Alemagna) 6670
de Brunhoff, Jean and Laurent 20, 201 117, 119 Lionni, Leo 29, 30, 301
De Eenhoorn 1813, 183 Haunted House (Kohara) 142 Listen! Listen! (Rand) 30
Deacon, Alexis 58, 58, 173 Haunted House (Pienkowski) 74 Little 1 (Rand) 30
Um Dia Na Praia (A Day at the Beach, Carvalho) The Heart and the Bottle (Jeffers) 100, 102 Little Blue and Little Yellow (Lionni) 30, 301
98, 98, 99 High Street (Ravilious et al.) 23, 23 Little Mouse books (Flix) 97
difficult subjects 36, 38, 86, 956, 113, 11628 Him, George (Lewitt-Him) 27 Little Red Engine books (Ross and Lewitt-him/
digital printmaking 72, 107, 131, 133, 137, 150, Hip Hop Dog (Radunksy and Raschka) 1045 Wood) 27, 27
1567, 1601 Hoban, Russell and Lilian 92 The Little Red Fish (Tae-Eun Yoo) 147
The Dish and the Spoon (Grey) 44 Hoffmann, Heinrich 14, 15 Little Tree (Komagata) 45
Doonan, Jane 901 Hoskins, Neal (WingedChariot Press) 107 The Little White Bear (Marx) 25, 26
drawing 29, 35, 53, 556, 58, 667, 77 How to Catch a Star (Jeffers) 166, 167 Lobel, Arnold 92
Duck, Death and the Tulip (Erlbruch) 122, 1223, Hughes, David 112 Loveless, Liz 1512
123 Hughes, Shirley 98
Duffy, Carol Ann 169, 170 Hutchins, Pat 94, 94 Macao et Cosmage (Legrand) 19, 19
Dupasquier, Philippe 98 Hutton, Clarke 23 Macaulay, David 79
Duvoisin, Roger 29, 30 Hyde, Catherine 170 MacKenzie Smith, Helen (Random House) 1735
Mackey, Margaret 79, 91
Each Peach Pear Plum (Ahlberg) 42 I Hate My Teddy Bear (McKee) 42, 95, 95 The Magic Currant Bun (Symonds and Franois)
eBooks 137, 150, 177, 184, 184, 185 I Know a Lot of Things (Rand) 29 31
Der Edelstein (Boner) 12 Ignerska, Marta 106, 107 Magnier, Thierry 1767
Editions TM 1767 Inkpen, Mick 93 Manu is Feeling... From A to Z (Moniz) 625
education and training 29, 51, 534, 54, 55 The Island (Greder) 126, 1267, 127 Mare en de Dingen (Vermeire) 11415
Edward Hopper and the Carrot Crunch (M. Its a Book (L. Smith) 164, 185, 186 Marx, Enid 25, 26
Smith) 150 Mary Belinda and the Ten Aunts (Pulling and
Einzig, Susan 26, 26 Jackson, Sheila 26 Einzig) 26, 26
Elmer the Elephant (McKee) 42, 128 Jeffers, Oliver 1001, 102, 103, 166, 167 McKee, David 42, 95, 95, 113, 126, 1278, 128
Erlbruch, Wolf 122, 1223, 123 Jij lievert (Kockere and Clement) 12930 McKnight Kauffer, Edward 19
Evans, Edmund 17 Jocasta Carr, Movie Star (Gerrard) 41 McNaughton, Colin 93
Johnson, Steve 79, 84, 85 Media Vaca 71, 72, 178, 17880, 180
Fanelli, Sara 91 The Jolly Postman (Ahlberg) 42, 92 Meek, Margaret 90
The Favershams (Gerrard) 41 Minton, John 27
Flix, Monique 97 Keats, Jack Ezra 36, 36 Moebius, William 91
Ferrer, Isidro 180 Kebbi, Yann 1589 Mog (Kerr) 36
Ferrer, Vicente (Media Vaca) 712, 178, 178, Keeping, Charles 32, 34, 35 Moniz, Madalena 625
17980 Kerr, Judith 36, 37, 38 Moon Man (Ungerer) 30
A Fish With a Smile (Liao) 44 Killen, Nicola 149 Moonlight (Ormerod) 97
Fix, Philippe 121 Kitamura, Satoshi 78, 79, 79, 81, 85, 945 The Mouses Tail (Carroll) 100, 100
Foreman, Michael 93 Kneut, Carll 182, 183 Mr Benn series (McKee) 42
Frances books (Hoban) 92 Kockere, Geert De 129, 130, 141 Mr Peek and the Misunderstanding at the Zoo
Franois, Andr 31, 31, 39 Kohara, Kazuno 142 (Waldron) 169, 169
Frasconi, Antonio 29, 29, 30, 139 Komagata, Katsumi 45 Munari, Bruno 51
Frog and Toad stories (Lobel) 92 Kow Fong Lee 131, 1313, 134 My First Nursery Book (Themerson) 101
191
Negrin, Fabian 48, 1602 The Red Tree (Tan) 44 Sunshine (Ormerod) 97
Neves, Andr 46 relief printing
Nicholson, Sir William 1819 card printing 139, 139 Tae-Eun Yoo 147
Nikolajeva, Maria 92, 94 engraving 13, 13, 137, 138 The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter) 92
No! (Alts) 10810 linocuts 18, 137, 138, 139, 142, 143 Tan, Shaun 44, 44, 989
No Hay Tiempo Para Jugar (No Time to Play, Scratch-Foam 153, 1534 Tenniel, Sir John 18
Arenal and Chiesa) 178, 179 vinyl 138, 138 Themerson, Stefan and Franciszka 100, 101
Noble, Kate 79, 85 woodcuts 12, 1213, 1819, 30, 137, This Is... series (Sasek) 38, 38, 39
Nodelman, Perry 86, 90, 91 1389, 141 Thompson, Colin 91, 96
Not Me! (Killen) 149 rendez-vous nimporte u (Scotto and Monchy) Thompson, Karen 55
Not Now, Bernard (McKee) 42 177 The Tiger Who Came to Tea (Kerr) 36, 37, 38
Nyhus, Svein 116, 11618, 117, 118, 119 Rey, Margaret and H.A. 22 Tim books (Ardizzone) 21, 212
The Riverbank (Negrin) 160 Tom et Tabby (Symonds and Franois) 31
Obax (Neves) 46 The Robe of One Hundred Kind of Feathers Toms Midnight Garden (Pearce and Einzig) 26
Off to Windmill Hill (Bawden) 53 (Cai Gao) 42 Topipittori 1801, 182
Old Winkle and the Seagulls (Rose) 32 Robinson Crusoe (Ajubel) 70, 712 Tout un monde (Couprie and Louchard) 176
Olech, Joanna 106, 107 Rood Rood Roodkapje (Little Red Hiding Hood, Traction Man is Here (Grey) 44
On va au parc! (Negrin) 1602 Vendel and Vandenabeele) 183, 183 Trajans Column, Rome 10, 11
One Five Many (Pacovsk) 52 Rose, Gerald 32 Treasure Island (Stevenson and Lawrence) 138
Orbis Sensualium Pictus (Comenius) 12 Rosen, Michael 124, 125 The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Scieszka
Orlando books (Hale) 23, 24 Rosies Walk (Hutchins) 94, 94 and L. Smith) 44
Ormerod, Jan 79, 97 The Tunnel (Browne) 79, 81, 82
Our Cat Flossie (Brown) 93 The Sad Book (Rosen and Q. Blake) 124, 125 Tusk Tusk (McKee) 126, 127, 128, 128
Ouzonova, Antoaneta 57 Sandu, Anca 6
Owl Babies (Benson and Waddell) 92, 93, 93 Sasek, Miroslav 29, 38, 38, 39 Ungerer, Tomi 39
Scieszka, Jon 44, 756, 76, 79, 84, 85, 89 Up and Up (S. Hughes) 98
Pacovsk, Kvta 51, 52 Scott, Carole 92, 94
Palin, Merja 55 Secrets in the Woods (Liao) 44 Van Allsburg, Chris 91, 96
Palmer, Rebecca 1312, 132, 133 See and Say (Frasconi) 29, 30 Van Leeuwen, Theo 91
Pantaleo, Sylvia 91 Sendak, Maurice 16, 21, 38, 51, 75, 76, 89, 162 Vandenabeele, Isabelle 139, 141, 183, 183
Peake, Mervyn 22, 22 Little Bear series (text by Else H. Minarik) Vaughan, Keith 27
Pre Castor books 23, 157 38, 92 Vermeire, Katje 11415, 144, 146
Petit Robert et le Mystre du Frigidaire (Negrin) We are all in the Dumps with Jack and Guy Vermeulen, Marita (De Eenhoorn) 12930, 1813
48 76 The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Carle) 93
pictorial text 44, 93, 1001 Where the Wild Things Are 38, 40, 94 La Visite de Petite Mort (Crowther) 46
Pienkowski, Jan 74, 93 Senefelder, Aloysius 14, 148 visual literacy and picture books 56, 66, 77,
Pink Piglet (Brykcynski, Olech and Ignerska) 106, Serafin books (Fix) 121 789, 90
107 Shahn, Ben 54, 54 Vorspel Van Een Gebroken Liefde (Kockere and
Piper, John 27 The Shape of Content (Shahn) 54, 54 Vandenabeele) 141
The Pirate Twins (Nicholson) 19 Sharratt, Nick 93
pochoir 19, 156 Shepard, Ernest 75 Waddell, Martin 89, 92, 93, 93
Potter, Beatrix 92 Shireen, Nadia 173, 173, 174, 175, 175 Waldron, Kevin 169, 169
The Princess Blankets (Duffy and Hyde) 169, Shortcut (Macaulay) 79 Webb, Hannah 136
170 Sinna Mann (Angry Man, Nyhus and Dahle) 116, Welhavens Vase (Lie) 120, 121, 121
printing and print processes 136, 137, 1701 116, 117 When the Moon Forgot (Liao) 43
autolithography 23, 23, 25, 26, 27 Sipe, Lawrence 91 Whos Afraid of the Big Bad Book? (Child) 83, 85
etching/intaglio 145, 145, 146 Sis, Peter 91, 96 Wiesner, David 91, 96, 98
lithography 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 26, 148, 148 The Sixpence that Rolled Away (MacNeice and Wildsmith, Brian 32, 33, 35
monoprints 149, 149 Bawden) 139 Window (Baker) 98
monotype 149, 1589, 159 sketchbooks 55, 57, 58, 58 WingedChariot Press 107, 184
screen printing 144, 144, 151, 1567 Skuse, Jon 184 Wood, Leslie 27, 27
see also digital printmaking; relief printing Smith, Lane 44, 756, 76, 91, 164, 185, 186 word and image relationship 8996
Pryde, James 18 Smith, Mike 150 wordless books 712, 979
publishing houses 72, 113, 165, 167, 168, 171 The Snowman (Briggs) 98 Wormell, Christopher 138
publishing process 16672 The Snowy Day (Keats) 36
Puffin Picture Books 235 Songs of Innocence (W. Blake) 12, 13 Zoboli, Giovanna (Topipittori) 180, 181
Sparkle and Spin (Rand) 28, 30 Zoo (Browne) 42, 74, 74, 79, 812
Rackham, Arthur 18, 162 Stan and Mabel (Chapman) 99 Zoom (Banyai) 98
Radunsky, Vladimir 1045 Stargazers, Skyscrapers and Extraordinary
Railway Passage (Keeping) 34 Sausages (Boldt) 154, 155
Rain and Hail (Branley and Borten) 137 The Stinky Cheese Man (Scieszka and L. Smith)
Rand, Paul 28, 2930, 107 756, 76
Random House 35, 1735, 174 Stobbs, William 53, 53
Raschka, Chris 89, 1045 Der Struwwelpeter (Hoffmann) 14, 15
Raverat, Gwen 138 Styles, Morag 7, 74, 79, 80
Ravilious, Eric 23, 23 suitability of picturebooks 14, 20, 22, 49, 113,
Red Light, Green Light (Kulman) 143 121, 130, 1313
Red Striped Pants (Borim Press) 148 Sunkyung Cho 1234, 124
192
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due first of all to Pam Smy for her Frigidaire copyright Fabian Negrin. 51 The Model and kind permission from the artist. 125 The Sad Book
tireless assistance with picture permissions. her Reflection, lithograph Edward Ardizzone, 1955. written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin
Permission granted by the Artists Estate. 52 Illustration Blake. Illustrations Quentin Blake, 2004. Reproduced
Thanks too to Laurence King Publishing, especially from One, Five Many by Kveta Patkovska. Copyright by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ.
to Melanie Walker for her careful and considerate Kveta Patkovska, 1990, reproduced with kind 126127 Armin Greder, 2008. 128 (top) The
editing, to Donald Dinwiddie for his generous permission from the artist. 53 (top) The Cats Go to Conquerors David McKee, 2004. First published in
Market text Joan E. Cass and illustration William Great Britain 2004 by Andersen Press Limited, London;
support and organization and to Studio Ten and
Stobbs, 1969; (bottom) Off to Windmill Hill copyright (bottom) Tusk Tusk David McKee, 1978. First
a Half for their sensitive design. Gratitude is The Estate of Edward Bawden. 54 Cover of The Shape published in Great Britain 1978 by Andersen Press
also extended to the many MA Childrens Book of Content Estate of Ben Shahn/DACS, London/ Limited, London. 129130 Jij Lievert, text Geert De
Illustration students at Cambridge School of Art VAGA, New York 2011. 55 & 57 Sketchbook pages Kockere, illustrations Sabien Clement and book De
Merja Palin, Karen Thompson, Antoaneta Ouzounova Eenhoorn Publishers, 2002. 131 & 134 The Journey by
who have allowed their work to be studied and and Kathrin Lang, all reproduced with kind permission Lee Kow Fong, images Lee Kow Fong 2010,
reproduced, and to all those busy publishers from the artists. 58 Alexis Deacon sketchbook images reproduced with kind permission of the artist. 132133
and editors who gave up their time to speak to copyright Alexis Deacon. 6061 Last Summer by the Illustrations by Becky Palmer, images Rebecca
us. Finally, thanks to Beatrice Alemagna for her Seaside by Andrew Gordon Andrew Gordon, 2009. Palmer 2010, reproduced with kind permission of the
6265 Manu is FeelingFrom A to Z by Madelena artist. 136 (bottom) The Old Print Room drawing by
beautiful artwork for the cover. Moniz Madelena Moniz, reproduced with kind Hannah Webb, Hannah Webb, reproduced with kind
permission from the artist. 6669 Un Lion Paris permission from the artist. 137 Rain and Hail,
Beatrice Alemagna, 2006. 7072 Robinson Crusoe illustrations Helen Borten, 1963. 138 Treasure Island
Picture credits Ajubel, 2008 & Media Vaca, 2008. 74 Zoo by Anthony illustrated by John Lawrence. Illustrations 2009 John
Browne, copyright Anthony Browne 1992, published Lawrence. Reproduced by permission of Walker books
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright by Red Fox. Used by permission of The Random House Ltd, London SE11 5HJ. 139 (left) The Sixpence that
holders, but should there be any errors or omissions the Group Ltd. 76 The Stinky Cheese Man, Lane Smith. Rolled Away The Estate of Edward Bawden; (right)
publishers would be pleased to insert the appropriate Artwork Lane Smith 1992. Text Jon Scieszka 1992. Toy Car cardboard print by Chlo Cheese, reproduced
acknowledgement in any subsequent edition of the 7879 Lily Takes a Walk, copyright Satoshi Kitamura, with kind permission from the artist. 140 Liefde kan niet
book. Items in bold refer to page number and position. reproduced with kind permission from the artist. 82 The zonder liefde text Pieter van Oudheusden, illustration
Tunnel written and illustrated by Anthony Browne. Kevin Van Wonterghem, book De Eenhoorn
10 The Bridgeman Art Library. 11 Vincenzo Pirozzi, Illustrations 1989 Anthony Browne. Reproduced by Publishers. 141 Voorspel van een gebroken liefde text
Rome fotopirozzi@inwind.it. 12 (right) Fitzwilliam permission of Walker Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ. 83 Geert De Kockere, illustration Isabelle Vandenabeele,
Museum, University of Cambridge/ The Bridgeman Art Lauren Child, 2002. 84 One double page spread from book De Eenhoorn Publishers. 142 The Haunted
Library. 18 Clever Bill William Nicholson, 1926. 19 The Frog Prince Continued by Jon Scieszka and House text and illustration Kazuno Kohara,
Macao et Cosmage Edy Legrand, 1919. 20 Babar the illustrated by Steve Johnson (Puffin, 1991, 1992, 1994). reproduced with kind permission from the artist. 143
Elephant Jean de Brunhoff. 21 Tim to the Rescue text Text copyright Jon Scieszka, 1991. Illustrations Red Light Green Light Andrew Kulman, reproduced
and illustrations copyright Edward Ardizzone, 1949 copyright Steve Johnson, 1991. 8889 Come away with kind permission from the artist. 144 Chain of
and reproduced with permission of Frances Lincoln Ltd. from the Water, Shirley by John Burningham, copyright Happiness screenprint Marta Alts, 2010, reproduced
22 Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor copyright John Burningham, published by Jonathan Cape. with kind permission from the artist. 145146 Mannetje
Mervyn Peake. 23 High Street by J M Richards. Used by permission of The Random House Group Ltd. en Vrouwtje krijgen een kind text Brigitte Minne,
Illustrations copyright Eric Ravillious 1938. Published 9293 Owl Babies written by Martin Waddell and illustration Kaatje Vermeire, book De Eenhoorn
by Egmont UK Ltd London and used with permission. illustrated by Patrick Benson. Illustrations 1992 Publishers. 147 The Little Red Fish Tae-Eun Yoo
24 (top) The Arabs copyright The estate of Edward Patrick Benson. Reproduced by permission of Walker 2007. 148 Red Striped Pants Lee Jina. Originally
Bawden; (bottom) Orlandos Invisible Pyjamas copyright Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ. 94 Rosies Walk by Pat published by Borim Press, Korea 2007. 149 (top)
Kathleen Hale, 1947 and reproduced by permission Hutchins, copyright Pat Hutchins, published by Somebody Great Loves Me monoprints Suzanne
of Frederick Warne & Co. 25 (top) The Little White Bear Bodley Head. Used by permission of The Random Chim, reproduced with kind permission from the artist;
copyright Enid Marx, 1945; (bottom) Village and House Group Ltd. 95 I Hate My Teddy Bear David (bottom) From Not Me!, illustrations copyright Nicola
Town, by Stanley Badmin, 1947 and reproduced by McKee, 1982. First Published in Great Britain in 1982 by Killen 2010. Published by Egmont UK Ltd and used with
permission of Penguin Books Ltd. 26 Mary Belinda and Andersen Press Limited, London. 96 Granpa by John permission. 150 Cockadoodledont! Mike Smith,
the Ten Aunts copyright Susan Einzig and reproduced Burningham, copyright John Burningham, published reproduced with kind permission from the artist. 151
with kind permission of Hetty Einzig and Mary Kuper. 27 by Jonathan Cape. Used by permission of The Random 152 Gelati in Venice Liz Loveless. 153155 Star
Little Red Engine Goes to Town text by Diana Ross, House Group Ltd. 97 Clown by Quentin Blake, copyright Gazers, Skyscrapers and Extraordinary Sausages
Illustrations Leslie Wood, 1952. 28 Sparkle and Spin Quentin Blake, published by Jonathan Cape. Used by 2010 Claudia Boldt boldt@cloudcukoostudio.com.
Paul Rand, 1957. 29 See and Say DACS 2011. 30 permission of The Random House Group Ltd. 9899 Reproduced by kind permission of Childs Play
Little Blue and Little Yellow Leo Lionni, 1962. 31 Les Um Dia Na Praia 2008, Planeta Tangerina Bernardo (International) Ltd. 156157 Gwnola Carrre, ABC
Larmes de Crocodile or Crocodile Tears Andre Carvalho. 100 The Mouses Tale Lewis Carroll, 1865. Cercasi, Topipittori.www.topipittori.it. 158159
Francois, 1956. 32 Old Winkle and the Seagulls; 101 My First Nursery Book by Franciszka Thermerson, Monotypes copyright of Yann Kebbi, reproduced with
copyright Gerald Rose, 1960. 33 (top) Illustrations copyright Franciszka Thermerson 1946, reproduced kind permission from the arist. 160161 On va au parc!
from Birds by Brian Wildsmith, copyright Brian with permission from Tate Publishing Ltd. 102 The Heart Author of the text and the illustrations Fabian Negrin.
Wildsmith, 1980, reprinted by permission of Oxford in the Bottle written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, 164 & 186 Its a Book text and artwork Lane Smith
University Press; (bottom) Illustrations from A Childs copyright Oliver Jeffers 2010, reproduced by kind 2010. 166 How to Catch a Star written and illustrated
Garden of Verse by Brian Wildsmith, copyright Brian permission of the artist. 103 The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers, copyright Oliver Jeffers 2005,
Wildsmith, 1966, reprinted by permission of Oxford written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, copyright reproduced by kind permission of the artist. 169 Mr
University Press. 34 Illustrations for Railway Passage Oliver Jeffers 2008, reproduced by kind permission of Peek and the Misunderstanding at the Zoo by Kevin
and Adam and Paradise Island by Charles Keeping the artist. 104105 Hip Hop Dog, written by Chris Waldron. Cover design by Kevin Waldron and Mike
B.L. Kearley Ltd. 35 Humbert by John Burningham, Raschka and Illustrated and designed by Vladimir Jolley, published by Templar Publishing. 170 The
published by Jonathan Cape, used by permission of The Radunsky. 106 Pink Piglet, text Marcin Brykcynski, Princess Blankets written by Carol Ann Duffy, paintings
Random House Group Ltd. 36 Goggles Ezra Jack illustration Joanna Olech, layout Marta Ignerska, (illustration) by Catherine Hyde. Cover Design by Janie
Keats, 1969. 37 The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Judith 2006 reproduced with permission from Winged Chariot Louise Hunt, published by Templar Publishing. 173
Kerr, 1968. 3839 This is London, Miroslav Sasek, Press. 108110 No! written and illustrated by Marta Good Little Wolf storyboard Nadia Shireen,
1959. 40 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Alts. Marta Alts, 2010 martaltes.com. 112 Bully by reproduced with kind permission from the artist. 174
Sendak, copyright Maurice Sendak, 1963, published David Hughes. Illustrations 1992 David Hughes. 175 Good Little Wolf by Nadia Shireen, published by
by Bodley Head, used by permission of The Random Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, Jonathan Cape. Reprinted by permission of The
House Group Ltd. 41 The Favershams by Roy Gerrard, London SE11 5HJ. 114115 Mare en de Dingen, text Random House Group Ltd. 176177 Courtesy Thierry
copyright Roy Gerrard 1982, and reproduced by copyright Tine Mortier, illustration copyright Kaatje Magnier. 178 (right) & 179 No Hay Tiempo para Jugar
permission of Penguin Books Ltd. 42 Cai Gao. 43 Vermeire, book copyright De Eenhoorn Publishers. text Sandra Arenal, 2004, illustrations Mariana
When the Moon Forgot Jimmy Liao, 2009. 44 Image Reproduced with kind permission from the De Eenhoorn Chiesa, 2004, published by Media Vaca, 2004. 180
from The Arrival by Shaun Tan (2006), reproduced with Publishers. 116117 Sinna Mann, picturebook by Gro Libro de las Preguntas text Pablo Neruda and
permission from Lothian Books, an imprint of Hachette Dahle (writer) and Svein Nyhus (illustrator), Cappelen, illustrations Isidro Ferrer, published by Media Vaca.
Australia. U.S. edition published by Arthur A. Levine Oslo, Norway 2003. 118119 Hret Til Mamma, 181 Joanna Concejo, Langelo Delle Scarpe, 2009
Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. 45 Little Tree picturebook by Gro Dahle (writer) and Svein Nyhus Topipittori. www.topipittori.it. 182 Beatrice Alemangna,
Kastumi Komagata, 2008, reproduced with kind (illustrator), Cappelen, Oslo, Norway 2007. 120121 Che Cose Un Bambino, 2008 Topipittori. www.
permission from the artist. 46 (top) La Visite de Petite Welhavens Vase by Bjrn Rune Lie copyright Bjrn topipittori.it. 183 (top) Rood Rood Roodkapje text
Mort Kitty Crowther 2004, reproduced with Rune Lie and reproduced with kind permission from the Edward van de Vendel, illustrations Isabelle
permission from the publisher, Lcole des Loisirs. 46 artist. 122123 Death, Duck and the Tulip Wolf Vandenabeele, book De Eenhoorn Publishers;
(bottom) Obax text and illustrations Andr Neves Erlbruch, Verlag Antje Kunstmann GmbH, Mnchen (bottom) Het geheim van de keel van de nachtegaal,
2010, published with permission from Brinque-Book, 2007. English version Gecko Press, New Zealand 2007. text Peter Verhelst, illustrations Carll Cneut, book
So Paulo, Brazil. 48 Petit Robert et la Mystre du 124 Blue Bird Sunkyung Cho 2005, reproduced with De Eenhoorn Publishers. 184 Courtesy WingedChariot.

Childrens Picturebooks The Art of Visual Storytelling by Martin Salisbury Morag Styles

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Childrens Picturebooks The Art of Visual Storytelling by Martin Salisbury Morag Styles

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Childrens

Martin Salisbury with Morag Styles

Laurence King Publishing

Copyright text 2012 Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or

Design: Studio Ten and a Half

7 Introduction 111 Chapter 5: Suitable for Children?

Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles, 2012

Opposite: Anca Sandu, 2010.

The history of the modern picturebook, as we have defined it,

precursors children. Of course, pictorial storytelling can be traced back as

Below: Mankind has felt the need to

The invention of printing in the fifteenth century meant that

Right: William Blakes integration of words

Below: The term chapbook derives

Left: Thomas Bewicks engravings

Until the 1830s colour was usually added by hand until a

Right: Edward Lears illustrations to his

Left and below: The iconic status

It was at exactly the time of the publication of A Book of

the modern acknowledged to be the father of the picturebook. Maurice

nineteenth word, a counterpoint that never happened before. Words are

Below and opposite: Randolph

golden age of developments in printing technology, changing attitudes to

Below: William Nicholson is perhaps

Below: A natural sense of placement and

Below: The de Brunhoffs Babar, shown

Below: Edward Ardizzones Tim books

Below: Mervyn Peakes highly eccentric

The editor, designer and publisher Noel Carrington was a

Books, he was experienced in collaborating with artists to prepare

Left: Edward Bawdens illustrations to The

Below: Kathleen Hales Orlando books

Left: Enid Marx was a designer, illustrator

Below: Stanley Badmins mastery of the

As Europe emerged from war, the need to keep publishing costs

years to be a popular means of production and Noel Carringtons

Below and right: Transatlantic Arts

Opposite: The Little Red Engine Goes

Below: Paul Rands blurring of

From the 1950s an increasing number of graphic designers

Below: Antonio Frasconis See and Say

Below: In Little Blue and Little Yellow,

from each other. As they hug joyfully on being reunited, they

Below: Andr Franois Crocodile Tears

As the swinging sixties exploded into life, a number of British

Below: Gerald Roses illustrations to Old

Opposite: Many of Charles Keepings Below: John Burningham emerged in

Left: Ezra Jack Keats brought a new

Opposite: The enduring popularity of

Below and opposite: Miroslav Saseks

Tomi Ungerer is another influential artist who has spread

Below: The genius of Maurice Sendak

Perhaps something of a forgotten genius, Roy Gerrard emerged

onwards full attention. Gerrards combination of technical virtuosity in the

Right: Roy Gerrards strangely squat

Below: The culture of picturebooks in

In an increasingly global society it is reasonable to expect an

Below: Jimmy Liaos When the Moon Forgot

Below: In The Arrival, Shaun Tan

Below: The award-winning Japanese (One Stroke/Les Trois Ourses, 2008),

Below: Picturebook cultures are

Opposite: Fabian Negrins picturebook