Amazing Picture Book Illustrators You Must-Have on Your Bookshelves
As someone who has worked in the children’s department of a library for a few years, I’ve come to love the amazing art that picture book illustrators create. Whether it’s a detailed and colorful spread or a minimal spread full of emotion, the art that picture book illustrators create feels like a category all their own.
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If you’re looking for new picture book illustrators to add to your collection, here are a few that have stood out to me.
Diving Into My Favorite Picture Book Illustrators
After working in a children’s library and the children’s department for almost three years, I’ve had the opportunity to really dig into some of my favorite (and not so favorite) picture book illustrators. Today, we’re going to be diving into three of my favorite picture book illustrators and why I think you should consider taking a look at their work.
Carson Ellis
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This was the first picture book I read from Carson Ellis but it was certainly not the last.
I first encountered the illustrations of Carson Ellis through Home, her first solo picture book. Throughout the book, there are illustrations of various kinds of homes, some are realistic and some are more magical/storytime-inspired (woman who lived in a shoe, anyone?). To me, her illustrations of the various dwellings captured so much emotion. It’s also a wordless picture book, a book that doesn’t have a lot of text; instead, it allows little ones to create their own stories or have a conversation about the picture book’s illustrations.
In addition to the review by Book Tomato, I also enjoyed the review by Charlotte Riggle, where she also highlights how the text is written for a child to be an involved part of the storytelling.
More picture books by Carson Ellis:
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Vashti Harrison
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Visit Vashti Harrison’s Website
Vashti Harrison is someone I have been following for a long time. I came across some of her art prints of Black women as mermaids and immediately fell in love.
I came across Vashti Harrison while processing new books at my job. I saw her Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History and immediately loved how she captured the women’s look while also keeping her picture book illustrations relatable for little ones. This series of books (she has more coming out!) presents an illustration of an important woman from history and then tells a little story about her.
Vashti Harrison is probably one of my top picture book illustrators, and I am constantly keeping an eye out for new work from her, either in her own picture books or as an illustrator for other people’s stories.
P.S. Vashti Harrison is the 2024 Caldecott Medal winner! She’s the first Black woman to do so! Another great reason to continue checking out her books and supporting her work.
More picture books by Vashti Harrison:
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b. b. cronin
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Colorful illustrations with search-and-find functionality make for amazing picture books to read over and over again.
I came across this book during a browsing session at my public library. At first, the illustrations were too much for me, due to the bold colors and full-page illustrations. However, after I took a moment and began reading the book, I understood why the illustrations were so intricate. The searchable picture book illustrations are a part of the kid’s reading experience, almost like a Where’s Waldo book.
Additionally, the longer you look through the illustrations, the more you can see the mini-stories happening within the picture book illustrations. By creating mini-stories within the illustrations, b.b. cronin creates a reading experience that is unique every time you pick up the picture book.
More picture books by b. b. cronin:
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Picture book illustrators play a big role in helping stories come to life! A picture book comes alive with the right illustrator.
The picture book illustrators I talked about in this post are some of my favorites, and I will immediately check out or buy their books because I know the pictures will be amazing without even looking at the story.
Do you have any picture book illustrators that you absolutely love? Let me know in the comments below!
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Amazing Picture Book Illustrators You Must Have on Your Bookshelves.
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