With a three-year-old and a nearly-six-year-old at home, I read dozens if not hundreds of children’s books per month. From a design perspective, most of these books are problematic: awkward font choices; poor use of white space; shoddy interface between text and image.
But a few illustrators employ a captivating aesthetic style and brilliant sense of design. Granted these are not always the kind of books and/or illustrations that children actually like! There’s a reason why cartoon characters with gigantic eyes (Elsa) and garish colors (Barney) captivate young viewers. But the following books are ones that I don’t mind reading again and again. Most have been created by painters who operate at a high level of precision in their craft. New details and subtle layers of meaning arise every time I return to them. Enjoy!
As part of my commitment to avoid Amazon, I’ve linked to Better World Books (where available) for ordering info.
Sea of Dreams
Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Shoe
Masquerade
Press Here
The Lord’s Prayer
My Lucky Day
