The Illustrated Woman

When I was younger my mother read me children's books by the hundreds. And we would read them over and over until both mom and I had them memorized. I can't even count the number of times I have read Go Dog Go. Enough to quote it. And I still claim if you want to raise a reader you have to read to them.

But my mom did something even better. Before she started any book she would read the title, the author, and the illustrator. I can't think of certain books without listing the author and illustrator. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, written and illustrated by Judi and Ron Barrett. And the pictures were what really excited me. Drew me in you could even say. Over the years I have realized that the picture books I love the most had good stories but great pictures. And now as an adult I find myself browsing through the children's departments looking at covers. I know they say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but really why else do you pick it up?

Now I'm trying to write my own stories and have come up with a huge problem. I can't draw. No seriously can't draw, not to save my life. And I'm trying to teach myself. This is not an easy thing to do. I can see it all in my head but the hands don't want to work. And it never quite looks like the image I have in my head. Sadly, I hardly remember the authors who didn't illustrate their own work. I know who the Little Bear series was illustrated by but not the author. So I'm working to become an illustrated woman. Possibly using collage, like Leo Lionni and Ezra Jack Keats but we'll see. It's all a matter of playing. And reminding myself that Dr. Seuss could never draw lifelike things and he was still the master.

Until then I'll wander the library looking at new favorites like Adam Rex (fantastic and funny), Shaun Tan (mysterious and otherworldly) and Mo Willems (childlike and silly).