REVIEW CREATION OF PICTURE BOOKS

REVIEW CREATION OF PICTURE BOOKS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A Caldecott Celebration. Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal. New York, NY: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786561

PLOT SUMMARY

This book describes the personal lives of seven Caldecott Medal winners, Robert McCloskey, Marcia Brown, Maurice, Sendak, William Steig, Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner. Leonard Marcus gives interesting snippets of information about the picture books, including illustrations, to explain the amount of work it takes for the illustrators to create picture books. He also discusses details of the illustrators’ sources of inspiration on their way to fame.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Marcus Leonard’s writing style is very engaging. The memoir of each illustrator is unique. The true details of the story behind the illustrated books make the readers aware of the finer points of creating a picture book.

The characters in the book are the illustrators in different decades that have won Caldecott medals. The plot depicts their dreams, their mentors, the research for their illustrations, and finally their excitement in winning the Caldecott medal. The sketches at various stages tell more of the story of the various books illustrated by each author. The before and after color coded pictures explain the progression of the illustrators’ drawings. The descriptions next to the illustrations give information such as dates, sources of inspiration, portrayal of characters depending on the timeline, type of medium use, and comparison with final illustrations.

This book is factual as well as emotive. Its simplicity makes it comprehensible to older children and adults. It may be used to impart background information to readers about the creation of picture books. Younger readers may need an explanation of the text that complements the illustrations.

REVIEW EXCERPT (S)
Starred review in Publishers Weekly (October 12, 1998): “Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers."

Starred review in Booklist (November 15, 1998): "Marcus, who interviewed each artist, provides a lively, informative introduction to each book and its maker. A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/illustrator studies."

Amazon.com-Editorial Review: Leonard S. Marcus's thoughtful recognition of the labor and serendipity that go into the making of great art illuminates every page of A Caldecott Celebration.

CONNECTIONS
If you are interested in the creation of children’s picture books and how illustrators work, this is a good book to read.
Other books that describe creation of children’s picture books are:
Talking with Artists (ISBN: 0027242455) by Pat Cummings
Picture This: How Pictures Work (ISBN: 1587170299) by Molly Bang,
Other similar books by Leonard Marcus are: Ways of Telling: Conversations on the Art of the Picture Book (HTML), and Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture Book Teams Go to Work (ISBN: 0802796168).