Lovely book, chock full of fantastic illustrations, that provides much insight into the thought processes, techniques, and growth of illustrators of children's books. Take this quote from
Ezra Jack Keats, author and illustrator, about his well-loved work,
The Snowy Day.
"I decided to make Peter a Black child. I had been illustrating books by other people showing the goodness of white children, and in my own book I wanted to show and share the beauty and goodness of the Black child. I wanted the world to know that all children experience wonderful things in life. I wanted to convey the joy of being a little boy alive on a certain kind of day--of being for that moment. The air is cold, you touch the snow, aware of the things to which all children are so open.
The combination of the purpose of the book and the subject matter of the book was so strong that my style changed completely. It turned out to be the beginning of a whole new style to me because I was so deeply involved."This is a wonderful, beautiful, interesting reference work for those individuals who want to illustrate kids' books, or for those of us who love kids' books. Perfect for those who have ever wondered, "how did they do those illustrations?"