An Illustrated Guide

In The Night Kitchen written and illustrated by Maurice...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:28:00 +1200

In The Night Kitchen

written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Harper Collins 1970

I remember this book from my childhood, partly for its trippy story and partly because it featured scandalous nudity (we were lucky to have this book in our school libraries un-censored, as it was — and still remains — on the list of challenged or banned books purely for that glimpse of naked boy). It reads like a comic book with a mix of speech bubbles and captions, and the way Mickey floats dream-like between the fantastical “sets” is wonderful. Children accept the story with innocence, but if you enjoy finding darker meanings you might notice Sendak taking inspiration from the Holocaust that shaped his own childhood. The perfect book for non sense.

Little Blue written and illustrated by Gaye Chapman Little...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:21:51 +1200

Little Blue

written and illustrated by Gaye Chapman

Little Hare Books 2009

Little Blue looks and feels like an old-fashioned folk tale. Delicate ink and watercolor illustrations and a little hero called Will who wears t-bar sandals and brandishes sticks in an adventurous way. It stands out on our bookshelf, small, cloth-bound with embossed title, amongst the bigger, louder picture books. The story is really delightful, with a very clever twist, and weaves between fantasy and reality. The perfect book for the old-fashioned child.

"Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:13:30 +1200

“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”

- Mark Twain

Seasons written and illustrated by Blexbolex Gecko Press...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:32:00 +1300

Seasons

written and illustrated by Blexbolex

Gecko Press 2010

Seasons is a beautifully playful and witty book by the French artist and illustrator, Blexbolex. His silk-screen illustrations have a retro-inspired minimalism influenced by the whodunits of the 1950s and 60s, and abound with colour and movement. The “story” is narrated with single words or phrases and flows from page to page through the seasons. Sometimes the pairing of word and picture is a statement of the obvious, sometimes it is an oblique reference to a feeling or action. It makes for an interesting read, as small inquiring minds ask with wide eyes, “But why, Mama?”. The perfect book for watching the weather.

Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor written and illustrated by...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:04:00 +1300

Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor

written and illustrated by Mervyn Peake

Walker Books 2009 (70th Anniversary Edition)

The story of Captain Slaughterboard and his motley crew aboard The Black Tiger is a real swashbuckling yarn full of rum, tobacco, sharpened steel, bad ink and finding your inner peace… which is nice, really. Peake has created some fearsome pirates and illustrated each with such wit and detail that you can almost smell them from the pages. The pen and ink drawings are elaborate with barnacle-encrusted flourishes and are complemented well by the hand-lettered narrative that is oh so droll. The perfect book for the little pirate.

Other Goose written and illustrated by J.otto...

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:56:00 +1300

Other Goose

written and illustrated by J.otto Seibold

Chronicle Books 2010

I love Seibold’s books (it was his Penguin Dreams that first started my interest in children’s books) and this book is no disappointment. The illustrations are a fantastical merger of Seibold’s signature computer-drawn graphics with a rococo flair, all laid on spray-painted backgrounds in a Technicolor palette. And the cover has glitter! Sound too much? Noooo. Never. Not when paired with an absurd re-jig of old classic rhymes (which, let’s be honest, weren’t so solid anyway — “Hey diddle diddle the cow jumped over the moon”?). The result is gelastic, an hysterical pairing of illustration and verse. The perfect book for giggles and nonsense.

Ugly Fish written by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Scott...

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:08:00 +1300

Ugly Fish

written by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Scott Magoon

Scholastic Australia 2007

A gripping, cautionary tale set in the ruthless badlands of the domestic fish tank, Ugly Fish pulls no punches, there is no fairy-tale ending for these fish… But there is a humorous little story with some great characters and a wonderfully satisfying moral to wrap it all up. The illustrations are delightfully ugly; drawn in pen and ink then digitally coloured, presented on a matte stock. The perfect book for the little bully.

The Gashlycrumb Tinies written and illustrated by Edward...

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:45:00 +1200

The Gashlycrumb Tinies

written and illustrated by Edward Gorey

Bloomsbury 1998 (first published 1963)

Edward Gorey was one of the most talented (and eccentric) graphic artists to emerge in post-war America, and this macabre little book is one of his finest. An A to Z of children’s names, complete with illustrations of their final moments, all narrated in rhyming dactylic couplets. The deadpan delivery gives it the feeling of a public record, and the fine cross-hatched illustrations point to the Victorian fascination with death and childhood innocence. The perfect book for anyone who ever painted their fingernails black.

Duck, Death and the Tulip written and illustrated by Wolf...

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:55:00 +1200

Duck, Death and the Tulip

written and illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch

Gecko Press 2008

A charming, heart-warming story about … death. Death in a dressing gown and slippers. And about Duck, who makes friends with this strange character, Death. The charm of the story comes from the simple pencil drawings of its awkward characters, and their honest, unhurried words. The ultimate passing of Duck is so unremarkable as to bring perspective to the business of death. A wonderful, reassuring perspective that we often lose sight of in the face of loss. “But that is life, thought Death.” The perfect book for talking about death.

Dogs written and illustrated by Emily Gravett Macmillan...

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:19:00 +1200

Dogs

written and illustrated by Emily Gravett

Macmillan 2009

This is the kind of book that your children learn off by heart, and surprise you by “reading” back to you. An encyclopaedic list of the narrator’s favourite dogs and their doggy traits, cleanly illustrated in pencil and watercolor. The simple, repetitive text quickly captures a child’s attention and the pages come alive with the bounding energy of their canine characters. The perfect book for the dog lover.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read."

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:13:14 +1200

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”

- Groucho Marx

Follow the Line written and illustrated by Laura...

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 22:55:00 +1200

Follow the Line

written and illustrated by Laura Ljungkvist

Viking 2006

I hesitated when my daughter first chose this book from the bookcase, I just assumed the block illustrations would be too abstract for a three-year-old, and with no obvious story to capture her attention that she would soon be frustrated and turn away. I learnt a little about pre-schoolers that day — they love the abstract, they love to find patterns and familiar shapes, they love to count, and they love you to make up little stories about unseen characters traveling to unseen places. Follow the Line is a beautiful book with stylish illustrations that reveal Ljungkvist’s Swedish heritage. The perfect book for the junior explorer.

Fox written by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Ron...

Tue, 31 May 2011 08:14:00 +1200

Fox

written by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Ron Brooks

Allen & Unwin 2000, republished 2010

Fox is a modern fable that pulls no punches. It tells a tale of friendship and betrayal so openly and rawly that it takes your breath away — especially in the context of a picture book. The rich, burnt colours and scratchy textures feel dusty and sun-parched, evocative of the Australian landscape. Hand-drawn lettering, etched awkwardly with the illustrator’s left hand, brings an additional layer of naïvety to the text. The tale of Fox, Dog and Magpie is unexpected from a picture book, and certainly not a story for juniors, but any child who has spent hard time in the school playground will take some meaning from the telling. The perfect book for the easily misled.

The Odd Egg written and illustrated by Emily...

Mon, 23 May 2011 22:50:00 +1200

The Odd Egg

written and illustrated by Emily Gravett

Macmillan Children’s Books 2008

This quirky tale about an avian pre-natal coffee group has a surprise ending that will make any veteran/survivor of such groups laugh. The illustrations are softly drawn, the characters expressive and lively. Several cut pages midway through create layers of illustrations that tell the story incrementally, comic style, building a nice sense of tension for that snappy ending. The perfect book for the ugly duckling.

"Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I’d have the facts."

Mon, 23 May 2011 22:27:00 +1200

“Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I’d have the facts.”

- Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

I Am The King written and illustrated by Leo Timmers Clavis...

Tue, 03 May 2011 22:37:00 +1200

I Am The King

written and illustrated by Leo Timmers

Clavis Publishing 2008

The bright pink cover of this book ensures it never sits on the shelf for long. The bold colours continue within, complemented by a glossy paper stock, sparing use of wood-type slab serifs, and hand-painted characters. The part I like the best: the voices that Timmers has given each member of his animal cast. Vocabulary and a unique turn-of-phrase identify each, and it doesn’t take much imagination to add an accent when you read aloud… The perfect book for the royalist.

Tiny Little Fly written by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:25:00 +1200

Tiny Little Fly

written by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin Waldron

Walker Books 2010

Fans of Rosen’s book We’re going on a Bear Hunt will love this. The story is sweet, simple and slapstick—and much less wordy (phew)—but still has the lilting lyrical style that is so much fun to read aloud. Waldron’s illustrations (created by digitally manipulating hand-drawn illustrations) are strong and have a contemporary feel—I have a particular fondness for the Hippo with its pink scarred and scratched hide. The perfect book for the underdog.

Foxly’s Feast written and illustrated by Owen...

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:44:00 +1300

Foxly’s Feast

written and illustrated by Owen Davey

Hardie Grant Egmont 2010

I like the cover of this book with its matte hardback and hand-drawn, spot-varnished titles. Opening the pages is no disappointment—the autumnal colours and falling leaves evoke a sense of the harvest, and the illustrations fill the uncoated pages with a matching sense of bounty. All of which mirrors the story nicely, although I don’t want to give away the punch line because there is quite a twist. Davey has a distinctive and original style that is very pleasing, and I can’t wait to see what he does next. The perfect book for a little fox, or owl.

The Lonesome Puppy written and illustrated by Yoshitomo...

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:49:00 +1300

The Lonesome Puppy

written and illustrated by Yoshitomo Nara

Chronicle Books 2008 (first published 1999)

Japanese pop artist Nara’s illustrations are arresting black lines and pastel shades that fill the page and speak of emotion and movement so beautifully that the text becomes secondary to them, in fact this book isn’t shy to present consecutive spreads with no words at all. The tale is a strange one, not unlike King Kong, but the telling is good and holds a sweet message. I love the little girl in this book—she cries, and smiles, and looks sideways from under knitted brows, charming her way into your heart. The perfect book for the hipster child within.

The Incredible Book Eating Boy written and illustrated by...

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:31:00 +1300

The Incredible Book Eating Boy

written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

HarperCollins Children’s Books 2006

This is a simple tale of boy who, incredibly, believably, eats books. And it might be the power of suggestion or just the clever bite-mark in the corner of its last few pages, but if I was going to eat a book it would be this delicious-looking thing. Its matte pages, filled with rich mixed-media illustrations and collages, look very tasty. Like many good books the humour is contained in the details surrounding the text and tucked into the corners of the pictures, which makes it rewarding to read many times over. The perfect book for a bookish child.