Not sure if you live near to a Barnes & Noble book store, but if you do, rush over as soon as you can (especially before the weekend when the crowds roll in) and see if they have a $2 book sale going on. The one nearest to me has many beautiful interiors and crafts books, I picked up 8 books for $16, not even the retail price for one of them. My favorite is a children’s book I found called China Doll by Eliza Pilgrim, illustrated by Barcelona-based artist Carmen Segovia. The story is really great, it’s all about a doll that wants to please the girl who owns her and the journey she takes to find a special gift to give her. What captivates me though are the illustrations. I really love them.
I’d not heard of Carmen before seeing this book, but the moment I cracked it open and looked at the illustrations, I had to buy it (only $2!) and learn more about the illustrator. I googled Carmen and found her portfolio online, she just so happens to be represented by the Marlena Agency, the same agency that represents Camilla Engman and this is the first book in North American that she’s illustrated, most of her illustrations are for books in Europe. If you have time, maybe you’d like to look through all of the portfolios on the Marlena Agency site because each one is glorious, and please do visit Barnes & Noble before the beautiful books are gone! :)
Oh and P.S., Working Class Studio at SCAD has their paper products at B&N now, so look for it in their stationery section. I saw them last night on display and they look really great in person and are made very well. Also, you can buy them online.
Do you have any favorite children’s book illustrators to share? I decided that I’m going to start a small collection of new and vintage children’s books. I’ve been working on it already for a few years mixing in some of my own books from childhood that my mother saved for me, and so many books from the late 70′s and 80′s have reprints floating around (or you can find originals on eBay), so I’m collecting the ones that I can remember that I really liked. Recently on Charles Street in Boston (Beacon Hill), I spotted Petunia in a window display and ran in and purchased it on the spot. Petunia! I loved that book growing up. Do you know it?
Are there any children’s book illustration groups on Flickr? If so, please let me know, I’d be interested in joining that.
(images from me and also b&n)
July 26th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
I collect children’s books by Chris van Allsburg…love his illustrations…they are quiet and enchanting. :) My favorite is The Sweetest Fig.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Definately check out Chris Van Allsburg.
http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/flash.html
When I was in elementary school, I checked out the garden of Abdul Gasazi. I never actually read it, because my dad who was a was wildly talented with pencil, was mesmerized by it, I assume as they had much of the same style.
July 26th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
i love children’s books. I have a great one called Frida which is about Frida Kahlo. The illustrator is Ana Juan and she has a pretty cool site http://www.anajuan.net/
My other fav is Eric Carle, in MA we have the Eric Carle museum which is GREAT. http://www.picturebookart.org/
July 26th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
“The Retro Kid” group on Flickr includes vintage children’s books; some wonderful stuff there:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/theretrokid/
On a personal level, I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Eloise Wilkin or Tasha Tudor’s books. They’re some of my favorites.
July 26th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
I also love Ana Juan’s artwork. She also illustrated the book Elena’s Serenade, which is just charming.
Also the books Flotsam and Sector 9 are visually fabulous – so much so that they don’t even have text!
July 26th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Some all-time favorites are:
“Caps for Sale”
– Esphyr Slobodkina
“Alexander and the Terrible,
Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”
– Judith Viorst (Author)
– Ray Cruz (Illustrator)
“The Story of Ferdinand”
– Munro Leaf (Author)
– Robert Lawson (Illustrator)
“Bread and Jam for Frances”
– Russell Hoban (Author)
– Lillian Hoban (Illustrator)
Wow! Those bring back memories!
:)
July 26th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
I love the illustrations by Mercer Mayer in the book “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”: http://www.amazon.com/East-West-Moon-Mercer-Mayer/dp/0689711131
I love Eric Carle too.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
We sell all different kinds of re-released childrens books in our store, they seem to sell quite well!
“Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak and the various cities series (“This is New York”, etc) by Miroslav Sasek are really great.
Sarah – We have “Caps for Sale” too!
July 26th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
My personal favourite is Douglas Jones;
* http://www.douglasbjones.com *
His style is retro inspired in a way that is similar to artists from the 1930s and 40s.
A lot of his work is for major publications in the states but his last 3 books for Penguin are beautiful, especially “The Milkman”, which he won an award for at the Society of Illustrators in New York.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Barbara McClintock writes and illustrates beautiful children’s books. My favorite is “Adele & Simon,” a lovely story about two young French children who wander the streets of Paris on their way home from school.
The illustrations look as if they are delicately hand painted, and the tableaux are extremely detailed. Reading the book is just as fun as trying to find hidden images within the pictures. It’s a great built-in interactivity for parents and children.
Ashley
Executive Editor, http://www.ChildrensMediaConsultant.com
July 26th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
I LOVE the illustration work of Shaun Tan.
http://www.shauntan.net/books.html
July 27th, 2007 at 1:21 am
Her work isn’t whimsical in the way that your lovely new book is, but I adore Trina Schart Hyman, who illustrated a ton of different books. She did a couple Arthurian fairy tales (The Kitchen Knight is great) and her women all have this wild, strong beauty, as a little girl instead of imagining fluffy blond princesses she made me think of tough ones who could stand up for themselves. She draws stunning clothes, too! I think she used to draw the comic strips in Cricket Magazine, too–she was the art director there in the 70s.
I have been collecting my favorite children’s books for a few years, but most of them are chapter books with few illustrations. I loved Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius, Island Boy and The Oxcart Man, which she wrote and illustrated. I was captivated by the picture in Miss Rumphius of a winter garden, full of citrus trees.
July 27th, 2007 at 2:48 am
You picked up those books for $2.00? Man, I gotta get to my B&N store tomorrow morning! And Carmen Segovia’s work is very good. Her work reminds me of the Montreal-based illustrator, Isabelle Arsenault.
As for my favourite illustrated children’s books… I like anything illustrated by Arthur Rackham. My mom grew up with Water Babies by Charles Kinglsey and illustrated by Jessie Willcox. I absolutely loved the illustrations in that book while I was growing up. And I have a book called The Red Tree by Shaun Tan which is beautifully illustrated and is about finding hope when life is hard and dark and depressing. It’s one of those books that perhaps was written for adults rather than children.
July 27th, 2007 at 2:51 am
Oh! I just read Sarah’s recommendation for Ferdinand the Bull. Oooh…I loved that book when I was young! I can still remember my mom’s voice narrating the story for my sister and me.
July 27th, 2007 at 10:08 am
The graphic designer Paul Rand did a few great childrens books with his wife Ann in the 50′s I think. They can be found in any Paul Rand catelogue.
I also love Edward Ardizone and Quentin Blake…
July 27th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Some of my favorites – Bruno Munari’s ABC book, Ann and Paul Rand books, Taro Gomi books, SAMi (flip-a-face books),Golden books illustrated by Martin and Alice Provenson.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:25 am
i just came across this place by accident last week and i love it. i have been in desperate need for inspiration lately and this is a good stop. i wish scad had had working class studio when i was there. i dig their stuff. they have made some major upgrades in the past several years.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Thank you for sharing this..I LOVE Carmen Segovia’s illustrations! They are really inspiring me! I didn’t get to B and N in time (went yesterday afternoon), but I’ll keep a lookout for that book. Love your site. So refreshing and informative also! ~Lia
July 31st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I had to write because Petunia’s Christmas is one of my favorite illustrated books of all times. All of Roger Duvoisin’s illustrations are great.
“Veronica” and “Donkey, Donkey” are other wonderful books.
But Leo Lionni is my all time favorite children’s book illustrator. I believe that he was a big inspriation for Eric Carle (who wrote a forward to one of his collections). Plus, is there a better name in the world than Leo Lionni? “Frederick” is my favorite of his.
Other old-timers I love are Bruno Munari and William Steig.
Also Treehorn books that are illustrated by Edward Gorey are great.
I hope more people comment on this because I am always looking for new artists. Tom Slaughter’s children’s books are among my current favorites.
I could go on and on…
July 31st, 2007 at 6:49 pm
The Carmen Segovia artwork reminds me a lot of a local artist near me. His name is Sean Mahan, and his paintings are enchanting. Check him out at http://www.seanmahanart.com/
August 1st, 2007 at 9:08 pm
oh, carmen segovia. I know her. She went to the same art school than me. I finished this last may, but she went some years ago. The school is “La Llotja”, in Barcelona. she is well-known in the school. Her illustrations are very beautiful.