The art of children's book illustration Children and adults alike appreciate a good picture book, and the marriage of words and illustration has long been recognized as an art form. But take the words away and, not surprisingly, children's book illustration is beautiful on its own. Whether created in pencil crayon or Plasticene, watercolour or gouache, children's book illustration is among the most creative commercial art out there. Ken Fetterington, who works in library services at the Toronto Public Library, was happy to get a hold of the collection.
Children get a sense of the illustrations being art.
They're used to seeing art on walls. Sometimes they see an artist or a style that they recognize. They really do make that connection. The collection also shows the wealth of talent in Canada, says Fetterington. Fetterington hopes to book some of the illustrators for appearances at the gallery.