New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-27
ILLUSTRATIONS IN A CHILDs BOOK.
DR.. Chadwick Says Little People Like SIM
pie. Direct Pictures

Many valuable suggestions on the illustration
of childrens book were given in recent lecture
by DR.. Afyra Pratt Chadwick.
publishers" she said ARE quite insane the
subject OF old plates for children's books. 1t is
because an old plate can be easily and cheaply
acquired that many children's books are found
illustrated with the saTpe pictures often bearing
little relation the text.
"One publisher brought out a book in which
Illustration OF Cycops, the fabulous, one eyed
monster. had been desired He had taken an old
plate OF sea monster. with the ordinary allowance
OF eyes. and had huge eye inserted in the mid
die of the forehead So there the Cycops had
three eyes. instead of one; but the expense OF
plate had been saved.
1.-THE availability of old plates often causes the
OF very absurd illustrations. 1 publ
cation Lincoln the other day. The desire had
evidently been TO have picture to every page,
and they very artisticaIy placed in manner
pleasing to the eye. But inspection revealed the
fact that they represented Lincolns cousins aunts
spinning wheel. and his brothers wifes grand
mother and all such absurd things that; any
thing. IN fact to which the of Lincoln
could possibly be attached. The enterprising pub
Usher had got hold of lot of old plates. and was
bound to use them up
f'the picture cannot give q correct idea of the
text 1t had better not be there, particularly in
chdren's books. for child does not know enough
to recognize the falsity of the impression. But IL
is very difficult to get good picture from childs
standpoint 1t is surprising how few artists there
that appeals 10 chilu. Children will pass
very beautiful illustrations with Indifference I got
UP little book OF historical tales once for pub
Usher who was anxious to have it right. We
wanted four colored, full page Illustrations More
than dozen artists submitted pictures before we
found one who had an idea of picture from
chd's standpoint Many OF them made very beau
tifu artistic pictures but they not childrens
pictures. picture that appeals to a child must
be very simple and direct. and must Illustrate
specific portion of the text exactly. 1t is also ex-
tremely important that it should be at the same
place in the book the text illustrated. Nothing
disgusts children more than having TO hunt for
the picture. q certain little book of historical
tales had inserted just before every ptct
such little sentences this: Here is pict-
ure of Columbus landing. This is the boat ne
| landed in Let US look at the picture This
seemed 10 crude and foolish. but teachers have
told that those little guide book sentences were
the useful tning in the books. Primer pictures,
| of a a cat, with This is man, under
meath very attractive to young children Chill
kind n the Sunday newspapers where the story
is told by captions under series of pictures with
the climax in the last ] don't see why we
can't have serial pictures in reading books.
There isn't much in buying those beautiful.
Illustrated Christmas gift books for children.
around the margin, and inserted in the text They
are fine books from the artists standpoint but not
from the child's. We like them, because see
in the pictures exquisite little groupings of lines.
But the child nothing but rather quiet pict-
IRE of something he doesn't much about. In
fact child often likes the old sort OF illustra
ton. which seems to us painfully crude better than
what is finer and subtle. The old illustrators
did not understand children any better but their
own tastes childish. To preserve this
childlike quality. and execute with modern artistic
technique. makes the ideal picture for the childs
hoo