Illustrating Children's Books: Creating Pictures for Publication
The chapters of this richly illustrated book touch on everything from media, materials, and techniques to design and typography, but the information given is not enough to actually teach the subject. Instead, the author gives readers a brief but interesting overview. For instance, in the chapter entitled "Character Development," Salisbury discusses mannerisms, facial expressions, and child-friendliness of characters, but doesn't tell readers how to actually create these effects on their own. However, this book does a very good job of addressing the many elements of illustration for someone who is unfamiliar with the process. Topics such as "What to illustrate," "Dynamics of composition and layout," and "Type as image" give a more concrete concept of the profession and artistry. The featured artwork is all pulled from children's picture books to demonstrate the concepts in the related text. Some are spot illustrations, a character or scene cut from its background, while others are spreads reduced to fit within the page with accompanying text. Colorful and lively, the illustrative material is indispensable to the content. A fine choice for adults interested in illustration, or as a resource for someone new to discussing art in children's books.- Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, ALCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.