Picture Book of the Week!

The summer is always a hard time for me to be in my studio. September has been hard to get into the studio too, so far. I had a couple of trips but I was able to spend some time in the studio last week.

Every morning, I read a picture book to start my day off. I’ve started putting the read ones in the window sill. It reminds me every day that when I get 5 picture books, I need to do a review of them.

This week I have 5 fabulous books. I found myself reaching for books I already loved but I haven’t read recently.

Some great art this week.

It’s hard to choose a best off for the week, so let’s just talk about my favorites.

This Pretty Planet is up there on the top. I like Lee White’s attitude toward illustration and art. (Check him out on the 3 Point Perspective Podcast—not sponsored…yet.) And I love how he takes a flat approach to his artwork without making it too simplistic. He also has a great storyline in the illustrations that is not spelled out in the text. It makes the book a feast for the eyes as you follow along with the text.

The Night Gardner (By the Fan Brothers) is a classic….or I thought it was a classic, but it was published only in 2016. I swear it was older than that. I still remember the first time I saw this book. I was amazed at the illustrations. This read through, I also paid attention to the story. It’s a solid story. Not overly wordy but also not sparce in it’s telling. Enough to keep children older than a kindergartener interested.

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers tells the story in few words and very simple illustrations. I envy the ability to do that. I see a trend moving toward very few words in picture books. Sometimes it leaves me wanting more of a story. I recently wrote a story that I think is so straightforward, that I’m almost bored with it. Perhaps that is where the illustrations can pick up the story. His stylized trees has inspired me to paint a forest of stylized trees in our Storybook House.

Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett is a great play on words. I love the Orion constellation, It’s the easiest for me to see in the night sky. I think that is why I bought this book. I think this is the first time I actually read the story. I’m pretty sure it’s not a best seller, but it has so many of the qualities that make award winning books. I wonder if the marketing of this book was just off. It have these cut out arms and the illustrator uses illustrations on lined paper to represent Orion’s imagination.

Finally, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey is a classic. It was first published in 1941. Which is such a long time ago. But I remember watching a video he shot of how he got those ducklings to be so life like 30 years ago. He bought ducklings and raised them and sketched them as they grew. I loved looking behind the curtain of his process. He definitely deserved the Caldecott Medal award he won for this book. As you can see, I got my copy from a thrift store.

I couldn’t choose just one this week. All of them are excellent.