Library of the Early Mind

The other night I went to the New York Public Library for the screening of the interesting documentary Library of the Early Mind. a collection of interviews with children's book writers, illustrators, editors and historians.
Here's a brief note on the pleasant evening.

Stephen Savage's Picture Book List

Stephen Savage has illustrated 3 picture books so far: the bestselling Polar Bear Night (written by Lauren Thompson), The Fathers Are Coming Home (written by Margaret Wise Brown), and the forthcoming Where's Walrus (written by no one -- it's wordless!): here's a video preview.  

His editorial illustration has appeared in dozens of major newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly and The Wall Street Journal. In 2008, he was the recipient of a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their daughter. 





Here are his top 10 picture books: 



1. THE WHALES GO BY - by Fred Phleger, pictures by Paul Galdone. 

This is the first picture book I ever fell in love with. It's very simple...  just a story of whales migrating to their winter home in Baja, California. In some ways, though, I feel like I look at the world through the lens of this book. I always wondered how/why the artist put my sister and I on the cover.

                       

2. THE SNOWY DAY - by Ezra Jack Keats. 

Keats is just brilliant in this book (and in all of his books). He 
really knew how to make words and pictures dance together without 
making them step on each other's toes. From the text: "And he found something sticking out of the snow that made a new track."[next page]: "It was a stick".  Talk about activating the imagination. 


3. THE STORY OF BABAR - by Jean de Brunhoff. 

I am forever traumatized by some of the imagery in this book, namely the old king eating mushrooms and falling ill AND the brutal shooting of Babar's mother. And though you'd never get away with that sort of storytelling these days, those low moments help you experience (and buy into) Babar's transformation later on in the story. It's one of the seminal stories from childhood... almost like "The Wizard of Oz". 


4. ARROW TO THE SUN - by Gerald McDermott. 

I've always been interested in stylized and minimal forms and had a 
thing for Navajo Sand painting when my 3rd grade teacher showed us the animated film version of this Pueblo Indian tale. I'm still amazed that something so 'abstract' and stylized can tell a story. 


5. THE GIVING TREE - by Shel Silverstein. 

I first worked in children's books 20 years ago and illustrated my 
first picture book 6 years ago and only read this book for the first 
time last year (probably because my 15-month-old daughter handed it to me). I dunno... something about those bare line drawings never 
attracted me. By the end of the reading, my daughter was looking at me like, "daddy... why are you crying?". It's crazy how those line 
drawings bring the tears. 


6. GO DOG GO - by P.D. Eastman. 

My older brother told me recently, "You used to squeal with delight 
when the little poodle dog would ask, "do you like my hat? No, I do not!" This is a book that has so much happy energy. I still love the dog party at the end. What a blast. And Eastman's deceptively simple drawings move in space. 


7. THE ORANGE BOOK - by Richard McGuire. 

This book came out while I was a MFA Illustration student at the 
School of Visual Arts. I took one look at it and said, "I will also try to illustrate a kid's book when I get out of school." Nice that it's BARELY narrative. Richard told me later: "the book is really just a list of things".

                                                                                                   
8. EMILY'S BALLOON - by Komako Sakai. 

My daughter was obsessed with balloons earlier this year, so during 
one of her visits to her auntie's house, she received this book as a 
gift. "Oh no", we thought, "not another balloon book!". But as I got 
to the end as I was reading it the first time, my throat got tight and 
my eyes got watery. It's just beautiful. There's a sadness and a 
longing there, just like in Miyazaki's animated classic "Spirited Away". The Japanese storytellers really know how to do melancholy. 


9. LEAVES - by David Ezra Stein. 

My wife discovered this gem at a local bookstore and it's become our new fave. The text is perfect. Not a word out of place. I've been 
reading it a lot at bedtime lately and I can't believe how quickly the 
story goes by. You miss it when it ends. And Stein's drawings speak in the same voice as the words. A reviewer used the word "seamless". Amen. 


10. HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON - by Crockett Johnson. 

This book is totally / completely / absolutely original. I read 
recently that Spike Jonze had intended to film the story (before he 
started Where the Wild Things Are), but dropped his plans halfway into development when he discovered it was un-filmable. Uh... duh.

Erica Perl's Picture Book List

Erica S. Perl is the author, most recently, of Dotty, illustrated by the talented Julia Denos.  Her other picture books include Chicken Butt!, Ninety-Three in My Family and Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early. Look at her website for more.

In addition to writing for children, Erica works for the national non-profit organization First Book, which has provided over 70 million brand new books to programs and schools serving children in need.

Here she goes:

A List of Twelve of My Favorite Picture Books (Masquerading as a List of Ten):

 
My favorite picture book of all time is SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE by William Steig.  I love everything about this book:  the subtle humor, the matter-of-fact dictation of events, the rawness of the emotions, and the riskiness of the premise.  But I think Steig’s pacing and his creation of tension more than anything is what is astonishing.  When Father and Mother Donkey sit down to have their picnic, even if you know what’s coming next, you can’t help holding your breath.

 
Arnold Lobel was a genius, and I would certainly have mentioned OWL AT HOME or one of his Frog and Toad books, except I think of them as early readers.  GIANT JOHN is a picture book and it is a great one.  My favorite pages involve visual depictions of the Giant family’s suffering:  the two potato chips in their cupboard, and Ma Giant about to dine on her shoe as John bursts through the door with his bag of gold.

 
I’m also a huge Russell and Lillian Hoban fan, so I’m going with A BIRTHDAY FOR FRANCES, which introduces the excellent imaginary character “Alice” as well as Frances’ angry creative spelling and the wonderful “Chompo bar” episode.  

 
MAY I BRING A FRIEND by Beatrice Schenk des Regniers, illustrated by Beni Montresor.  Bliss.  I grew up thinking it was a book about a child’s friendship with animals (which I related to very strongly) and enjoying the unconventional yet beautifully structured meter of the verse (which is sort of like a mobile, with dangling parts that all balance each other).  Now, I see it as a book about grandparents and unconditional love.  Weird, huh?

 
Speaking of poems, some of the best picture books are, essentially, poems.  For example, Dr. Seuss’ THE SLEEP BOOK (which I think is his best work) and Amy Schwartz’s A TEENY TINY BABY.  These two are very different from each other (one lives in the land of fantasy, while the other is rooted in realism), but both treat their subjects with reverence and perfect attention to detail.

 
Next up:  FISH IS FISH by Leo Lionni.  I hate “message” books.  Good thing this isn’t one.  It’s just a great story about cross-cultural friendship, being comfortable with who you are, and cows with wings and feet.

 
 

I will always be in awe of ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, though the Judith Viorst book that I perhaps love the most is THE TENTH GOOD THING ABOUT BARNEY.  I practically can’t say the title without starting to sob.

 
BABAR AND ZEPHIR by Jean de Brunhoff.  True story: we had this book on a phonograph record, which included songs.  If anyone finds it on eBay, let me know.  I love the monkey village and the secret mermaid promises and kidnapped monkey princess (Extra! Extra!  Monkey Princess Vanishes!) and the petulant monsters and the bizarre elaborate premise of this book.  Not much Babar here, but enough Zephir to make up for it!

 
THE STUPIDS DIE by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall.  Extra points awarded for the title alone.  This book and others in the series broke new ground in terms of serious silliness.  For which all of us who write, read and appreciate humorous children’s books are extremely grateful.

Kate Coombs' Picture Book List

Kate Coombs writes, blogs about, and fervently collects children's books. Her first book, The Secret-Keeper, was an original folktale illustrated by Heather Solomon. She has since written two comic fantasies for middle grades, The Runaway Princess and The Runaway Dragon. Her next picture book, a retelling of the Grimms' tale Hans My Hedgehog, is being illustrated by John Nickle and will
come out next summer. (She has a third picture book, The Tooth Fairy Wars, awaiting an illustrator and a publication date.) You can learn more about her books on her website.
Kate grew up in Southern California, the second of seven adopted children of various ethnicities. She rather inexplicably speaks Spanish and has a day job teaching homebound children for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Her current crop of students are all teenage boys, which means her assignments include analyzing Nirvana lyrics and writing character descriptions of evil ex-girlfriends.
Kate also reviews children's books at Book Aunt, where her love of fairy tales and subversive picture books occasionally rears its gobliny little head. She actually has dozens of favorite picture books
(Classic Picture Books, Most Beautiful Illustrations, Best Read-alouds, etc.). 

The following, she writes, is a relatively idiosyncratic selection.

1. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak

Some books don't live up to their hype. This one does. Still the most perfect blend of art and story ever created, illuminating the inner world of the child without resorting to obnoxious pop psychology. At the same time, it manages to be a heroic quest tale.

2. THE ARRIVAL by Shaun Tan

It's hard to know where to shelve it, but who cares? This evocation of the immigrant experience is one of the most moving, lovingly crafted, creative books ever published. I suspect its poignancy and beauty will never be surpassed. Watch for the ocean voyage as depicted by a journal of cloudscapes and the way Tan depicts the fears that overtake the refugees' homelands.

3. THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO SWALLOWED A FLY by Simms Taback

A crazy-cool rendition of the classic children's song. My favorite part is seeing the animals appear in the old woman's stomach when you turn the die-cut pages over. Taback did his manic art in crayon brights on a stark-black background. (Check out the running commentary from some of the animals!)

4. FRIDA by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Ana Juan

Biography is not my favorite genre, but this book is just wonderful. Take a look at the stunning
illustrations, especially the one representing Frida's chronic pain after her accident as briars. I also like the way Mexican folk art characters and motifs enhance the strange beauty of the story.

5. THE WHOLE GREEN WORLD by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Elisa Kleven

One of the happiest picture books I've ever read, offering idyllic scenes of childhood with a refreshing lack of sentimentality. The writing is pitch-perfect, as well, and the result is a lively, rolling ode to joy.

6. JULIUS, THE BABY OF THE WORLD by Kevin Henkes

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse may be better known, but I adore this picture book about a little mouse girl irked by the arrival of a new baby brother. Henkes captures Lilly's strong personality with just a few inked lines set off by his cheerful watercolor palette. Look for Lilly's "story" about her new brother, especially her youthfully ruthless metaphors.

7. "LET'S GET A PUP!" SAID KATE or HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING by Bob Graham

It's a tie, okay? "Let's Get a Pup!" wins for humor, but How to Heal a Broken Wing is more tender and offers up some striking cityscapes. In both his language and his artwork, Graham is particularly good at evoking the extraordinary power of the ordinary love within a family.

8. MY LIGHT by Molly Bang

Science has always seemed so marvelous and magical to me, and this book captures that spirit richly as the Sun tells its own story of giving light and energy to the earth. My favorite illustrations have deep midnight blue backdrops with light/electricity gleaming yellow in the
foreground. In all of her spreads, Bang uses color with a strong, clean style that seems almost symbolic.

9. ELSIE PIDDOCK SKIPS IN HER SLEEPS by Eleanor Farjeon, illustrated by Charlotte Voake

Apparently a favorite of professional storytellers, this lengthy classic is about a girl who can jump rope better than anyone, including the fairies. Charlotte Voake's light lines are as graceful as jump ropes and fairies and Elsie Piddock herself.

10. MANY MOONS by James Thurber, illustrated by Marc Simont

Another long, whimsical read-aloud, this one about a princess who is ill and decides that being given the moon will make her feel much better. The king and his court go through contortions trying to fulfill her request. An earlier edition illustrated by Louis Slobodkin won the Caldecott Medal, but I really like this new version by Marc Simont, with its luminous fairy tale feel.

Happy Halloween, Picture Books!

Andy Rash's Picture Book List

Andy Rash wrote and illustrated several picture books including Ten Little Zombies: A Love Story, Are You a Horse?, and Agent A to Agent Z. He has illustrated several more such as Superhero School, Fat Camp Commandos, and Sea Monster's First Day. His illustrations also appear in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Jennifer and son Joe. This is Andy's website.
And this is his picture book list:

DRUMMER HOFF by Barbara Emberly and Ed Emberly 

The gorgeous woodcuts in this book blow me away. The last image of the destroyed cannon is mysterious and poetic, and seemed that way to me even as a little kid.

OWL AT HOME by Arnold Lobel 

Don't get me wrong, I love Frog and Toad, but Owl is my favorite. He isn't very bright for an owl, but he's an extremely likable guy. Lobel was amazing.

 

BLUE MOOSE by Daniel Pinkwater 

This one isn't strictly a picture book. More of a chapter book but with enough illustrations that I thought I could get away with including it. It's because of this book that I got the crazy idea that you could center a children's book story around a human adult. Sooner or later I'll make that happen!
 

THE OBJECT-LESSON by Edward Gorey 

I must have watched the opening credits for the television show Mystery! hundreds of times yet never made it through the rest of the program. The reason was Edward Gorey's incredible animation. It wasn't until college that I found his books. I would like to quote the first line from this book: It was already Thursday, but his lordship's artificial limb could not be found; therefore, having directed the servants to fill the baths, he seized the tongs and set out at once for the edge of the lake, where the Throbblefoot Spectre still loitered in a distraught manner. 

Show me a better first sentence in all of literature! I dare you!
 

WHAT WAS I SCARED OF? by Dr. Seuss

The spookiest Seuss I can think of. Our pale yellow, lamblike protagonist is terrorized by an empty pair of green pants!
 

GO DOG GO  by P. D. Eastman 

"Simple" doesn't mean the same thing going and coming in art. Go Dog Go is so simple only a genius could have created it.

CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO by Richard Scarry

Where's Goldbug? Somehow I never memorized everywhere that Goldbug was hiding. There's so much going on in this book, you barely even notice it's about a family of pigs.

THIS IS NEW YORK by Miroslav Sasek

I'll admit, I came to this one really late. Illustrator David Small told me he assumed I was a big fan of Sasek before I had even heard of him. I guess what actually happened was that I was a fan of everyone Sasek was a fan of and everyone who was a fan of Sasek. All of his This Is books are incredible, but I like New York the best because I like New York the best.
 

WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS by Shel Silverstein

Not a picture book? There's pictures on every spread! I can't in good conscience make a list of favorites without including Shel Silverstein. My concept of what sort of content is acceptable to be included in children's books came from him.
 

THE STINKY CHEESE MAN AND OTHER FAIRLY STUPID TALES by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

In 1992, I was trying to figure out what to do with my life, or rather how to do what I wanted to do with my life and whether I could. This book and a few others that came out around the same time (Tuesday by David Wiesner, for instance) showed me the path.

Tanya Lee Stone's Picture Book List

Tanya Lee Stone is the author of many books for children and young adults, including the picture books Elizabeth Leads the Way, illustrated by Rebecca Gibson, and Sandy's Circus, illustrated by the great Boris Kulikov. A forthcoming picture book called Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? is being illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. Just on the shelves now is her The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie. A Doll's History and her Impact on Us. 

Check out her website. 

Here's Tanya's list:

These are not ranked in any particular order and include favorites I have shared with my kids, as well as books I teach to writing students.

- DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS by Mo Willems. 

The single easiest way to show voice to students.

 -A HOUSE IS A HOUSE FOR ME by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Betty Fraser.

I keep buying copies of this, I probably have 11.

- KITTEN'S FIRST FULL MOON by Kevin Henkes. 

Just kind of perfect.

- BARK, GEORGE by Jules Feiffer. 

Laugh out loud every time.

- WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak. 

Given to me as a baby and cherished ever since.

- HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON by Crockett Johnson.

Heavily influenced my childhood.

- CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 

Hilarious and brilliant.

- HARRY THE DIRTY DOG by Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Graham. 

Another childhood favorite, the pictures are burned in my memory.

- THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS by Mordicai Gerstein. 

Elegant, beautiful, poignant.

- MILLIONS OF CATS by Wanda Gág. 

The beginning of it all!