Review of Children's Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling by Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles
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Contents of Children's Picturebooks: The book is large, 8.5 by 11 inches, illustrated in color on most of its 200 pages. Topics covered include the history of picture books across Europe and the USA, the picture book as a work of art, how children read and respond to picture books, the ways text and art may interact, subject matter, the publishing process, and more. Taken as a whole, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to picture books as they are produced at this point in the 21st century.
As you would expect in a book on picture books, there are illustrations throughout, providing examples from books and the work, such as sketches and dummies, done by an illustrator. Case studies in an interview format dig into the process of creating a particular book; these mostly look at published works by a global range of illustrators (from Jon Klassen to Beatrice Alemagna and Blexbolex), but also bring in a few student projects. Backmatter includes an extensive list of "related reading," a glossary, and an index.
Comments: There's a lot of material, concisely presented, with much to learn and think about. This is a book that can be read cover to cover, dipped into for particular topics, or used as a reference book. It presents its subject from a global perspective, though with relatively more examples and history of American picture books than Salisbury's Illustrating.... I'm glad to have it on my shelf.
Who Needs Children's Picturebooks: This is a useful resource for people writing picture books, or working with them in some way, such as teachers and children's librarians. Children's book illustrators will find the range of topics useful. Those seeking guidance specifically in the process of creating illustrations and picture books should get Illustrating Children's Books or Writing with Pictures or both: Illustrating... is more basic but more up to date, while Writing...goes into more depth but was published in 1985.
Related Books about Picture Books
- American Picturebooks from Noah's Ark to the Beast Within (link to Amazon), by Barbara Bader. This is the classic history of American picture books from colonial times to the 1970s. Out of print, but available used.
- Pictured Worlds: Masterpieces of Children's Book Art by 101 Essential Illustrators... (link to Bookshop), by Leonard Marcus. A recent counterpart to Barbara Bader's book, with a global focus.
- Writing with Pictures (my review), Uri Shulevitz. This is a master class in illustrating and designing children's books. Published in 1985, so does not include digital illustration and layout, but the principles haven't changed.
- Drawing for Illustration (link to Bookshop), Martin Salisbury. A tightly focused how-to for illustrators on the art and craft of drawing.
More books about illustrating (From the Resources section of my Complete Idiot's Guide)
Where and How to Purchase Children's Picturebooks (online):
- Buy Children's Picturebooks at BookShop. Note that Bookshop offers an ebook edition for $2.99. This looks like a great deal, but it's based on an earlier (2012) edition and has to be viewed on the Bookshop site, as far as I can see. Perhaps worth it as an inexpensive way to preview the book?
- Buy Children's Picturebooks at Amazon.
- Buy Children's Picturebooks at Amazon Canada.
- Buy Children's Picturebooks at Amazon UK.
This review is copyright © by Harold Underdown. If you wish to reproduce it, please see the Terms of use. Last modified 2/22/2026.