Every time I open a new picture book I immediately look for its unique design elements. Is the dust jacket different than the casewrap? Are the endpapers decorative, and do they hint at some emotional progression we will see in the story? And, of course, what do the interior illustrations accomplish separate from the text? To me, it's imperative that the images carry their own unique narrative, and the illustrators who can walk that fine line between visually interpreting text and adding in another layer of story are worthy of praise.
Let's Talk Illustrators is a series that explores the methods, media, and inspiration illustrators use to create visual worlds and narratives in children's picture books. I hope to shine a light on the skillfully conscious and wonderfully accidental details that pull us back to our favorite picture books time and time again.
Here are the illustrators I've had the pleasure of interviewing so far:
Let's Talk Illustrators is a series that explores the methods, media, and inspiration illustrators use to create visual worlds and narratives in children's picture books. I hope to shine a light on the skillfully conscious and wonderfully accidental details that pull us back to our favorite picture books time and time again.
Here are the illustrators I've had the pleasure of interviewing so far:
Ged Adamson
Basak Agaoglu
Jon Agee
Jacqueline Alcántara
Mehrdokht Amini
Chris Appelhans
William Bee
Jonathan Bentley
Galia Bernstein
Sophie Blackall
Thi Bui
Cozbi Cabrera
Ruth Chan
Cátia Chien
Jean Claverie
Raúl Colón
Marianna Coppo
Matthew Cordell
Mike Curato
Antje Damm
Suzanne Del Rizzo
Mariachiara di Giorgio
Sandra Dieckmann
Cori Doerrfeld
Hélène Druvert
Carson Ellis
Leo Espinosa
Jay Fleck
Deborah Freedman
Basak Agaoglu
Jon Agee
Jacqueline Alcántara
Mehrdokht Amini
Chris Appelhans
William Bee
Jonathan Bentley
Galia Bernstein
Sophie Blackall
Thi Bui
Cozbi Cabrera
Ruth Chan
Cátia Chien
Jean Claverie
Raúl Colón
Marianna Coppo
Matthew Cordell
Mike Curato
Antje Damm
Suzanne Del Rizzo
Mariachiara di Giorgio
Sandra Dieckmann
Cori Doerrfeld
Hélène Druvert
Carson Ellis
Leo Espinosa
Jay Fleck
Deborah Freedman
Laura Freeman
Emily Gravett
Rebecca Green
Raúl Nieto Guridi
Rebecca Hahn
Paul Harfleet
Katie Harnett
Shawn Harris
Ryan T Higgins
Janet Hill
Molly Idle
Gordon C James
AN Kang
Aram Kim
Julie Kim
Jon Klassen
Joseph Kuefler
Suzy Lee
Steve Light
David Litchfield
Jessica Love
Corinna Luyken
Elly MacKay
Thao Lam
Deborah Marcero
Juana Martinez-Neal
Tim Miller
Poonam Mistry
Daniel Miyares
I occasionally chat with authors as well!
Mac Barnett
Ingrid Chabbert
Katey Howes
Natalia O'Hara
Chitra Soundar
Joshua David Stein
Emily Gravett
Rebecca Green
Raúl Nieto Guridi
Rebecca Hahn
Paul Harfleet
Katie Harnett
Shawn Harris
Ryan T Higgins
Janet Hill
Molly Idle
Gordon C James
AN Kang
Aram Kim
Julie Kim
Jon Klassen
Joseph Kuefler
Suzy Lee
Steve Light
David Litchfield
Jessica Love
Corinna Luyken
Elly MacKay
Thao Lam
Deborah Marcero
Juana Martinez-Neal
Tim Miller
Poonam Mistry
Daniel Miyares
I occasionally chat with authors as well!
Mac Barnett
Ingrid Chabbert
Katey Howes
Natalia O'Hara
Chitra Soundar
Joshua David Stein
Oge Mora
Lauren O'Hara
Zachariah OHora
Kelsey Oseid
Kathryn Otoshi
Kenard Pak
Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb
LeUyen Pham
Greg Pizzoli
Christian Robinson
Julia Rothman
Felicita Sala
Alessandro Sanna
Francesca Sanna
Júlia Sardà
Esmé Shapiro
Lane Smith (with Molly Leach)
Sydney Smith
Nazli Tahvili
Van Thanh Rudd
Joe Todd-Stanton
Duncan Tonatiuh
Evan Turk
Nancy Vo
Anna Walker
Brendan Wenzel
Bethan Woollvin
James Yang
Lauren O'Hara
Zachariah OHora
Kelsey Oseid
Kathryn Otoshi
Kenard Pak
Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb
LeUyen Pham
Greg Pizzoli
Christian Robinson
Julia Rothman
Felicita Sala
Alessandro Sanna
Francesca Sanna
Júlia Sardà
Esmé Shapiro
Lane Smith (with Molly Leach)
Sydney Smith
Nazli Tahvili
Van Thanh Rudd
Joe Todd-Stanton
Duncan Tonatiuh
Evan Turk
Nancy Vo
Anna Walker
Brendan Wenzel
Bethan Woollvin
James Yang
