I’ve got a quick challenge for you, children’s book fans: Close your eyes, clear your mind, and visualize an illustration from a picture book you loved as a child. (Then open your eyes again, please, so you can read the rest of this column.)
Okay. How’d it go? Did you remember the colors of your illustration, or the style the artist used? Could you remember how you felt when you looked at the very hungry caterpillar’s four ripe strawberries, or how the sight of Max’s boat transported you into a world where the wild things are? If you could reach back across the years to conjure up an image you loved when you were young, then you’ll know how powerful the visual art of children’s books can be. From picture books for little ones to graphic novels for older kids and teens, modern children’s books put great art on display, and this month, I’m sharing a bunch of wonderful new illustrated stories for you to share aloud or read on your own.
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Jaque Jours, The Muéganos
Transit Children’s Editions, July 21
