An Illustrator’s Favorite Children’s Books, Part 1

I asked my creative partner and illustrator, Jacob Wenzka, to pick a few of his favorite children’s picture books for me to share in this blog post promoting our new book, Do NOT Read This Book At Bedtime.

He said it was difficult to choose just a handful, so look for part 2 sometime in the next few months.

All the descriptions below are Jacob’s, including that very first sentence he wrote: “This is such a great story, because it doesn’t require any words.” As the writer in this collaboration, I’m trying not to let that ruffle my feathers!

Maybe what he meant was: It’s such a great story that it doesn’t require any words. (Or maybe when I do my list, I’ll just pick books that are great because they don’t have illustrations!) OK, I’ve said my peace. Bart out.

(FYI, if you click on the title links and make a purchase on Amazon, Jacob and I will receive a very small percentage of the sales price.)

The Flower Man: A Wordless Picture Book by Mark Ludy

This is such a great story, because it doesn't require any words. The entire story is told with the power of the amazing and poignant illustrations. I love the art style—perfect mix of cartoony and dreary realism. There is so much action and narrative elements packed into each page of this book that my daughter and I can stare at it for hours and each focus on something different. Each "read" is a new adventure!

This Is Sadie by Sara O'Leary and Julie Morstad

This book reminds me that we all need to aspire to be better than what we are, but we also need to learn how to be happy as ourselves. I value imagination very highly, and I think this book does, too. This book transports me to a magical place without actually telling a narrative story. And the writing is very beautiful—kind of like a retelling of Calvin & Hobbes, but with more of the magic and less of the humor.

Instructions by Neil Gaiman

I think I read this as a short story before it was illustrated. But I love that it is illustrated now, because I can read it to my children. This might have been the guidebook for my early childhood. I pretty much lived in my imagination, and the real world was just a thing I had to bother with, so people would stop pestering me. (Read carefully, kids. These are all the instructions you need!)

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

First of all, the illustrations and feel of this book remind me so much of my early childhood in New England, before we moved to Georgia. I love the pacing and the lessons in this book, as well as the sweeping, timeless narrative. What a great set of goals for any human to live by: 1. Travel the world. 2. Live by the sea. 3. Do something to make the world more beautiful. I think if I manage to accomplish all three of these, I will be able to say I've done OK in this life.

The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen

I can relate to this book, because as an over-imaginative child, I used to be TERRIFIED of the dark. The illustration style of this book is interesting because they use SOLID BLACK (which is also my favorite color). You wouldn't think it would work for a children's book, but it does. Good humor in this book, too—just the right blend of creepy and funny. It’s a good lesson for any child who is having a hard time being alone in the dark.

Journey by Aaron Becker

This is another wordless book. (I figure it’s OK for me to have two, since I'm the illustrator.) I LOVE the pictures in this book. Beautiful, breathtaking watercolors on each page. The Wizard-of-Oz-like transition from drab black and white into full color is perfectly executed. And the use of the drippy, red color ties the whole thing together beautifully. I would love to someday be able to create a book like this one.

That’s it for part 1 of Jacob’s recommendations. There’s some good stuff in there (even in the absence of a writer).

If you haven’t yet, please check out our newest collaboration, Do NOT Read This Book At Bedtime. Thanks!