Art In Children’s Books

For many children, the pictures in a book are just as important as the words. The art in children’s books helps a child visualize the scenes that they are reading about and gives them a new perspective on what they are reading. The art is so important, in fact, that they have an award specifically for it.
The Caldecott Medal is awarded every year to the artist of “the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States.” There has been a winner every year since 1938, and each year has brought something new and different to the table.
One of the most famous Caldecott winners is ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak. It’s such a wonderfully vivid book that it has been made into and opera, and most recently, a movie. This book tells the story of Max, a mischievous child in a wolf costume who gets in trouble and is sent to his room without dinner. While in his room, Max ends up in the land of Wild Things, which are scary looking beasts. Max becomes king of all Wild Things, but eventually misses his home and family. He decides to go back home where he finds a warm dinner waiting for him. The pictures throughout this book are so vibrant and wonderful to look at. Even people who haven’t read this book should be able to recognize Max and the Wild Things. These pictures help the reader visualize what is happening throughout the book and gives them a detailed vision of what it was like in the land of the Wild Things.
Another wonderful Caldecott winner is ‘Grandfather’s Journey’ by Allen Say. This book is about a grandfather’s journey from Japan to America, told through the eyes of his grandson. It paints a stunning picture of the American landscape the grandfather sees on his journey.
No matter if it’s realistic or completely improbable, having art accompany a story will help children enjoy what they are reading and visualize the story as the artist would have intended.