If you know Tomie dePaola, it is probably due to his classic Strega Nona. (And if you haven’t read that, go and do that now.) […]
Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love
Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love (2024) is an odd but pleasing book. It was created by, as the cover says, “Joseph Coelho and 21 Artist […]
Drawing is…
I had recently read Elizabeth Haidle’s Before They Were Artists, and so sought out more of her work. One of those works is her 2025 […]
The Worlds of Tomie dePaola
Barbara Elleman’s 2021 book The Worlds of Tomie dePaola: The Art and Stories of the Legendary Artist and Author was a genuine eyeopener. Like many […]
Before They Were Artists
I enjoyed Elizabeth Haidle’s 2021 Before They Were Artists: Famous Illustrators as Kids, and I learned a lot from it. It is a book for […]
A Kiss for Little Bear
Recently I read and discussed Father Bear Comes Home (because Sendak illustrated it). I was disappointed with it, but I wanted to see what more […]
little blue and little yellow
Leo Lionni was a towering figure in picture books. He published dozens of books, won multiple awards (including four Caldecott Honors), and…little blue and little […]
The Book of Mistakes
Corinna Luyken‘s 2017 picture book The Book of Mistakes is great. It does something rare: it is directly didactic, teaching clear and specific lessons, but […]
The People’s Painter
Sometimes I realize just how much I don’t know. That was the case when I stumbled across a mention of Ben Shahn and looked him […]
Mice, Morals, & Monkey Business
I picked up Mice, Morals & Monkey Business : Lively Lessons From Aesop’s Fables because I saw a social media mention of Christopher Wormell’s illustrations. […]