| Best Illustrated 2008 Kids' Books Feb 9th 2012, 11:04 The following children's books, which include several biographies and a nonfiction book, represent some of what I think are the best illustrated children's books of 2008. In every case, the illustrations both complement and enhance the story. The artwork includes paintings, mixed media, collage, sculpture, scratchboard and watercolor. 
Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, An Imprint of the Disney Book GroupWe Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball is the first book artist Kadir Nelson has both written and illustrated. His personal interest in, and research of, Negro League Baseball is reflected in his dramatic portraits of the various teams, players, and others important to its history. The baseball players in his illustrations seem larger than life, vibrating with strength and stoicism. The 88-page history contains as many illustrations as you'd expect in a picture book, and the paintings play a huge part in the story of Negro League Baseball. (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, An Imprint of Disney Book Group, ISBN: 9780786808328) 
A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young ReadersLet's get one thing straight. Despite its title, A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet is not a children's alphabet book. Instead, it is an art book, filled with 2D and 3D artwork by Stephen Johnson that will be enjoyed by all ages, from young children enjoying the artwork and the alliterative descriptions to older children, teens and adults exploring on a deeper level the meaning of art and what Johnson created when he explored "...the English dictionary, selectively choosing and organizing particular words from each letter of the alphabet and, based solely on the meanings of the words, developing a visual work of art."(A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008. ISBN: 9780689863011) 
Little, Brown and companyWabi Sabi is a stunning picture book that can best be appreciated by older children and adults. While the story is simple - a cat named Wabi Sabi wants to know the meaning of his name - the philosophy behind it is not as easy to grasp. Award winning artist Ed Young has created dramatic collages featuring man-made and natural materials, strong, yet subtle colors, and a variety of textures and patterns to illustrate the story. According to the author, Mark Reibstein, Wabi Sabi, a traditional Japanese concept, "...is a way of seeing the world...[that]...finds beauty and harmony in what is simple, imperfect, natural, modest, and mysterious." The story is told in narrative form and haiku. (Little, Brown and Company, 2008. ISBN: 9780316118255) 
Eerdmans Books for Young ReadersMelissa Sweet does a masterly job of bringing A River of Words: The Life of William Carlos Williams to life with her artwork. Sweet uses pages from old publications and other ephemera, portions of Williams' poems, and watercolor paintings in her collages, to great effect. The amount of detail and life in the illustrations virtually demands that readers spend a considerable amount of time "reading" the illustrations as well as author Jen Bryant's words in order to gain a fuller understanding of the life and times of poet and physician William Carlos Williams. I recommend A River of Words for children 10 and older, teens and adults. (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008. ISBN: 9780802853028) 
Eerdmans Books for Young ReadersGarmann's Summer was originally published in Norway in 2006. Six-year-old Garmann is grappling with questions about life, death and fear. Specifically, he is scared about the first day of school, and he asks his old aunts and his parents what, if anything, they are scared of. The answers include some pretty heavy topics, including growing old and dying. The imaginative and idiosyncratic mixed media collages of author and illustator Stian Hole range from funny to slightly creepy, but they all capture Garmann's feelings of things being not quite right because of his fear. In the end, Garmann is still scared, but he now knows that he is no longer alone in feeling scared. (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008. ISBN: 9780802853394) 
Houghton MifflinMuch of the quiet dreamy atmosphere of Susan Marie Swanson's The House in the Night comes from the illustrations by Beth Krommes. This bedtime story emphasizes nighttime objects, preparing for bed, and the power of books to carry the reader away on magical journeys. Each double-page spread features one sentence embedded in artwork created with black scratchboard and watercolor. The black and white of night is broken by just one color - a deep yellow. This is enormously effective in terms of creating a feeling of night, softened by the glow of house lights and stars. I recommend The House in the Night for two- to four-year-olds. (Houghton Mifflin, 2008. ISBN: 9780618862443) 
HarcourtThe creator of A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play, Ida Pearle, uses action words for the letters, illustrating each with colorful cut paper collages of children playing. Both the word choice and the illustrations are much more appealing than most alphabet books. For example, rather than the typical "U is for umbrella," the word representing "U" in A Child's Day is "unite," and the illustration shows three children standing in a row, with their hands clasped and arms raised high. The simple, yet sophisticated collages, with their lively patterns and combination of muted and bright colors, make the scenes of children at play a delight. A Child's Day will appeal to 3- to 6-year-olds. (Harcourt, 2008. ISBN: 9780152065522) 
Candlewick PressLady Liberty: A Biography, by Doreen Rappaport is the story of the Statue of Liberty, from the idea to the unveiling of the completed statue. The book is in picture book format. The artwork by Matt Tavares complements the text and beautifully illustrates the process of building the Lady Liberty from start to finish. At the end of the book is a 6-page section of detailed information about the Statue of Liberty, including its dimensions, and other valuable resources. Candlewick Press is the publisher and the ISBN is 9780763625306. Read my review of Lady Liberty: A Biography. 
HarcourtTen Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, with illustrations by Helen Oxenbury, is a joyous celebration of babies from around the world and the fact that no matter their differences, they all share "ten little fingers and ten little toes." Oxenbury's babies are brim full of merriment. Her depiction of ten little fingers and ten little toes on one double-page spread is larger than life; young children will delight in comparing their own fingers and toes with the illustrations. Oxenbury's infectious watercolors of happy babies, combined with Fox's equally infectious repeating rhymes, results in a book that will appeal to babies, toddlers and preschoolers, as well as their parents.(Harcourt, Inc., 2008. ISBN: 9780152060572) 
Little, Brown and CompanyMolly Bang is the illustrator of The Day Leo Said I Hate You! by Robie H. Harris. A little boy, Leo, is having a bad day. He is full of mischief and constantly being reprimanded, to the point that he explodes. After an angry response from his mother, the two discuss what's happened and work it out. What I particularly like about the illustrations is how Bang makes the angry words a part of her illustrations, creating just the mood of exploding anger that the story calls for. For example, when Leo screams, "I HATE YOU!" the words in vivid orange and yellow jump out from the page. Bang created the illustrations in Photoshop. She used scans of paper cutouts and photographs. (Little, Brown and Company, 2008. ISBN: 9780316065801)  | |
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