This is post 1 of the Artist/Mother Tips for Creative Kids Series.
As an Artist-Mother, and avid reader, I have high standards when it comes to kids' books. I want a well-written story paired with transportive illustrations. This is a surprisingly rare combo. There is a lot of junk out there! Below is a list of our family favorites. Favorite themes are mythology, ancestry, seasons, and folklore. These photos below are from our library and because we are thrifters, vintage lovers, and used bookstore haunters, many are well loved. So please ignore the old library stickers, Thriftbooks labels, and many marks! Let's dive into the creative inspiration of story and art!
To start, I love what I call a "quiet book." A book that is as gentle in its storytelling as it is calming in its visuals.
Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger is the embodiment of the "quiet book" archetype. This book is a sweet story perfect for bedtime. Follow grandfather Twilight on his nightly bedtime ritual. The illustrations are soft and magical in a pastel color pallet. One of my absolute favorites. A must-have in any small child's library.
The next book that is perfect for quiet snuggly moments is The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren. This is more of a seasonal story and perfect for the winter solstice holiday. Again, we have soft illustrations and a muted color pallet. This folk tale is about a little gnome-like creature who takes care of a sleepy homestead.
December's Travels is a story about December, represented as a boy, who travels through the other months to see what its like to experience September or March or July and so on. The illustrations are spectacular. Dusan Kállay has such a distinct style! Layers of pattern, texture, and color will delight your little one.
Okay, maybe not a picture book like the rest, but it makes for fantastic bedtime reading.
Jim Kay's illustrations for the Harry Potter series are some of the most incredibly beautiful things to exist. Yeah that sounds like a big statement. But seriously, I'm telling you, these artworks bring the magic! I could go on and on about the work but please just check them out! And, of course, as far as story goes, we all know the Harry potter series is chock full of stunningly crafted world building, current world issues, and the lesson that friendship and love triumphs over evil. These books, sadly, we don't own (yet!) But we checked them out from our local library.
All the Pretty Little Horses by Susan Jeffers is less of a story and more a picture book with a dappling of words. But, these pictures are so sweet. They are the stuff of day dreams! A nice get 'em to bed quick book!
Next, a couple of books with real personality and humor!
Waiting for Winter and Mr. Squirrel and the Moon by Sebastian Meschenmoser are two new favorites. First of all Mr. Squirrel and his adventures are so adorable. These simple hand-drawn illustrations are so expressive, that you can almost see the movement of the creatures. In Waiting for Winter, Mr. Squirrel wants to see snow for the first time. Him and his hibernation friends go looking for it and mistake some forest litter for snow before they find it. In Mr. Squirrel and the Moon our little friend awakes to a wheel of cheese crashing into his tree. He mistakes it for the moon and worries he will be blamed for stealing it. We see his imagination run amok when he pictures what life in jail would be like. This is such a great balance of fantastic illustrations that lend humor and expression to an already great story.
And onto the really punchy color-filled madness!
The Rainbow Goblins by Ul De Rico is another long-time favorite. Beautifully painted in super-saturated color. This is a tale of 7 greedy goblins and their thirst for color. They torment the valley where they live. But their plans are foiled when the flowers come to the rainbow's rescue. A magical book for color-loving kids.
Jerome by Phillip Ressner and illustrated by Jerome Snyder is the epitome of 60's psychedelic! Full of inky, colorful, and swirling illustrations. This book is worth a read for the pictures alone. This lovely frog becomes a prince and uses his empathetic heart to solve the problems of those in his "kingdom".
One Wide River to Cross is an adaption of an American folksong retelling of Noah's Ark. Each page is a different color of the rainbow with bold block prints. And keeping with my love of 60's art expression, these pages pack a punch. I have thought many times that these pages would make adorable framed art in a nursery. Is that sacrilegious for a self-proclaimed book lover to say?!
I think it's not too surprising that some of my favorite kids books are the colorful, quirky, and creatively unique books of the 60's and 70's! If You're Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbow is a great example of this aesthetic quirkiness in both it's writing and illustration.
Now we will move into books that lend a sense of wonder to family lore and ancestry.
Patricia Polonco's books have meaningful messages and values. The drawings are so sinewy and expressive. My two favorites are The Keeping Quilt and Babuska Baba Yaga. The first, a story about a family heirloom that strings family together and holds them through their joys and sorrows. The second, a reimagining of the myth of Baba Yaga, the wise crone who lives in a house made of bones and may or may not eat children. In this tale she is a misunderstood lonely creature of the forest who longs for a child to love and care for.
This book, Alma and How She Got Her Name, is a great way to discuss reverence for ancestors. Alma thinks she has too many names. It's too long and her name won't fit on the page. Alma's father takes her on an imagined journey through time to introduce her to her elders through story and memory. She learns about what makes her ancestors special and all the ways in which they are similar. When Alma learns about the people she inherited her names from, she learns to take pride in it. A sweet book that will spark your own discussions of beloved ancestors.
Time to dive into the magic of Phoebe Wahl.
We love all of Phoebe's books! The two pictured here are our favorites. But we also liked The Blue House about gentrification, which mirrored our own experience and was a healing read for our daughter. Backyard Faries is for kids who live for magic. A rhyming story about a quest to find faires. They are hidden around every mushroom and leaf. Little Witch Hazel is a book in 4 parts. A story for each season. It follows Hazel, a little gnome who is also a skilled herbalist, healer, and midwife. These illustrations will bring you such joy. She creates little worlds. You won't be able to turn the page until you've soaked in every detail. Bonus points for Hazel's soft body and hairy legs, breastfeeding mothers, and men in skirts.
Obviously, we love a story of a kind-hearted which as seen previously with Little Witch Hazel and Babushka Baba Yaga. In our house, witches aren't evil they are wise women healers.
Strega Nona is a kind witch with a sense of humor. She cares for her community and cooks with love. Tomie De Paola's illustrations are simple and folksy in the best way.
This book, Trying, is for anyone who has struggled through their craft, felt like quiting, or thought they weren't good enough. A truly touching tale about how failure makes room for growth and the power of mentorship. Beautiful illustrations for a beautiful story.
To end, I would like to included a story to help guide young ones though grief. We have been hit with many waves of grief this year and this book always provides a gental healing.
This book is a beautiful story that shows kids a transformative way of dealing with grief and death.
This one isn't really a book. But it is perfect for what we've been diving into here!
And Then... Is a collection of story starters. Inside the box-disguised-as-book are charmingly illustrated cards with the beginning of a story until it trails off... For you to finish the tale. Use your imagination to craft the middle and end of the story. A truly creative bedtime activity!
I hope you check these stories out and enjoy them as much as we do! I get so much creative inspiration from childrens books old and new. You may not be able to see the connection between my work and the art in these pages but I am deeply inspired by them.
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