Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books (Paperback)

~ (Author) "To create a good picture book or story book, you must understand how the two differ in concept..." (more)
Key Phrases: picture space and composition, halftone art, littlest rabbit, Maurice Sendak, Sophie's Picnic, The Magic Trick (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Shulevitz, a well-established children's author and illustrator, uses discussion and more than 600 illustrations to convey principles he follows in his work. He covers story writing briefly, but gives most of his attention to the drawing of illustrations. Shulevitz makes his points slowly and completely and starts at a very basic level. He covers technical questions of how actually to proceed in developing ideas into books, as well as aesthetic and ethical issues. While Shulevitz's frequent use of his own work as a model of excellence and his unabashed presentation of his own point of view limit the range of styles and approaches presented, the book will still be useful as a starting point for aspiring children's authors. Kathryn W. Finkelstein, formerly with Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Anyone wishing to create children's books will learn how to tell a story visually; build a storyboard to plot the flow of a book; prepare pages for a printer; and go about finding a publisher. Step-by-step sketches provide insights into drawing characters and developing settings. The works of such renowned illustrators as Beatrix Potter, William Steig, and Maurice Sendak are used to demonstrate a visual approach to storytelling. 10 color and 600 b&w illustrations.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823059359
• ISBN-13: 978-0823059355
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,394 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

164 of 167 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for any children's book writer or illustator, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

As a children's book author and editor, I know that no one understands picture books better than Uri Shulevitz, and no one is more articulate about how they work. Most books about writing for children focus on young novels or on straightforward picture book stories. This book inspires you to think beyond those predictable formats and instead embrace the poetry of a good picture book, the magic of a good collaboration between text and art which is necessary whether you are working on a story book or a concept book or a nonfiction book. An intelligent and inspiring guide to the art of good bookmaking.

111 of 115 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Foundation for Creating Children's Books, January 27, 2000

By	Timothy J. Chambers, Fine Artist (Virginia, US) - See all my reviews

I found this very readable book to be very well thought out in its explanation of what makes for a successful children's book. It has the most examples of illustrations of any book on writing children's books I have seen, with many illustrations showing why some methods work and others fail. Uri is vary clear and benevolent in his sharing the princeiples for successfully creating a book for children. It was like being in workshop. With this book I feel prepared to pursue creating a kids' book!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book every children's book illustrator should have--and useful for writers and others too, November 22, 2005

By	Harold Underdown "hdunderdown2" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is condensed from a longer review on my web site, The Purple Crayon.

The author of Writing with Pictures is a Caldecott medalist, and he gives the reader a master's class in the theory and the practicalities of picture book illustration in particular and of illustration more generally.

CONTENTS: This is a substantial book, large format, 272 pages, with over 600 illustrations (mostly black and white, many of them small). Shulevitz breaks it down into four sections: Telling the Story, Planning the Book, Creating the Pictures, and Preparing for Reproduction. There is also an appendix with advice on finding a publisher, a short bibliography, and a useful index.

Telling the Story: In this section, Shulevitz opens with the difference between a picture book and a story book. He then goes on to explain his theory of "visual storytelling," using many visual examples. He also demonstrates how text and illustration work together in a picture book, and closes with a discussion of the characteristics of a picture book, such as "linear continuity" and rhythm and repetition.

Planning the Book: In this section, Shulevitz shows the steps an illustrator goes through to create a book: starting with a story board; moving on to a dummy; working with text in a layout; playing with many possibilities of size, scale, shape; and dealing with the structure of a printed book. Step-by-step visual illustrations make this easy to follow.

Creating the Pictures: This section starts with theory: the purpose of illustration is to clarify or even illuminate the text, and thus the illustrator must at least make the pictures "readable." He then focuses on creating illustrations themselves. It covers such topics as drawing figures and objects, using visual references, composition, technique, and style, with copious examples.

Preparing for Reproduction: The book was originally published in 1985, and this is the only section that has become badly dated, as it focuses on the way to create pre-separated art, which used to be the predominant method used in children's books. Today, of course, almost all picture books are made by scanning original full-color art.

COMMENTS: It's not over-praising this book to say that there's no other book like it, and that it's an unmatched resource for anyone involved with children's book illustration. I've had a copy for several years, and I learn something every time I open it. Of course, I'm an editor, but the illustrators I know tell me the same.

If you want to understand the nitty-gritty of creating a picture book, from text to final illustrations and layout, there is no other book out there.