Show and Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration by: Dilys Evans

Bibliography:
Evans, Dilys. 2008. Show and Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Chidren's Book Illustration. San Fransisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN 9780811849715
Plot Summary:
Evans presents the work and tells the story of twelve varied picture book illustrators. Her purpose is "not to profile a particular group of illustrators," but to choose a group that will "offer readers as broad a frame of reference as possible." From Trina Schart Hyman, to Brian Collier, to David Shannon, Evans choices provide different backgrounds, different styles, and different mediums. There are twelve chapters, one for each artist. In each chapter, background information, from childhood to the present, is given. Various examples of artwork are provided complete with commentary. Evans' hope with this book is that it will "help all of us who value children's books to find a universal language to use to talk about art on the page." Her details of the artists' lives, their work, and their passion doubled with her own commentary on the illustrations serve to provide all readers not only with the vocabulary needed to converse with the most die-hard of picture book enthusiasts, but also to give the reader a greater appreciation of the work and thought put into illustrating picture books.
Critical Analysis:
Show and Tell is an excellent resource for the beginning picture book enthusiast. It is interesting and informative, part biography, part artistic commentary. Evans' own commentary is an excellent example of how one might go about talking about picture books and their illustrations with others. How does an illustration make you feel, why does it make you feel that way, why did the artist choose one specific medium and not another? These are all questions that one might not think to ask and yet ones the illustrator often purposely asks him or herself before and during the creation of his or her art. The stories prove to the would-be skeptic that picture book illustration is not a mindless process, but instead is often painstakingly thought out, detailed, and labor intensive.
Review Excerpt(s):
Starred review from School Library Journal: "An enlightening must-read for all picture-book enthusiasts."
Connections:
Read other books on picture book illustration such as A Caldecott Celebration by Leonard Marcus or simply test out your newly acquired critical eye on any picture books you can get your hands on.