Children's Books discussion

Hi, everyone.

I am on a quest to check out children's books with realistic or semi-realistic illustrations. Any suggestions?

Here are the names of authors I have found so far:

David Weisner,
Chris van Allsburg,
Ted Lewin,
CF Payne.

Could you give us an example of ones that *aren't* appropriate (negative examples, that is), to help us clarify where on the continuum you are, and what exactly you mean?

I mean, The Hello, Goodbye Window's pictures by Chris Raschka are not very realistic as in not lifelike - but they're based in everyday reality. But then Chris Van Allsburg's pictures are lifelike, but certainly much more fantastical than realistic!

If you clarify what your ultimate goal is, maybe we can help better. Or, you could just flip through a bunch of the shelves in the picture-book section of the library. :)

Books by Margaret Wise Brown have excellent illustrations, as well as Garth Williams. Realistic, yet very interesting to a child.

Could you link to a few books that have the type of illustrations you are seeking? Do you want illustrations that look almost exactly like real life, almost photographic (or even actual photographs)? Thanks!

Anything illustrated by Brian Selznick - I know he's done a few picture books - is very life like. As Kathryn asked, if you're looking for photography, Nina Crews is a master!

I also love the photographs in books by Tana Hoban.

Judy wrote: "Books by Margaret Wise Brown have excellent illustrations, as well as Garth Williams. Realistic, yet very interesting to a child."

Garth Williams was always one of my favorites. Such a simple, distinctive style.

The illustrator Michael Dooling has done some great books. Many of them are History-related or Historical fiction. He also illustrated one edition of The Gift of the Magi.

Here are some of my favorites that he has illustrated:
Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon
The Memory Coat
Thomas Jefferson: A Picture Book Biography

And two that he also wrote:
Young Thomas Edison
The Great Horse-Less Carriage Race

I recommend E.B. Lewis's illustrations for beautiful, realistic (but poetic) watercolor. One of my favorites is Coming on Home Soon, written by Jaqueline Woodson.

Many of the books by Thomas Locker feature very realistic illustrations.

These are all realistic books for preschoolers - the illustrations are not always lifelike but they do always portray real thing and people:
The Snowy Day and Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
The Stray Dog by Marc Simont
The Bookshop Dog by Cynthia Rylant
Love you Forever by Robert Munch
The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins
The Story of my Feelings by Laurie Berkner
How Big is a Pig and One Moose, Twenty Mice by Clare Beaton
Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown
When Sophie Gets Angry – Really Really Angry by Molly Bang
The Tenth Good thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
Any books by Bruce Larkin or Melvin and Gilda Berger have illustrations

Those all sound great. Thanks for the suggestions. If I see one more book with a walking pink alligator dressed up as a ballerina I am going to go bonkers. My friend Lisa Fleming wrote a cute book called CAT AND CROW which has nice, realistic illustrations of a cat and a crow who became friends. The paper feels really nice, too.

And a cat dressed up in an Indiana Jones outfit, carrying a shopping tote, isn't fantastical? Maybe I sound snarky, but what I actually am is confused.

I appreciate that there are still people out there who appreciate real drawings in picture books!

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "And a cat dressed up in an Indiana Jones outfit, carrying a shopping tote, isn't fantastical? Maybe I sound snarky, but what I actually am is confused."

Cheryl. Did you know that Harpo Marx was a member of the Algonquin Round Table? He did not get past the 2nd grade. He rarely spoke off camera. He never spoke on camera.

I can assure you that my Goodreads Icon does not reflect my reading interests.

Like illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds?