Children's book illustrations

[sara farr]

Hey AIC,

Improv helps you connect with your inner child. What are some children's book illustrations that you really love and have been burned into your brain? I'll start:

from "Puck's Peculiar Pet Shop"


I'd show something from "Draw Me a Circle" (1970) but it's out of print; no photos on the internet. Here's one from "Draw Me a Triangle" which I never read, but just ordered on ebay.

[ClintHarris]

This whole dang book, but I have always particularly loved the Tweetle Beetles.

[Asaf]

One of my favorite books as a child was Harry and the Terrible Whatzit.

[Asaf]

and also:

[Brad Hawkins]

and also:

Ah, yes. One of my favorites! "I went to sleep with gum in my mouth, and now there's gum in my hair."

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

there's a page in The Monster At The End of This Book, towards the end, where Grover is desperately trying to keep you from turning the page by hammering up boards, chains, etc. in the process, the edges of the "page" have become frayed and you get a glimpse of the next page...WITH GROVER ON IT! and sure enough, when you turn the page it matches what you glimpsed. which means Grover was always on that next page. he was fighting a future that was inevitable, and existed simultaneously in both pages/times. that blew my damn mind as a kid.

(of course, it turns out the "monster" at the end of the book was him all along...the thing he was trying so desperately to avoid was himself. so that book gave me a lot to think about all over the place... )

[sara farr]

The Monster At The End of This Book

[valetoile]

Maurice Sendak's illustrations for E.T.A. Hoffman's Nutcracker were so amazing and strange. I would look at that book over and over and over again.







In almost ever drawing, there are rats creeping in around corners. So wonderful!

He also did set design for the ballet.