Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art

Bibliography:
Carle, Eric. Ed. 2007. Artist to Artist: 23 Major illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN-13 9780399246005

Plot Summary:
The title of this book tells quite clearly what the contents are: namely, 23 artists discussing their art in short (one page) letters and three pages of their artwork, including a self-portrait. The letters vary in content but the general theme is why the artists chose picture books and who their influences were.

Critical Analysis:
Even if you do not know any of the artists’ names before reading the book, as was my case, you will recognize many of their various styles, and each one that you recognize makes you remember some childhood memory. It is a very good book for gaining a general idea of picture book illustrators and it allows you to see the individual author’s work paired up with well known books they worked on.

Review Excerpts:
The illustrators reveal common themes of dedication, hard work, and practice, plus personal anecdotes that really bring to life the person behind the "illustrated by" credit on a book cover… The sheer variety in "breaking in" stories, illustrative styles, and professional advice makes for excellent reading for kids interested in making a living in art, or at least making art a part of their lives for a very long time. –Amy Brozio-Andrews

Connections:
Here are other books for children about art/artists:
Venezia, Mike. Jacob Lawrence (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists). ISBN 9780516265339
Venezia, Mike. Georgia O’Keeffe (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists). ISBN 9780516422978
Matisse, Henri. Drawing with Scissors (Smart About Art). ISBN 9780448425191