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Top Ten Most Beautifully Illustrated Picture Books by Adriana Fortier
I love reading picture books. They are not long or hard to get through, and have the added bonus of gorgeous illustrations that focus my attention. The best illustrations do not limit your imagination, but give you something to begin with. This list is a collection of picture books with beautiful illustrations that are complimented with good stories.
Home (2015) by Carson Ellis
“Home might be a house in the country, an apartment in the city, or even a shoe. Home may be on the road or the sea, in the realm of myth, or in the artist’s own studio. A meditation on the concept of home.”
Though the writing in this book is simplistic, the illustrations are amazing thanks to Carson Ellis’ indie-folk style. In each page there is a bit of red, which draw the reader’s eye through the flowing, greyish passages.
Wild (2013) by Emily Hughes
“You cannot tame something so happily wild.”
The illustrations in this book are light but woven with rich patterns mostly consisting of greens, pinks, yellows and purples. These illustrations help build and embellish the story.
Imelda & The Goblin King (2015) by Briony May Smith
“Far away behind the hills a girl called Imelda lives beside a fairy forest. Every day she ventures into the forest to play with her fairy friends. But within the deepest, darkest depths of the trees lives the worst creature of all—the Goblin King!”
This book is a little bit like a comic with speech bubbles here and there and commonly compared with Enemy Pie. The color palette for this book is playful and vivid with its bright yellows and reds, giving it a fantasy feel.
A River (2015) by Marc Martin
“There is a river outside my window.Where will it take me?”
A dense and colorful book about a girl’s imaginary journey, floating down a river through different landscapes. The illustrations bring the book to life while still keeping you aware that it’s all imaginary.
Pool (2015) by JiHyeon Lee
“What happens when two shy children meet at a very crowded pool?”
An airy and refreshing wordless book that takes place in a pool with a palette of reds and blues. The illustrations give you just what you need to imagine your own story.
Sonya’s Chickens (2015) by Phoebe Wahl
“Sonya discovers that one of her hens has disappeared. What happened to her? When Sonya discovers the answers, she learns some important truths about the interconnectedness of nature and the true joys and sorrows of caring for another creature.”
This mixed-media book is intricately designed, giving it a dimension that invites readers into this new world and entices them to look around.
Orani: My Father’s Village (2011) by Claire A. Nivola
“As a child, Claire Nivola loved summers in Orani, the village where her father grew up and where her many aunts, uncles, and 50 cousins still lived. She ran freely through the town’s cobbled streets with packs of cousins, who quizzed her about America-”
The bright style of this picture book gives a feeling of life in an island village. You are given pages so full of imagery that you can find something new each time you look at them.
The Dove (1993) by Dianne Stewart, illustrated by Jude Daly
“A visiting dove provides the answer to Grandmother Maloko’s financial problems when floodwaters destroy her crops and she must rely on the sale of her homemade jewelry.”
The water-based media used to illustrate this book create both light and dark backgrounds and contribute to a wonderful atmosphere. Though the paintings are flat, they never lack detail.
Snow-white and the Seven Dwarfs (1972) by Jacob and Willhelm Grimm, illustrated by Nancy E. Burkert
“Retells the tale of the beautiful princess whose lips were red as blood, skin was white as snow, and hair was as black as ebony.”
These illustrations are absolutely stunning. More realistic than most children’s’ books, but still keeping the element of fantasy. These illustrations are very detailed and a beautiful way to bring Snow White to a picture book.
Rechenka’s Eggs (1996) by Patricia Polacco
“Old Babushka, known throughout all of Moskva for her beautifully painted eggs, is preparing her eggs for the Easter Festival when she takes in an injured goose. She names the goose Rechenka, and they live happily together until one day when Rechenka accidentally overturns a basket, breaking all of Babushka’s lovingly crafted eggs.”
These illustrations stand against white backgrounds, allowing the viewer to focus on the main characters and enjoy the foreground details and beautiful patterns.
Adriana Fortier is a 14 year old who probably reads too much. She also plays her violin and ukulele, sings Hamilton, writes, and creates ‘sets’. She lives with her two siblings and parents in Florida.
Excellent! Concise and so well expressed. I too have always loved picture books if they have good illustration.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I loved your descriptions. It is so refreshing to know that at age 14, you can still appreciate picture books and the art. You might want to check out Dave Bouchard’s books, as he combines his stories and poetry with the excellent works of art of Canadian artists. Enjoy!
You have a great list here but I feel like there are too many amazing picture books and could never limit the beautifully illustrated to only ten!
Defiantly, It took me so long to figure out a list that represents the different styles of all the gorgeous books there are out there. I also tried to focus on newer ones, though there are older one in there. Hope you enjoyed it.
Sorry, I meant definitely.
As a middle school teacher and parent of two teens, rest assured, picture book days never come to a close!
A lovely list; I’m glad that you included some less recent ones, too. I’d add Evan Turk’s The Storyteller (2016) to your list. If you haven’t read it yet, do find it, as the illustrations are gorgeous.
Thank you. I’ll check out the book!
What a beautiful list. Home and Pool particularly appeal. With my Small Girl turning five, I fear our picture book days are drawing to a close.
Oh, I don’t know about that. My ten and twelve year olds will sit with me to read picture books still!
That’s lovely. My teenagers enjoy re-visiting their books when they read to my Small Girl. It always makes me smile.
Thank you. I’m glad you liked it. Hopefully not, I know many older kids who still like them.
I love this list and the explanations you gave for each. Definitely adding some to my to-read list.
Thanks a lot.
Another great list. Thank you, Adriana. Well have to check these out. We always enjoy your recommendations.
These books are beautiful. 🙂
It is wonderful to see so many picture books, I should check the library if they have some of these!
I also read manga, but that’s totally different since it’s more dynamic and only black-and-white. Do you know Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi? It is a book for teens and older, and I came across it because it was the June book of OurSharedShelf(of which I am a proud member). It’s perfectly illustrated and the pictures perfectly work with the narrative. It’s about Marjane Satrapi, who was born in Iran and how she grew up after the 1979 revolution, and I think it is a wonderful book, because one learns so much, and definitely not the last graphic novel I will read.
I love to read, not only “books”, but also graphic novels, manga, and comics.
They’re all a treasure for their own.
Best Wishes,
SeaofWords
Yes, I have read the Persepolis books. They are very well done and I learned a lot from them. I too enjoy reading graphic novels and comics and am trying to read more. They are definitely treasures. Best wishes to you too.
I simply lovd the Persepolis novels… I’m a member of OurSharedShelf(of which you have probably heard already.) That’s how I got to know them!
Well, they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.