Picture This. . .

I have always loved picture books, starting my collection long before having children. The combination of narrative and image definitely influenced my own paintings. Over the years, I've longed to recreate the great green room of Goodnight Moon, created my own narrative of Flotsam, and laughed over Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Sadly, the picture book industry has suffered declining sales over the past few years, but I am pleased to see some new attention being paid to this innovative and educational art form. The scope of graphic novels is growing, with books like The Lunch Lady Series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka reaching early readers, and the film industry is pulling from classics like Where the Wild Things Are for inspired cinema. Even package design is up for grabs. Cheerios, in conjunction with Simon and Schuster, is running a package design contest where you can log on and vote for the picture book illustration you would most like to see on the box. Greg Mortenson's memoir Three Cups of Tea has even been turned into a picture book, Listen to the Wind. Next time you are in a book store, make sure you pop over to the picture book section even if you are without wee ones.