Child's Play
Pop-up books, rebuses, paper dolls, cut-outs and colorful pages - all of the interactive and engaging techniques that were developed to hold a child's attention through an entire story have also made their way into artists’ books. The discord created by dark or esoteric subject matter presented in a format that evokes childish innocence can be very effective. But the influence goes both ways. As artists’ books have pushed the boundaries of what's possible in publishing, authors and illustrators have taken advantage of technological advances to create ever more complex and beautiful books for children.
The Slapdown
Damara Kaminecki, drawing & concept. The Slapdown. Jeremy Schmall, text. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Booklyn Artists Alliance, 2007.
My Thieving: A Story of Jean Genet
Chip Duyck. My Thieving: A Story of Jean Genet. New York: Picture Books, 2005.
Freight Train
Donald Crews. Freight Train. New York: Greenwillow Books, c1978. First edition.
The Train Game: Plot by Fate; Characters for Real
Jill Timm, photographer. The Train Game: Plot by Fate; Characters for Real. Written by Heidi Hanson. Wenatchee, Wash.: Mystical Places Press, c2007.
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe. London: Dean & Son, 1856.
A tale of three little birds
Bruno Munari. A tale of three little birds. Mantova: Corraini, 2007.
Libro Illeggibile MN 1
Bruno Munari. Libro Illeggibile MN 1. Mantova: Maurizio Corraini, 2013.
Go Away, Big Green Monster
Ed Emberley. Go Away, Big Green Monster. New York: Little, Brown, 2005.
Sky and Earth: Variable Landscape
Claire Van Vliet. Sky and Earth: Variable Landscape. West Burke, Vt.: Janus Press, c1973.
Consists of 39 pieces of die-cut colored papers and acetate which can form the “variable landscape.”