Children’s Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling by Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles (Laurence King Publishing, 2012)

Salisbury, a professor of illustration, and Styles, a professor of children’s literature collaborate, each bringing their expertise to explore the history of the genre, the nature of picture books as the primary literature of early childhood, and the art of picture book-making.

From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books by Kathleen T. Horning (HarperCollins, 2010)

Horning provides a practical overview of children’s literature, as well as clear descriptions and definitions of the “parts of a book” and all the considerations one must address when analyzing/evaluating/reviewing books for children.

How to Write a Children’s Book and Get It Published by Barbara Seuling (Wiley, 2004)

Currently in its third edition, How to Write… will provide a wonderful overview for those just getting started writing for children. 

Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang (Chronicle Books, 2000)                   

Artist/Illustrator Molly Bang discusses the implications and emotional impact of shape, color, and composition on the reader/viewer of a piece of art. Paired with the chapter in Horning’s book called, “Picture Books” under the sections titled “Illustrations” and “Visual Elements”, Picture This is a must for those wanting to study the dynamic interaction of text and illustration.

Show & Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration by Dilys Evans (Chronicle Books, 2008)

This elegant book features detailed and thoughtful analyses of the illustrations, techniques, and lives of nine prominent artists working in children’s books today. As Chronicle Books’ editor-at-large Victoria Rock so aptly states on the back cover, “Reading this book is like taking a master class in the fine art of children’s book illustration.”

The Way to Write for Children: An Introduction to the Craft of Writing Children’s Literature by Joan Aiken (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998)

Chapter two in this no-nonsense introduction to writing for children begins: “Warning: writing for children may not be as simple as you think.” I couldn’t agree more…

Words About Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children’s Picture Books by Perry Nodelman (University of Georgia Press, 1990)

This book is not for the faint of heart, as it is definitely text book reading. As such, I readily admit that I have *not* read it cover to cover. But I have dipped in and, one of these days, when long stretches of time allow, I will read it more closely. This is a book for the serious student of visual literacy and the relationship of text to art.

Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication (Revised and Expanded) by Ann Whitford Paul (Writer’s Digest Books, 2018)

Many books on writing for children devote no more than a chapter to picture books. This book delves into it all. Having had the wonderful pleasure of taking many of Ann’s classes, I know first-hand that Writing Picture Books is equal to the sum of her years of teaching and writing experience, neatly packaged between the covers of a book.