This week I was challenged by 'Fans of SCBWI' (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) on Facebook to "pick a successful writer/illustrator, whether you like their work or not, and write a blog post about what other writers or illustrators can learn from them."
One of my favorite authors and illustrators, Mo Willems, most famous for his Caldecott-award winning book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
, has inspired me to do more than think outside the of the box, or book, but instead makes me want to think inside the book. When I read any of the Pigeon series, I feel like I am a main character in the story, restraining that mischievous pigeon. I recently read another one of Mo Willems' books, Big Frog Can't Fit In
and was mesmerized by the brilliance of this story. This pop-up book features a giant frog that (when unfolded) literally is bigger than the book. Why limit ourselves to the dimensions of a storybook? I hope to think inside the book more often in order to inspire the imagination of others as these books have done for me.
Thought-provoking post, Kari!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how e-books will affect the way picture book writers and illustrators continue to think outside the box?
Thanks! I'd like to hope that e-books will forever be a part of the literary scene, but never completely replace books. They're just not the same!
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