My Favourite Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators

Eric Carle, Julia Donaldson with Axel Sheffler and Rebecca Cobb, and Freya Blackwood

Who has not experienced the pleasure of children’s picture books? Picture books give us the perfect combination of storytelling and art. I have been reading picture books with my children for more than six years now and even though my oldest daughter can read chapter books by herself, certain books still captivate her (and me).

Everyone is familiar with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle’s titular caterpillar munches his way through a week’s worth of colourful food, eventually undergoing metamorphosis and transforming into an even more colourful butterfly. I was given a set of Eric Carle books when I was first pregnant and we still have all of them. There is so much to appreciate in these books. The bright illustrations are very attractive but the stories also hold children’s interest. Carle knows how to write for children without condescending. His books weave characters from the animal world and humans with science, counting, transformation and more.

Julia Donaldson’s books are a joy to share. Her rhyming verse makes them a delight to read, for adults as well as children. The books that she and Axel Sheffler have collaborated on have distinctly bright…