Hellobee

Long before I had children, I’d always been a fan of illustrators. A few of my college friends (as well as my SIL) are artists and graphic designers, and they introduced me to the beautiful world of art and illustration. My own personal taste has always leaned toward the whimsical and sweet with some Asian leanings. Once I had children, I found myself gravitating toward illustrators whose art I would have loved to see hanging in their rooms. I also started to pay more attention to children’s book illustrations and oftentimes if I found an artist, I liked I would see if they had done any work for books. Here is a small collection of artists and their art that I adore; several of them have illustrated for books which I have added to our growing library shelves.

1) The Society of Children’s Book Illustrators and Writers – This is a great resource that I often peruse when I’m in the mood to find newly illustrated books. I love searching through the artists’ pages and seeing all the lovely illustrations. There is such a vast community of talented illustrators whose characters are waiting to take life in stories I can’t wait to read one day.

2) Amy Sol – I would be remiss to not mention my dear friend Amy whose art transports me to another world. Her art fills my home and seeing them is like watching my dreams come to life. I hope Drake and Juliet grow to love the beauty I find in her pieces since they see them everyday. I adore everything about Amy from her work to her heart.

3) Everyday Love: The Art of Nidhi Chanani – I have adored Nidhi’s work for years. It reminds me a lot of Pixar animation, and I can dream up so many stories to go with her colorful and whimsical works. I follow her regularly on Facebook and her site and would be first in line if she made a book one day.

4) May Ann Lucinde aka Mal – Mal is also another artist I have followed since way back. Her work has evolved a bit over the years, but my favorite piece of hers has always been her illustrations of tiny characters in these colorful imaginative worlds with such detail and expression, it was a like a story waiting to be told.

5) Trafalgar’s Square – By far one of my favorite Etsy shops, the sweet drawings seem to be taken right out of a nursery rhyme book. I want to buy a print or two but admit I never do because I can’t choose! I love so many of them it’s too hard to decide. I so wish they made a book so I would be able to keep a bunch of those darling illustrations instead of having to pick which ones I like the most.

6) Laura Hughes – I found Laura on Instagram when this image popped up on my feed and it instantly made me smile.  After finding Laura’s Instagram and being greeted by her adorable pencil sketch like illustrations I was hooked. She has illustrated a book, but I’m hoping she will write or illustrate one soon with some of her adorable animals in it. I know Drake would be all over a book with these flamingos and I’m loving this pig, cat, and tiger.

7) Monika Filipina Trzpil – This image hooked me. It just looked so adorable and I could see it on the cover of some children’s book about a greedy bear who loved to eat cookies. The bear would go around stealing cookies everywhere until the local children taught it about manners and sharing and cookies being a treat. Monika has illustrated a few books from the looks of it on her website, but I haven’t been able to locate any in the States which is a shame because I would totally buy a book based her on illustrations alone.

8) Malipi – Every little girl loves mermaids and when I was browsing around looking for prints for Juliet’s room, I found this adorable mermaid print and knew I had to see more of this artist’s work. I love her versions of popular characters from Disney.

9) Sea Urchin Studio – Sara of Sea Urchin Studio is beyond wonderful. I had a lovely sales interaction with her years ago and I still can’t sing her praises enough. We own several pieces from her and I always check back to see what else is coming down the pipes. Sara’s illustrations are so fun and I could see so many characters of hers starring in books.

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And now for the books. Many of these books grace our shelves already or will in the near future. Some of them I found through Pinterest, Instagram or Amazon, and some are artists like those above whom I discovered along the way and jumped for joy when I found they had books to share with my kids!

10) Meomi – Meomi is better known as the creator of the popular series The Octonauts, which has grown in the past few years from just a book series to a TV show on the Disney channel, complete with toys. I had been following Meomi for years before the first Octonaut book came out and happily had a magnet set from them before the books exploded on the scene. I remember purchasing the first set of books well before Drake was even around knowing I couldn’t wait to share these stories of the plucky sea explorers with future children. Drake loves the Octonaunt books and I am eager to expand the collection as more get released.

11) Jenni Desmond – I just recently discovered Jenni Desmond and her work. I was scrolling through Laura Hughes’ Instagram when she mentioned a new book by her friend called The Zebra Who Ran too Fast. I was smitten by the cover illustration, done in that wonderful colored pencil sketch way, as well as the title.

12) Isabel Roxas – The cover of this book, Goodnight Songs: Illustrated by Twelve Award-Winning Picture Book Artists, jumped out at me immediately. There was something so sweet about a little girl laying in the snow with a polar bear and bunny, I just had to know who the artist was. The book is a compilation book so many lovely artists’ work, but I was especially taken by Roxas. Right know she only has one other book on Amazon but I really hope something else is in the works soon!

13) Molly Idle – Molly Idle is the author/illustrator of one of Drake’s favorite books; Flora & the Flamingo. It’s actually a wordless book, but the illustrations are magnificent and Drake loves imitating the flamingo and Flora’s moves throughout the book. Flora has a new book out now with a penguin but I am eyeing the wonderful Tea Rex right now about a dinosaur that comes to tea.

14) Brigette Barrager – The little girl inside me squealed when I saw a book about a girl and her unicorn. My heart leapt when  saw her illustrated version of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. And then it did another flip flop when I saw this Stage and Play Princess Set. I want them all for my kids… but I might just borrow them for a little bit to enjoy first though.

15) Emily Winfield Martin – Drake had a book fair at Barnes and Noble for his school last year and I let him pick out a book that night. After much deliberation he choose Dream Animals because it has an illustrated narwhal — an animal he doesn’t have in other books. Not only does it have a lovely story, but the illustrations are a feast for the eyes. There are so many magical and inventive story boards within the story that I actually gifted a few copies for Christmas to my artist friends since I knew they would love the illustrations as much as I did. I am so eager to get Day Dreamers now that it is out to add to our collection.

16) Joyce Wan – Mrs Chipmunk is obviously the biggest Joyce fan here since she made it the theme for Winter’s 1st birthday, but I also adore Wan and her adorable creations. My best friend gifted Juliet We Belong Together, Hug You Kiss You Love You, and You Are My Cupcake last Christmas. Juliet adores these books and often picks them for bed time. I also ordered her book Are You My Mommy? and eagerly await more.

17) Teagen White – In a previous blog I mentioned Teagen’s book Barefoot Critters which we love in this house. Before I ever learned of her books though, I was admiring her prints and contemplating buying one for Drake’s room. Her characters are so charming and I am excited to see another illustrated book from her coming soon.

18) Jedda Robaard – I just discovered Jedda this Christmas when my SIL gifted Juliet her book The Little Lion Who Lost Her Roar. My SIL is an artist and set designer and she told me she fell in love with the illustrations at the bookstore when she was shopping and had to buy this one for Juliet. I looked Jedda up on Amazon to see her other books because I was in love as well. To say I am excited that there are so many other books coming is an understatement. I can’t wait to soak up all those delightful illustrations.

19) Britta Teckentrup – I bought Drake the Big Book of Noisy Animals for Christmas and thought the illustrations looked familiar. A quick search told me why — I had all these other books all done by the same illustrator on my wishlist for him. Drake loved the Big Noisy Animal book so much (he fell asleep reading with it in bed the other night).

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There are so many wonderful illustrators and artists out there and I can’t wait to discover new ones to add to our bookshelf. Do you have any favorite children’s book illustrators?