Virtually every children's book requires illustrations. Before you even decide on an illustrator for your book (or, if you are an illustrator, before you decide what book you are going to draw) you need to decide on an illustration style.
What is an illustration style? It is the type of artwork that you will use in your children's book, and there are many types.
Additionally, there are also different types of mediums, used to create art, which can be used in a variety of styles, but all have a flavor of their own.
In this article, you will learn:
Let's dive in, shall we?
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When it comes right down to it, there are five basic components of a children's book:
While all five of these are incredibly important, one could argue that illustration is the single biggest element, as it is the most attention grabbing, it sets the tone for the book, and requires the most amount of work.
That is why it is not only important to have a talented designer, but you also want to know what their unique style is. Depending on the subject and tone of your book, one style might be more appropriate than another.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the best illustration styles in children's books these days.
While style is something that changes frequently with every decade, here are 10 unique styles that you will find today.
A cartoon -like style is possibly the most common illustration style, as it is colorful and engaging for children.
This isn't just using bright colors and Disney-like people, but can also involve anthropomorphizing animals with human features, exaggerating reality a little bit, etc.
While there are a few children's books that use photographs, a picture-perfect illustration style is not very common.
However, there are a few illustrators that specialize in a more realistic style, sometimes mixed with a few other styles to create something unique.
The example above is the perfect embodiment of this realistic, yet stylized approach.
Sometimes called fantasy or whimsical illustration, this illustration style tends to lean more on the fantastical and less on reality. It tends to be a lot more fun and dreamy, inspiring the imagination.
While not common in most regular children's books, a children's book that doubles as a coloring book almost always has a line-drawn style.
This is a style using only simple lines, with little to no shading, to express the ideas in the book.
Similar but different from line drawings, a sketch drawing is usually a children's book made up of one color (usually black), but adds a little more detail.
These type of sketch drawings were a lot more common in older books, such as Alice in Wonderland, or the Chronicles of Narnia.
Abstract art tends to be a lot more exaggerated and stylized, but in a specific artistic direction.
This is one of the more difficult styles to define, but it is also one that you know when you see it.
Similar but not necessarily the same as abstract art, stylized illustration styles tend to exaggerate real-world features and create aspects of the illustration that are larger-than-life, drawing attention to the focus of the book.
Vintage children's books are still highly beloved today, so it is no wonder that older styles of art are still relevant.
Vintage styles tend to be a little bit more subdued, often created with pencil, and evoke a simpler time.
These bold or bright illustration styles make a statement. They tend to zero in on bright colors, large, powerful characters, and more.
These styles are great for creating a feeling of liveliness and activity.
In contrast to the bold and bright illustrations, these muted illustrations are perfect for a more serious type of children's book.
Using muted colors and subdued imagery, you can easily create a mournful, emotional atmosphere.
In addition to the different styles, there are different mediums to create children's book art, some of which are so distinct they create styles of their own:
Watercolor is one of the most distinct mediums for illustration, as it almost creates its own style. When I was originally writing this post, I almost put watercolor into the styles section, because it is so unique.
However, watercolor is more of a medium, and it can be combined with other mediums such as pencil and acrylic paints.
It's beautiful subdued and gentle colors are often perfect for children's books.
When creating physical art, acrylic paint is one of the most common ways to design. It is a relatively clean way to paint, doesn't need long to dry, and can create beautiful and vivid imagery.
Believe it or not, the use of black and colored pencils in children's book illustrations is quite common. A lot of older children's books especially, used pencils in a lot of their designs.
Pencils are cheap, they can record a lot of detail, and are a great tool for children's book illustrators in general.
For a beautiful and distinct style, try using charcoal.
Charcoal is great for creating bold shadows and illustrations that pop off the page. Children's books that use a heavy amount of charcoal rarely have much color, but they can still be incredibly striking in their style.
A lot of children's books take a collage approach, where your illustration looks like it has been pieced together from various materials like a scrapbook.
This is another medium that creates a unique-looking style, and is commonly used.
Who says that you have to have one medium? There are many books that use a combination of all of these techniques, whether it be digital art and watercolor, watercolor and pencil, charcoal and acrylic, or whatever you want.
For books produced today, digital art is possibly the most common way to create children's book illustrations.
There are multiple types of digital illustration (I'll talk about another one below), but the most common are hand-drawn illustrations using something like a digital tablet.
The best thing about digital painting is that it can be adapted to almost any other type of style, and you can mimic most other mediums as well.
Vector illustrations are a specific type of digital illustration that typically takes on a flat, 3D look.
Vector illustrations are the type that maintain their resolution no matter how large your file. This means that you can expand the size of your illustration to virtually any size, and it will still have an amazing, crisp edge.
Vector illustrations are most commonly created in Adobe Illustrator.
As with all art, the answer to this question is somewhat subjective. However, I believe there are a few attributes that you should try to embody:
Easy to use, and and full of amazing features, you can quickly turn your book into a professional book.
Check It OutIn addition to everything I've mentioned, there are a few other considerations you should make when selecting your illustrator and illustration style.
In the age of the Internet, most children's book illustrators can be found freelancing online. Some of the best places to find these people include:
Additionally, if you have a children's book that you like, look at the artist. If they have a website, see if they are willing to work with you. You never know what might happen.
You might also find Facebook groups of children's book illustrators or authors, and can get recommendations there.
If you are an illustrator, or have found one who is willing to work with you, be sure to check out the other articles about how to write a children's book, and how to publish a children's book.
Easy to use, and and full of amazing features, you can quickly turn your book into a professional book.
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Choosing the right book for your child can be difficult – especially if you’re not sure what makes a good children’s book. There are thousands and thousands of children’s books available. But, don’t be fooled, not all kids’ books are created equal. To provide your child with quality reading materials, and help them improve their reading skills, it’s important to know what to look for.
Luckily, there are several key qualities of a good children’s book that are easy to spot. To help you choose the best book for your child, we’ve put together a list of the most important characteristics to look for.
Ready to learn what makes a good children’s book? Let’s go!
You might be asking yourself – why are quality children’s books important?
When you provide your child with quality reading materials, you aid their cognitive development, encourage independent thought, and help them learn about the world in a fun and interesting way. Good books also help young readers gain confidence. As a result of this confidence, children often discover joy and excitement in reading. Thus, a self-motivated reader emerges.
You can promote all of these developmental benefits (and more) simply by knowing what makes a good children’s book. So, let’s take a look at the most important characteristics that you should look for.
When searching for a good book for your child, keep these 10 important characteristics in mind.
The interests of a child are key to what makes a good children’s book. By choosing a book that your child will find interesting, you can help promote a love of reading. A captivating book will also increase your child’s engagement, helping to develop their reading skills further.
What makes a book appealing to children? Children often enjoy books that reflect the world around them. This includes books that tell a story they can connect to. When children can relate to a story, they are more likely to remember it and comprehend what they are reading.
Want to find books your child will love? Check out Booka! The Booka App allows you and your child to select books based on interests. For example, explore books about nature, animals, shapes and colors, professions, places, science, sports and outdoors, and more!
Illustrations are an important aspect of what makes a good children’s book – especially for young readers. Illustrations help to draw a child in and capture their attention. In addition to helping engage young readers, illustrations can also support the development of reading comprehension.
Look for books that include illustrations that are detailed, colorful, and connect to the story. You might ask yourself, do the illustrations tell the story? If the answer is yes, the book will help your young reader improve their reading comprehension and vocabulary.
Some great examples of children’s books with beautiful and meaningful illustrations include:
Lula’s Brew by Elizabeth Dulemba
Slumber My Darling by Stephen Foster
The Fable of the Bully Dragon by Jeff Dinardo
How To Hug A Cactus by Emily S Smith
A good children’s book uses rich and interesting vocabulary. Providing your child with books that offer varied language is essential because these books help to capture their attention. Exposure to new, increasingly sophisticated words and grammatical structures is also beneficial, as it provides an opportunity for valuable learning.
What makes a good children’s book in terms of language and vocabulary? Most importantly, the language in a book should support the flow of the story. In other words, the language should make the storyline easy to follow. It is also important that the language is relatable for your child, but with an element of challenge.
Looking for books for your child that use interesting and varied language? Check out these books written by Ellliot Kreloff:
Worth the Wait
Please Don’t Make Me Fly
Good children’s books have relatable characters. When a child reads a book with relatable characters, they become more invested and engaged. This leads to greater enjoyment and promotes a love of reading. In addition, relatable characters promote feelings of empowerment and encourage children to create change in the world around them.
When assessing a book for your child, look for characters who encounter real world problems and emotions. For example, loss, failure, success, sadness, fear, joy, and anger.
Here are some examples of great children’s books that include relatable characters:
Stella…Almost by Wiley Blevins
The On-Again, Off-Again Friend by Wiley Blevins
The Sad Sad Monster by Dolores Costello
Developmentally appropriate books are important because they allow your child to succeed when reading. These feelings of success will further motivate them to read, creating a positive learning cycle. Therefore, like knowing what makes a good children’s book, it is important to understand what makes a book a “good fit” for your child.
So, what makes a book developmentally appropriate? To find a suitable book, there are several elements to consider.
First, evaluate the story’s content. That is, what is the story about, and what message is the author portraying? As mentioned earlier, children are drawn to books that they can relate to and that provide a window into the world around them.
Second, consider the difficulty of the language and vocabulary used in the book. It is important that your child can read most of the words in the story so that they can experience feelings of accomplishment. That said, some challenging language is also important to support your child’s continued development as a reader.
Finally, you want to ensure that your child is comprehending what they are reading. Evaluate comprehension by checking in with your child and asking them questions about the story as they (or you) are reading it.
Discover thousands of developmentally appropriate children’s books on the Booka app, including:
Middle Me by Jeff Dinardo
The Not-So-Right Day by Wiley Blevins
Books provide an opportunity for children to learn and expand their understanding of the world around them. Through books, parents can expose children to life lessons that help them engage with other people, develop ideas, and build new skills. Best of all, presenting these lessons through fun and engaging stories has a much more significant impact than discussing them directly.
What makes a good children’s book lesson? Here are some common and essential lessons to look for.
Looking for stories that include important and teachable lessons? Check out these top children’s books:
My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart
Ice Queen by Jamie Tablason
Sheep in the Closet by Mattia Cerato
Like any great book, a good children’s book should have a captivating plot that grabs the reader’s attention. An engaging plot will increase a young reader’s interest in the story. As a result, they will be more likely to learn a lesson from the book and develop their skills as a reader.
Not sure how to identify a captivating plot? Look for books that will make your child laugh or have them on the edge of their seat. For example, stories with comical situations, unexpected problems that must be solved, and/or surprising reactions from characters.
"Ick and Crud" is one of the very best children’s book series that includes captivating and engaging plots. Check out the Ick and Crud series on Booka.
Books that are structured with a clear beginning, middle, and end allow children to follow and engage with a story more easily. This type of structure also helps children develop the ability to retell stories and build on their reading comprehension skills.
Typically, a good children’s book begins with an introduction to the characters and setting. Then, in the middle, a problem develops that the characters must solve. Finally, the end shares how the characters overcame the problem they were facing.
By exposing children to this easy-to-follow structure, parents can also provide an example of how they can be authors too!
Check out the Problem Solved! series on the Booka app for great stories with clear, easy-to-follow structures.
A story’s setting, or where it takes place, is an important part of what makes a good children’s book. Using descriptive language, an author can bring young readers into the world of the characters. A story that provides a detailed description of the setting, through both pictures and words, helps a child visualize the story as it takes place. This is an important skill and will help your child develop an understanding of what they are reading.
When selecting a book for or with your child, look for a familiar setting. Alternatively, look for books that use descriptive language to provide a window into the setting with the help of a little imagination!
Looking for books with a captivating setting? Check out these favorites:
Milo’s Little Secret by Rebecca Ralfe
Now Appearing Stud by Dhana Fox
Reading and exploring books with your child is an extremely valuable and important part of literacy and language development. Finding a book that you enjoy will allow you to be more engaged and to find satisfaction in sharing and experiencing the story with your child.
When choosing a book, ensure that the story captures your attention. Look for beautiful illustrations, lessons that support your morals and beliefs, and characters that you can relate to.
If you’re looking for a book that you will enjoy just as much as your child, check out the “How It Works” section of the Booka app. Here you’ll find fascinating stories about how things work – from technology and weather to the human body and more!
Now that you know what makes a good children’s book, the question is – where can you find great books for kids? Luckily, Booka makes this easy.
At Booka, we know what makes a good children’s book. To help you find books your kids will love, we have created an easy-to-use app with an amazing collection of books for kids of all ages.
Booka offers numerous benefits for children and parents engaging in at-home reading. When you choose Booka, you gain access to exclusive and unique features, including:
Not only does Booka offer the countless benefits above, but it also incorporates learning through technology – making it the ultimate tool for parents with young readers. Technology is engaging and motivating for children. Therefore, reading apps like Booka encourage an interest in reading.
Want to spend less time searching for a good children’s book and more time reading with your child?