Brian Wildsmith, came to prominence in the sixties as one of the great innovators in children’s picture books, combining words and imagery in striking new ways. He produced many Christmas books during his career including Mary and A Christmas Story, taking the traditional story of the Nativity and reinterpreted it in his visually arresting style. … Continue reading
The world of children’s books loves a ‘golden age’ and so do I. According to various experts there have been at least three, with most agreeing on the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century (from Alice to Pooh) as the first. Critics including Imogen Russell Williams and Amanda Craig have said we are living … Continue reading
Michael Foreman’s very first picture book as both author and illustrator, the Perfect Present had originated as a story for the Christmas issue of the Observer magazine. This was the early 1960s, a time of innovation in children’s illustrated books which happily overlapped with the creation of newspaper Sunday supplements. It was an ideal launch … Continue reading
Brian Wildsmith, one of the great innovators in children’s picture books, died earlier this year. He was a true original who deserves to be remembered alongside the many other masters we lost in 2016. Wildsmith produced many Christmas books during his career including Mary and A Christmas Story, taking the traditional story of the Nativity … Continue reading
Brian Wildsmith pretty much owns the Nativity picture book market. Obviously there are thousands of retellings of it out there, but for me Wildsmith is the absolute Don. We’ve heard the story from the point of view of Jesus, Joseph and the donkey. Hell, even the cat and dog have had their say. In … Continue reading
If you grew up in the 80s you'll remember how Scooby Doo was ruined for a generation of children by the addition of an irritating, wise cracking puppy called Scrappy Doo. Bringing new sidekicks into a long running series is usually a sign of desperation and artistic bankruptcy. So I did have to wonder about … Continue reading
