It is the skill and influence of the illustrator which helps cement the story in the mind of the reader.
There’s a little chap who lives in the bookshop, he’s been here for years. If you’re under the age of five and on first meeting, he can be a little intimidating, but once you get to know him, he’s a big softy. The Gruffalo, created in the imagination of author Julia Donaldson and brought to life by illustrator Axel Scheffler, has been a feature of storytelling for little children for over 20 years – as much a pleasure to read as it is to listen to. Donaldson’s rhyming couplets of text roll along through the tale of the clever little mouse using deception (in the nicest possible way) to avoid being eaten by much bigger, fiercer creatures – including the Gruffalo. A quick mind and a dose of bravery, are sufficient for the mouse to banish his fears and enjoy the nut in peace and quiet.
Like much of the great writing for youngsters, it is the skill and influence of the illustrator which helps cement the story in the mind of the reader – Roald Dahl’s often chaotic and bonkers stories would be less of a thing without Quentin Blake, the images of Toad, Ratty & Mole and the others from Kenneth Graham’s ‘Wind in the Willows’ along with A.A. Milne’s Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore, all coming to life from the pencil and brush of E.H. Shepard – great examples of storytelling as well known for their illustrations as they are for their stories. And if you are a certain age, you will have been brought up with Ladybird Books – small and easily read books for curious minds, each richly illustrated in a very distinctive stye, often by an anonymous artist. That idea of short, concise introductions to ideas and subjects for the curious has developed into a series of Ladybird Expert Books for grown-ups, each richly illustrated. This Spring sees the publication of a compendium of a collection of Ladybird Expert books from good friend of Coles, historian James Holland – his accessible introduction to the key moments and events of World War II is enhanced by artist Keith Burns. The Second World War: An Illustrated History is a book you’ll remember as much for the illustrator’s ability to become the mind’s eye as it is for expanding knowledge.
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