Children's literature illustrators

Anno [Mitsumasa]

Anno [Mitsumasa]

Known for wordless concept books

Mary Azarian

Utilizes woodcuts, often reflecting rural or old-time Vermont feel

Jan Brett

Famous for intricate page “borders” in illustrations

Eric Carle

Recognized for colorful shapes, typically animals, with a “tissue-paper” look

Barbara Cooney

Detailed illustrations often set in Maine, featuring bluebells

Tomie dePaola

Known for religious, autobiographical works with Italian-American Heritage influence

Lois Ehlert

Focuses on younger age books with nature themes, using blocks of color and real objects

Paul Goble

Features Native American themes with white outlines and a paper doll look

Kevin Henkes

Portrays family and school stories with talking animals, emotional depth, and often includes mice

Russell and Lillian Hoban

Offers a wide variety of works, including the Frances books about the Badger family, using alliteration

Trina Schart Hyman

Illustrates classic fairy tales and is sometimes confused with Jan Brett

Steven Kellogg

Known for a funny cartoony style and many tall tales in illustrations

Leo Lionni

Characters have big eyes and often involve animals

Arnold Lobel

Creator of Frog and Toad series, early reading books with watercolor on white background

David Macaulay

Features pencil drawings of historical structures like castles or bridges

Robert McCloskey

Known for 'old fashioned books set in Maine and New England

Brian Pinkney

Utilizes scratchboard technique, focuses on African American themes and biographies

Jerry Pinkney

Illustrates folktales with African American themes using watercolor and consistent color tone

Patricia Polacco

Tells family stories with visible pencil lines, often featuring elderly characters with wrinkles

Beatrix Potter

Creates small format books with realistic animals dressed in clothing

Robert Sabuda

Known for creating pop-up books

Allen Say

Focuses on Asian American themes with a calm style

Chris Soentpiet

Recognized for a "glowy" style, often featuring Asian themes

William Steig

Illustrates cartoon-style animal stories with a "soft" touch

Chris Van Allsburg

Charcoal-illustrated fantasy works, realistic, black and white, sometimes with a creepy undertone

David Wiesner

Known for creating strange books

Paul Zelinsky

Illustrates classically illustrated fairy tales with a renaissance feel.