8 Favourite Children's Book Illustrators on This Splendid Shambles

Last updated on 30 August 2017

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By now you probably know that I love kids books. Not so super keen on actual kids…but books! They’re awesome. You may remember a few months ago I wrote a post about my 10 favourite children’s books, but today as I tidied a shelf full of kids books, I thought about some of my favourite illustrators. I’m a very visual person, so the awesome-er the picture, the happier I am. So! I’m going to give you a list (yay!) of my favourite 8 illustrators, and although my favourite illustrator does teen books too, I’m sticking him in this category anyway…mostly because otherwise I couldn’t talk about him, and that would be sad. Ahem. I’m also going to mix it up a little and count backwards! Woah! I’m going crazy I know…but that way, it’s a surprise who my favourite is (Don’t scroll down! Cheater).

8. Axel Scheffler

You know the guy! He does all of Julia Donaldson’s drawings! And she’s the lady who wrote the famous Gruffalo. And many more very cool books. I love his illustrations because they so colourful and inviting, you know. Like, you want to read the story because of the happy looking pictures. Oh, and he always went to drawing school just down the road (kinda) from where I live, so that’s cool.

7. Eric Carle

It would be ridiculous if you didn’t recognise at least the caterpillar up there. Pretty sure every kid in the world loves Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and I, even though I turn 22 on Sunday, am no exception. I love that book! And Eric Carle’s illustrations are amazing! It’s like they are made of a collage of bits of paper, and then run over with a muddy car (well, the cat one anyway).

6. Oliver Jeffers

Aren’t they the cutest things ever!? So adorable! Basically, I don’t need to say much else, other than Oliver Jeffers wrote (and obviously illustrated) Lost and Found and it’s such a cute book!

5. Janet Ahlberg

One of my favourite kids’ books is the Jolly Postman, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, and I believe that Janet does the illustrations. I love these pictures because they seem really hugable You know? No? Just me? Okay cool. But they are round and cuddly characters with faces that are rosy and bellies that are full of Grandma’s latest culinary creation, and you just want to reach in and give them a happy hug, because you know when you look at them, that they would be great huggers…even that witch with the big nose.

4. Sergio Martinez

No, not the boxer (apparently there’s a boxer with the same name), but the guy who illustrates Max Lucado’s books. Have you read or seen the book called You are Special? It’s the most beautiful book ever. Come to think of it, I don’t know why I didn’t put it on my favourite kids’ books list. Oh well. Anyway, I love these illustrations, and I couldn’t think why for a while, but maybe it’s because they seem old? Or perhaps because I always get the sense that they have been drawn and painted with such heart and care behind them. I don’t know. Do you like them? Why? Maybe you’re answer is actually the one I want…

3. Quentin Blake

You’ll know Quentin Blake’s work by the majority of Roald Dahl books. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Blake illustrated them all. His illustrations just remind me of crazed people really, which is great! They all looks so flexible and care free and everything! And I like that they are simple, but with great character to them. High five, Quentin, high five.

2. Dr. Seuss

How could you not love his drawings?! Just look at it! This is one of my favourite books, so I thought I’d put this picture in. I especially love his buildings and how they are funny shapes and the fluffy trees and the characters like the Sneetches and the Lorax and the Whos in Whoville and just everything! Dr Seuss I think you should come back from the dead and keep drawing. Seriously.

1. Chris Riddle

Aaaaand my favourite! Now you’re probably thinking ‘what? These are weird’ and yes, yes they are. And I love them! I love all the little pencil strokes and the funny looking characters and the map of the Edge from The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart (which are one of my favourite series! I love them! I read them all when I was quite young – 13 maybe? – but rediscovered them the year before last, bought them all and started re-reading them, but then I had to leave them in NZ), and Twig’s tufted hair and Quint’s checked poncho thing! Argh! I love it! So awesome! He has the most amazing imagination too! Some of his monster and different creature drawings are so incredible! He has also illustrated a few of Neil Gaiman’s books, in particular, versions of The Graveyard Book and Coraline. And now I’m just going on and going…One last picture; he has just illustrated the cutest book called Something Else, by Kathryn Cave and this is the main character:

Okay, I’ll stop now. There we have it! There are heaps more that I really like, but these are my faves. Do you have favourite illustrators? I’m sure there are heaps too, that I just simply haven’t heard of/seen of…? Let me know your favourites, then I can Google them and maybe they’ll make it onto my faves list!