Before They Were Artists: Famous Illustrators as Kids

Illustrated capsule biographies of Wanda Gág, Tove Jansson, Hayao Miyazaki, Yuyi Morales, Jerry Pinkney, and Maurice Sendak offer overlapping, illuminating answers to Haidle’s framing question: “What makes an illustrator?” A love of creating, curiosity, attentiveness, and persistence recur as themes. In standalone chapters dedicated to each artist, each beginning with biographical timelines, Haidle works in direct quotes and telling details, tracing her subjects’ youthful experiences (from young Sendak biting a book to Jansson drawing the prototype of Moomintroll on an outhouse wall) and their varied adult triumphs. Haidle’s watercolor, ink, and digital illustrations use an abundance of stylized details and a trendy muted palette to adroitly capture relatable, interesting moments that complement the informative text, such as Pinkney trying out expressions in a mirror or Morales wide-eyed with fear at her childhood imaginings. An engaging and informative look at artists who have shaped millions of children’s visual worlds. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)