If you were to ask me what my favorite kind of children's book is, I would have to say the picture book. That might surprise you since I have advocated for nearly every genre and form, especially poetry and fiction. But if I had a magic wand and could put one book in the house of every child, it would be a picture book. This is the book that shapes readers from the very beginning. It's the book that connects children and caregivers, the book you read over and over, the book that teaches you how books work, the book that merges art and text. Whether it's Good Night Moon or The Tale of Peter Rabbit or The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Where the Wild Things Are or Are You My Mother?—five of the bestselling children's books OF ALL TIME—the picture book conjures up images of bedtime reading, storytime at the library, bonding over books, the perfect intersection of literacy and intimacy. The late Caldecott award-winning author and illustrator Mordicai Gerstein thought of picture books as a child's introduction to the theater, with the dramatic unfolding of the story from page turn to page turn. Others have compared picture books to art museums, providing children with their first real opportunity to look closely at art and to consider the details and emotions they see there. And of course, picture books also introduce children to the power of words and reading, offering children their first steps in a lifelong process of gaining information as well as self revelation through literature. And all this happens in 32 pages of a "simple" book that you can buy at Target or Walmart (or your favorite independent bookstore). Powerful stuff!

Picture Book Art

In the classic text Children and Books, Zena Sutherland, a highly respected critic of children's literature, suggested that well-written and well-conceived picture books and their illustrations should also build an appreciation of beauty and aesthetics, open up interpretation and imagination, and encourage the child to actively participate in the story. Picture books are far more than "cute"; the best ones are works of art in every sense of the word. In fact, it is possible to see hundreds of examples of the art of children's book illustration via the websites of several significant special collections, such as the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota (https://www.lib.umn.edu/clrc/kerlan-collection) or the de Grummond Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi (https://www.degrummond.org), which each house a research library of original manuscripts and art that help document the entire creative process of book creation. In addition, two notable museums of children's book illustrations also specialize in picture book art including the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (http://www.carlemuseum.org) in Massachusetts and the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature (https://www.nccil.org) in Texas. Both feature regular and rotating exhibits, workshops for children, and visiting artists and speakers.

Picture Book Forms

Picture books come in so many different forms now, too. You can find classic alphabet books, clever counting books, innovative wordless books, participatory predictable books, and even picture books with historical settings, among others. By far the most common type of picture book is the picture storybook, which is simply a picture book that tells a story. It far outnumbers all the other types. These have words and pictures, but no pop-up features, no special counting or listing, no hidden images, and so on. They just tell a story through lyrical language and beautiful illustrations, like this year's Caldecott medal winner, Hello, Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall (Little, Brown, 2018).

Picture Books Aren't just for Young Children

But, picture books are not just for our very youngest emerging readers. Modern printing techniques have enabled artists to experiment more freely with illustration media in creating more complicated and edgy art in the 32–page picture book format. These books may be slim volumes that fit on the "E" shelves, but their content, style, or language will often be over the head of the usual young audience. Books such as Neil Gaiman's collaboration with Dave McKean, The Wolves in the Walls (HarperCollins, 2003), for example, benefit from the older child's experiences with books, language, and life. Indeed, the lines between the highly visual picture book for young children and the innovative graphic novel for the young adult are blurring. Illustrated novels and graphic novels are capitalizing on this visual trend, but picture books have potential here, too.

Conclusion

As much as I love technology, apps, audiobooks, videos, and film, there is still something very satisfying about opening a well-made picture book printed on creamy paper and bound between hard covers. From holding the hardback binding, to eyeing the colorful cover (and dust jacket), to turning the thick paper pages, to poring over the illustrations, it's a very satisfying visual, tactile, and aesthetic experience. Add to that the pleasure of cuddling with a child on your lap to share the story page by page and holding the book together, a kind of totem against the reality of routine life. As a parent, memories of those times with my own children are nearly palpable. As much as I enjoy the opportunities that today's technology provides for quick reading and communication, there is still something about the art of the picture book that feels unique and magical. And, we are in the lucky position to be guardians of that literary legacy—finding, reading, selecting, and sharing picture books, and guiding young people as they shape their destinies molded by the stories and art they find in these books.