Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books

by Uri Shulevitz

Book Overview

Writing with Pictures is a step-by-step guide to creating children's books. It offers advice covering a book's preliminary stages through publication, and describes how to tell a story visually,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823059359
• ISBN13: 9780823059355
• Release Date: May 1997
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 10.4"

Customer Reviews

Creating Children's Books 101

Uri Shulevitz's book Writing With Pictures is a treasure trove of valuable information concerning writing/illustrating children's books. For those with no interest whatsoever in illustration, the book explains how illustrations enhance and fulfill the promise of the text. For those only interested in illustration, the book describes how to correctly construct illustrations so that they illuminate, rather than repeat, the prose. The book is divided in four parts. Part one defines/contrasts picture books and story books; two, describes how to plan the book; three, explains the construction and purpose of illustrations; and four, provides instruction on how to prepare illustrations for reproduction for publishing. Although the book could be used for college courses in both art and literature, it is easily readable, enjoyable and informative. For individuals serious about writing and/or illustrating books for children, this book is a must-have resource. It's a keeper!

Invaluable resource for children's fiction writers

I have read quite a few books on writing and illustrating for children, and in my opinion, this one is far and away the best. Uri Schulevitz communicates the essential elements of outstanding writing and illustration for children so clearly that I had one of those "light bulb" moments. He uses an abundance of examples (his own work and others) to explain what he means. Off and on for years, I have been working on several books for children, but certain aspects didn't seem to work. I knew my work needed refining, but I was unable to define specific solutions. Schulevitz has broken down the process so well that I have finally been able to clarify my story lines and flow. Although printing processes have changed immensely since this book was published (especially in pre-production such as scanning artwork), making that portion out-of-date, the other information is timeless. This is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in writing for children.

A book every children's book illustrator should have--and useful for writers and others too

This review is condensed from a longer review on my web site, The Purple Crayon. The author of Writing with Pictures is a Caldecott medalist, and he gives the reader a master's class in the theory and the practicalities of picture book illustration in particular and of illustration more generally. CONTENTS: This is a substantial book, large format, 272 pages, with over 600 illustrations (mostly black and white, many of them small). Shulevitz breaks it down into four sections: Telling the Story, Planning the Book, Creating the Pictures, and Preparing for Reproduction. There is also an appendix with advice on finding a publisher, a short bibliography, and a useful index. Telling the Story: In this section, Shulevitz opens with the difference between a picture book and a story book. He then goes on to explain his theory of "visual storytelling," using many visual examples. He also demonstrates how text and illustration work together in a picture book, and closes with a discussion of the characteristics of a picture book, such as "linear continuity" and rhythm and repetition. Planning the Book: In this section, Shulevitz shows the steps an illustrator goes through to create a book: starting with a story board; moving on to a dummy; working with text in a layout; playing with many possibilities of size, scale, shape; and dealing with the structure of a printed book. Step-by-step visual illustrations make this easy to follow. Creating the Pictures: This section starts with theory: the purpose of illustration is to clarify or even illuminate the text, and thus the illustrator must at least make the pictures "readable." He then focuses on creating illustrations themselves. It covers such topics as drawing figures and objects, using visual references, composition, technique, and style, with copious examples. Preparing for Reproduction: The book was originally published in 1985, and this is the only section that has become badly dated, as it focuses on the way to create pre-separated art, which used to be the predominant method used in children's books. Today, of course, almost all picture books are made by scanning original full-color art. COMMENTS: It's not over-praising this book to say that there's no other book like it, and that it's an unmatched resource for anyone involved with children's book illustration. I've had a copy for several years, and I learn something every time I open it. Of course, I'm an editor, but the illustrators I know tell me the same. If you want to understand the nitty-gritty of creating a picture book, from text to final illustrations and layout, there is no other book out there.

Essential for any children's book writer or illustator

As a children's book author and editor, I know that no one understands picture books better than Uri Shulevitz, and no one is more articulate about how they work. Most books about writing for children focus on young novels or on straightforward picture book stories. This book inspires you to think beyond those predictable formats and instead embrace the poetry of a good picture book, the magic of a good collaboration between text and art which is necessary whether you are working on a story book or a concept book or a nonfiction book. An intelligent and inspiring guide to the art of good bookmaking.

A Great Foundation for Creating Children's Books

I found this very readable book to be very well thought out in its explanation of what makes for a successful children's book. It has the most examples of illustrations of any book on writing children's books I have seen, with many illustrations showing why some methods work and others fail. Uri is vary clear and benevolent in his sharing the princeiples for successfully creating a book for children. It was like being in workshop. With this book I feel prepared to pursue creating a kids' book!