Monday, November 29, 2010

The 10 best illustrated children’s books

At the Observer, Kate Kellaway named the finest picture books for youngsters.

One title on the list:
The Cat in the Hat
Dr Seuss (1957)

Dr Seuss is the most successful American picture book illustrator of all time. His motto “fun is good” is worth remembering. But the cat in the hat is a complicated character. He enters with his eyes peculiarly closed. His hat bends as if it were alive. There is something sinister beneath the bonhomie – and the RSPCA should be on to him for the way he treats that fish. And as to Thing One and Thing Two, they may help with the housework but they are a creepy duo. The power of the book is that it exists on the edge of children’s panic. Extraordinary to discover it was originally written as a school reader, a “controlled vocabulary book.”
Read about the other books on the list.

Also see Jim Bob's top ten illustrated books for adults.

--Marshal Zeringue