Illustration in Children's Literature
Pictures: we all love 'em, but kids just go gaga for 'em. Why? Because they're preeeeety. Seriously. Illustrations help keep kids' attention and stimulate their imagination. Oh, and they help them understand the stories. Before kids can read, illustrations dramatize and reinforce the story that's being told so they can follow along even if they don't understand the words their parents are babbling out loud. In fact, some children's books are only pictures—after all, they're worth a thousand words.
Chew on This
This 1897 edition of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is full of illustrations that bring the story to life.
Dr. Seuss wasn't just a writer of children's stories; he was also an illustrator. Check out his distinctive illustration style in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.