Writer-Illustrators

I am wondering who are some of your favorite authors who write and self-illustrate. I write and illustrate children and adult nonfiction. My publishers for kids' books are Harcourt and Candlewick Press (Walker in England).

Mick Inkpen and Nick Butterworth are the first two that jump to mind. I love the humour in them and my kids love them too. In many of Mick Inkpen's books there are little details hidden in the pictures throughout the books and my kids really enjoy finding them. His lift the flap books are great too.

I've had some more coffee now so my brain is working and I have a few more to add to the list.
Eric Carle, of course, for the gorgeous illustrations. Sandra Boynton for board books that are a joy to read instead of a bore. And Lynley Dodd for the humourous illustrations and the wonderfully rhythmic text.

I just posted a bunch of recommendations on your question about what kids age 5 to 8 enjoy in picture books.

Here, briefly, are the author-illustrators I mentioned there.
I agree strongly with Sandra Boynton, Eric Carle, Lynley Dodd, and Mick Inkpen.

We have a couple of Nick Butterworth's books as well, but I don't find them quite so compelling.

We also love Jan Brett, Barbara Reid, Marie Louise Gay, Tomie de Paola, Holly Hobbie and Ezra Jack Keats.

And I should have mentioned Lois Ehlert for her wonderful collages.

Also Martin Waddell, especially his book Owl Babies. To me it is perfect in every detail, and our children learned it off by heart, and loved to act it out.

Our newest favourite from England is Lauren Child, who is very funny, and has a very modern style of collage and ink sketches. Her text uses many different fonts for emphasis and to add emotional impact - very effective once you get used to it, and fun for early readers.

I like Maurice Sendak, David McPhail and Mercer Mayer. Oh, yeah, and William Steig. And sometimes John Burningham.

DD1 was a BIG John Burningham fan. DD2 prefers Molly Bang and Marjorie Priceman.

Coomacka Island: The Story of Spider & Ant
by Don P. Hooper, Darnel Degand (Illustrations) isn't a book illustrated by the author, but the illustrations are wonderful and so is the web site:

www.coomacka.com

I agree with Sandra Boynton, Lynley Dodd and Hollie Hobbie. We also love Steve Jenkins who often works with his wife, Robin Page. Jez Alborough's Duck and Bobo books are favorites around here. Betsy Lewin has authored a few of her own books in addition to illustrating for others.

To add to the growing list, definitely Trina Schart Hyman. She has written/illustrated her own books as well as illustrating many other authors' work. Her illustrations are always incredibly compelling and her writing is amusing.

Does anybody remember the Serendipity books from back in the 1970s? I think they were written and illustrated by the same husband and wife team. I loved those books!

That is funny that you should mention the Serendipity books. These books don't circulate much in the elementary school library where I work, but if we put them out so the covers are on display, the kids snap them up. I don't think they are great quality books, but certainly do appeal to children (particularly girls.)

I am a big fan of Chris Van Dusen's books. They are great rhyming stories, humorous, and the artwork has a retro look to it. His books make great read-alouds. He has also illustrated books for Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson series.

In addition to all the terrific folk listed above, I've got to add these to the list:
-Jarrett J. Krosoczka-- great humor, energy, and joy in all his work.
-Meghan McCarthy-- is doing some amazing work in non-fiction picture books. Aliens Are Coming about the War of the Worlds broadcast is particularly good.
-Yuyi Morales and Ana Juan both create such lush, textural, and sometimes surreal illustrations I return to their work again and again just to just to enjoy their views of the world
-Brian Selznick-- I can spend hours with his illustrations-- and keep an eye on his Invention of Hugo Cabret for next awards season... Caldecott? Newbery? Both?

And digging back to my childhood, in addition to Sendak, I remain attached to Tomi Ungerer sometimes dark and scary, always with a good sense of humor... The Three Robbers and Crictor remain particular favorites.

For some children it's hard to beat Dr. Seuss.

Try The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. This book is story, graphic novel and film and is an amazing creation!

Some older (more vintage) books are Carolyn Haywood Betsy series books and her Eddie series of books. Her pen and ink drawings in these chapter books are wonderful. Also Ruth Chew had a lot of books about magic and witches that she drew wonderful pictures for in charcoal.

And there's ALWAYS Beatrix Potter. I just watched the movie "Miss Potter" and remembered how much my daughters enjoyed her books 20+ years ago, they're timeless.

I'm a fan of Grace Lin -The Year of the Dog has such charming illustrations. Also, Elizabeth Enright did lovely work illustrating her books in the '30s and '40s.

I totally agree with #15..started reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret last night to my 8 year old son...we are hooked..it was hard to stop tonight. The art is so cool.

Ruth Sanderson writes childrens books and also illustrates them. Her masterpiece is The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring. Her abilities are incredible. I never tire of looking at the firebird. The storys that go with the pictures are interesting and better than average from what I read, but the illustrations are what I like.

i've seen kids spend hours with Animalia by Graeme Base - lots of fun and fabulous for learning letters.

Ahh NativeRoses, my daughters and I loved Graeme Base! He had another one too that was a mystery at a birthday party and you had to really search all the pictures to solve it - do you know the one I mean? Wonderful books.

Another author/illustrator I can think of is Chris Van Allsburg. I love his illustrations.

(edited for spelling)

Ted Lewin wrote and illustrated (also with his wife Betsy Lewin), and illustrated many other authors' books. Sam Savitt wrote and illustrated some of his own, and also illustrated many others' books. Glen Rounds wrote and illustrated his own books. Rolf Harris wrote and illustrated his as well, quite a few aimed at children. Carolyn Lane wrote and illustrated "Princess" and "Princess and Minerva". I haven't seen her other books to know whether she illustrated them. Leonard W. Shortall wrote and illustrated his own as well as illustrated many others. Sandy Rabinowitz likewise. Also Leonard Weisgard, P. D. Eastman, Bernard Wiseman, E. L. Konigsburg, Sheila Greenwald, Bill Peet, Wesley Dennis, Quentin Blake, and Ezra Jack Keats. There's probably many more!

As someone mentioned above, Ruth Chew wrote and illustrated hers. The internal illustrations (charcoal, I see mentioned) are probably drawn on Ingres paper (in comparing the fine grooves to illustrations in a drawing book that state what is Ingres paper. The fine horizontal or vertical grooves match). The covers look like watercolor and pen/ink lines?

Just one word: Tintin!

I'm also keen on Edward Ardizonne and Edward Gorey, not to mention the lovely drawings of Edward Lear.

Here is a writer-illustrator at an upper primary reading level (above simple picture books) but not a chapter book. Perfect for before or reading at the same time as Ruth Chew. The illustrations are black and white and part-color.

Series: Dorrie the Little Witch by Patricia Coombs
http://www.librarything.com/series/Dorrie+the+Little+Witch

Nobody mentioned Jan Brett! Also, Peggy Rathmann, James Marshall, Mitsumaso (sp?) Anno, and Satoshi Kitamura.

David Wiesner comes to mind. :)

>10 Jenson_AKA_DL: I have most of the Serendipity books in my library. :)

>20 nymith: Ruth Sanderson's family co-owned a factory where I used to work, and some of her paintings (illustrations for, I believe Heidi and The Secret Garden) were hung in the office/lobby area. They were awesome. Apparently she lives in the same city as I do, and has studio space here and has been at art events I've visited...and yet I've somehow managed never to meet her! :(

Bored, Nothing to Do by Peter Spier and anything by Steven Kellogg, though The Mysterious Tadpole is one of my favorites.