Carle Honorees On The Importance Of Picture Books

Blog & website of children's book author Tara Lazar Carle Honorees on the Importance of Picture  Books Tonight the Eric Carle Museum will present  four winners of its prestigious Carle Honors. I will be there to capture it all and report back to you, picture book devotees. In the meantime, I asked the honorees to answer one important question about the state of our craft and business: Six years ago, The New York Times published an article about the demise of the picture book. Fast forward to this past January, and a picture book won the Newbery Medal. Plus, the current market has been heralded as “the golden age of picture books.” Why have picture books defied the Times’ portent of doomâ€"and why do they continue to remain a strong and important art form? Why are picture books more loved now than ever? “Is there any better medium for bringing together such varied artists and writers and stories and styles? The book has not died after 500 years and the picture book continues to be the most accessible of media. It’s not a fad. It’s not obsolete technology. It is an intimate tactile entity for making ideas come alive. As long as there is paper, what better way to use it?” ~Steven Heller, Bridge Honoree “A lot of American mothers today have become what the Japanese call “Education Mamas.” They want their offspring to start college at 12 and retire at 30, and book merchants are hell-bent on accommodating them. They have forgotten the Alice who asked for all children: “What is the use of a book without pictures or conversation?” Thanks to the conversation of Lewis Carroll and pictures by Sir John Tenniel, Alice is very much alive today. Would anybody remember Alice without Sir John?” ~Allen Say, Artist Honoree “The demise of picture books is connected to other mistaken predictions like the death of the print book when e-books came on the scene years ago. There is a general backlash against electronic books because of the amount of time people are spending on their phones, online, and binge-watching TV. People need a break from screen time. Also, the e-book experience, when compared to the tactile experience of a print picture book is not significantly better. The time spent reading an actual book is still a great past time that relies on the power of imagination, and the close relationship of words and pictures.” ~Jason Low, Angel Honoree “I never believed in the demise of the picture book! Picture books will always remain  a vibrant art form. They are constantly evolving, constantly being reinvented as new authors and illustrator enter the field. Styles change; a new style surprises and delights, then there are imitators,  and eventually something different will turn it all around again. I’ve seen a style dismissed as outdated,  then a few years go by and it is fashionable again, maybe even considered classic. “The rise of e-books have, ironically, made publishers and the public more aware of the importance of the book as a physical object, an object that should be beautiful. I notice more and more care being lavished on paper and binding and innovative jacket treatments. “I don’t think children should ever be urged to give up picture books when they are ready for chapter books. In my experience, children constantly go back and forth. They return to old favorite picture books even when they reach double digits, perhaps because the books provide a feeling of security, of coming home, perhaps recapturing the warmth and closeness of being read to by a beloved adult.  And for that, a real book is essential!” ~Regina Hayes, Mentor Honoree . Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Honorees, and congratulations on being recognized. To learn more about the Carle Honors and this year’s Honorees, please visit The Carle Honors website where you can also bid on the charity art auction. Follow me on Twitter  @taralazar, as I will try to live tweet from the event. A recap of the evening will be published here later this week.