CRAFTING THE PERFECT MATCH Between Words and Illustrations in Picture Books

By Katrina Moore

Picture books, by their nature, are books in which the pictures tell as much (sometimes more, sometimes all) of the story as the words.  When done well, this is why picture books are so magical. In 40 or less pages (mostly) and 500 or less words (usually) we are made to laugh, or cry, or wonder, and in the very best of cases . . . all of the above.  

So how do you craft such a magical marriage between words and illustrations?

And how is this done if you are only the author?

​Let’s share some stellar examples:

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Sometimes, the just the right words act as a muse, like in LOVE by Matt de la Peña and Loren Long:

“In a crowded concrete park, you toddle toward summer sprinklers while older kids skip rope and run up the slide, and soon you are running among them, and the echo of your laughter is love."
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Notice how these specific and purposeful words inspire this evocative illustration spread:

Interior page from LOVE, by Matt de la Peña and Loren Long (Penguin Random House, 2018)

​Sometimes, the words are purposefully open to interpretation, like in SOMEDAY by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds:

“Someday your eyes will be filled with a joy so deep that they shine.”


The possibilities are abundant, which allows the opportunity for the illustrator to bring their own vision to to the story, as Peter H. Reynolds does when he created this quietly powerful scene:

Interior spread from SOMEDAY by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007)

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This can also lead to illustrations that amplify the drama and escalate the tension (and humor),


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like in CHARLOTTE AND THE ROCK by Stephen Martin Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill:

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Interior page from CHARLOTTE AND THE ROCK by Steve Martin and Samantha Cotterill (Penguin Random House, 2017)

​Sometimes, the words are charged with emotion, leading to illustrations that are giggle-worthy, 

​like in Tammi Sauer and Zoe Waring’s TRUCK, TRUCK, GOOSE!:

Interior page from TRUCK, TRUCK, GOOSE! by Tammi Sauer and Zoe Waring (HarperCollins, 2017)

​Or downright hysterical, like in David Shannon’s NO, DAVID!:

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Interior spread from NO, DAVID! by David Shannon (Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, 1999)

Sometimes, the words are super silly, and the illustrations create the perfect compliment, 

​like in Joyce Wan’s THE BEAR IN MY BED: ​

Interior page from THE BEAR IN MY BED by Joyce Wan (FSG/Macmillan, 2018)

Sometimes, the words are intended to be ironic (and if you are the author-only, this is an instance where you will want to include an art note), as in Cate Berry and Charles Santoso’s PENGUIN AND TINY SHRIMP DON’T DO BEDTIME, where the words say,

“See? My eyelids aren’t heavy at all.”

“You’re just resting them.”




​Yet, the illustrations show the opposite, to hilarious effect:

Interior page from PENGUIN AND TINY SHRIMP DON'T DO BEDTIME by Cate Berry and Charles Santoso (HarperCollins, 2018)

In the above picture book examples, the words and art flow together fluidly, sometimes complimenting each other, sometimes elevating each other, sometimes opposing each other, and sometimes balancing each other so beautifully that the matches are seemingly made . . . 

​in picture book heaven.

So as you craft your picture books, think:

How can I leave room for the illustrator?

What purposeful word choices can I use to make a big splash?

Interior page from DEAR GIRL by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly Hatam (HarperCollins, 2017)

​Happy Writing!✨
-Katrina

Katrina Moore writes and teaches in New Jersey.  Earning her M.A. in elementary education, she has been a teacher for almost a decade in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York.  Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. Her debut picture book, ONE HUG, illustrated by the talented Julia Woolf, is a lyrical celebration of the different ways that hugs bring people together, forthcoming from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books in 2019. Her second picture book, GRANDPA GRUMPS, illustrated by the amazing Xindi Yan, is a humorous and heartfelt story about a little girl, Daisy, and how she connects with her Chinese grandfather across cultures and generations, forthcoming from Little Bee Books in 2020.
​When she is not writing or teaching kids in elementary school, she is cooking without a recipe, painting outside the lines, or  snuggling up with her two kids, husband, pomapoo pup, and of course, a cozy book. Connect with her on twitter @kmoorebooks or at www.katrinamoorebooks.com.

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