Illustrated Books

Hello readers,

This piece is less of a book recommendation and more of a place recommendation.

If you ever have the opportunity to pass through southern British Columbia during your travels, I must recommend you pit-stop at Otter Books.

You can find them on Baker Street (how perfect!) in Nelson, B.C.

What I love about Otter Books is its atmosphere. The small shop is what you imagine in your mind’s eye when you consider a traditional bookstore. Large, corporate bookstores can be great for finding multiple copies of what’s in-trend; still, the large open-floor plans with their designer trinkets, overpriced scarves, and plethora of monogrammed mugs get tiresome, fast.

Otter Books is a cozy, squishy shop that smells of paper and wood. It is a comfortable place that invites you to take your time. The shop is a little run down, which only adds to its charm and authority. Otter Books is truly a testament to its community, with friendly staff, a spotlight on local authors, and a focus on British Columbia’s natural beauty.

Okay, this is where the book-recommendation-part comes in.

Otter Books is one of the few shops I’ve had the pleasure of visiting that carries a selection of stories specifically dedicated to the beauty of books and the splendour of the natural world. …That’s a little wordy, but just look at some of these texts:

While each is very different in content, these books exhibit processes of the natural world and are full of rich, stunning, full-page illustrations. I make a point of supporting Otter Books whenever I pass through the city (however sporadically that may be), and I always have difficultly deciding which beautiful book to take home!

I’ve had some suggest that Otter’s type and selection of illustrated books seem plentiful just due to the store’s size: being a smaller shop, it’s just easier to find these types of visual media because there is less to sort through. This point, I would argue, makes Otter Books even more appealing!

In any case, I highly recommended checking out the texts above or similar illustrative books which depict the beauty of the natural world. While an illustrated book’s images need to complement the text, the illustrations in these books almost stand-alone, telling a visual story without the need for words. (A true picture-book doesn’t require text.)

“Visual storytelling involves the use of graphics, images, pictures, and videos to engage with viewers in an effort to drive emotions, engage intercommunication, and motivate an audience to action.”

Goodstadt, Eric, & Reeb, Sacha. (2019). Five Very Different Examples of Stellar Visual Storytelling and Why They Are a Step Above the Marketplace. Content Marketing World 2019 Conference & Expo. https://cmworld19.videoshowcase.net/

“The key to a successful wordless picture book is the storytelling quality of its illustrations” (92).

In the illustration, the viewer “looks for rhythm and movement in the pictures, as well as tension in the book’s layout, to add interest” (123). The “hybrid” of text and visual imagery “can be an effective means of encouraging reading in a society that at times seems besotted by electric imagery. The field of picture-book art is dynamic” (123).

Russel, David. Literature for Children: A Short Introduction. 8th ed.,Pearson, 2014.

Solomon’s illustrations are imaginative and expressive: the images’ textures and colours work wonderfully to draw in the eye. Solomon also alternates between full-page and single-item illustrations, which complement the text’s context, in which the image references.

The text, written by Sarah Weeks, is wonderfully rhythmic and bouncy. The reader easily falls into the poetics of the book. The text’s pace is easy to follow while reading aloud, making it easy to add emphasis, flow, or funny voices!

If I Were a Lion is that much more charming for the animal lover: the illustrations contain a variety of animals (some to play hide-and-seek with), and the lyrical text encourages the reader to make up their own verse.

If I Were a Lion

Written by Sarah Weeks

Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon

Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, written by Jerdine Nolen, is a precious book in our home. I bought Balloon Farm in the 1990s at a Scholastic book fair when I was still in elementary school.

Who doesn’t love a good book fair? The titles, the pictures, the smell of fresh paper…

As you might be able to see, my copy of Balloon Farm has become a bit worn after years of reading and re-reading.

Balloon Farm is a story about magic and imagination, told from the eyes of a young Black girl in an American-South style setting. The story is silly and charming, but the narrator is given just enough seriousness to make the child-reader wonder, “Can a balloon really grow on a plant?”

The full-page illustrations create the perfect mix of creative vibrance and narrative depth to draw in the eye. These illustrations are those that you can look over, again and again, and notice a new detail each time. Unsurprisingly, the illustrated balloons are the most memorable: it is easy to see that illustrator Mark Buehner put all their love and care into giving each balloon uniqueness, vibrancy, and personality.

This book is such a favourite in our household that we used Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm as inspiration when our local library put on their Edible Book Contest.

The Edible Book Contest is a fun challenge for book lovers. The concept is simple: choose your favourite book and create a diorama representing that book solely out of edible goods. For example, I have seen Rapunzel in her tower made from cake and long strands of licorice; J.R.R. Tolkien’s dragon moulded out of fondant; a portrait Garfield “painted” out of M&Ms and “glued” with cake icing.

When all the dioramas are finished, you may vote for a winner if you please. But, the best part of the contest is when the dioramas are shared, eaten, and enjoyed by all. The Edible Book challenge can also be done at home among siblings, cousins, or even as a book club activity!

Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm is a must-find at your local library.

Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm

Written by Jerdine Nolen
Illustrated by Hark Buehner