Picture Books Are For All Ages, Say Carle Honor Award Recipients

Blog & website of children's book author Tara Lazar Picture Books are for All Ages, say Carle Honor Award  Recipients In one month, The Carle Museum of Picture Book art will hold its annual Carle Honors, awarding four people/entities who have made significant contributions to the art form. Also that evening, September 27th, final bids are accepted on original artwork by picture book masters. The auction goes live on August  31, and you can browse and bid here:  https://501auctions.com/carlehonors2018. If you could ask the Carle Honorees one question, what might it be? My question is hereâ€" “Why are picture books an art form to enjoy not only in childhood, but through every age, every stage of life?”   â€"and the answers are diverse and delightful, just like picture books themselves.   Paul O. Zelinsky 2018 Carle Honors Artist “Why are pictures an art form to be enjoyed by people of all ages?   Well, that has to be a function of what picture books exist in the world to be enjoyed. Some, aimed at children in a pedantic and condescending way, are no fun at all for adults, and might be appreciated by only the most deluded or idiosyncratic child. But the world has come to contain an increasingly large number of picture books created by genuine artists, addressing the full extent of their humanity. These books may not look the same through the eyes of a four-year-old as they do to an adult of ninety-five (even putting aside questions of cataracts), but they somehow charm and enrich the thoughts and the vision of both.   Picture books can be appreciated by people of all ages because there are picture books that deserve this kind of appreciation. One of the best ways to prove this is to visit The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art!”   Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop 2018 Carle Honors Mentor   “Picture books are indeed an art form, and enjoyment of art is not limited by age.  With their unique combination of interdependent visual and verbal art, picture books speak to readers and viewers on a fundamental level. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, their thematic content often evokes universal emotions and experiences. Picture books also offer opportunities for older students to examine and learn about artistic styles, media, and technique. Picture book texts, in their conciseness, are often poetic, and can evoke the same kinds of responses as poetry. And because many literary genres come in picture book format, picture books can be a rich source of information as well as entertainment. Like other art forms, picture books are never outgrown.”   Dona Ann McAdams (and Lynn Caponera), representing The Sendak Fellowship & Workshop 2018 Carle Honors Angel “I never assume a picture book is just for children. When a picture book works it marries images and words in a way few other mediums can. Each time we revisit an old beloved picture book we discover something new within its covers and new within ourselves.”   Elena Pasoli The Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2018 Carle Honors Bridge “The language of illustration is borderless not only in terms of cultural and geographical heritages, but more and more often also in terms of the age of the readers. Who could describe ‘The Arrival’ by Shaun Tan as simply a children’s book? This is the same for most of the wordless books which have been sharply growing in production and sales in the last few years all over the world.  Illustrations speak clearly to everybody; they tell stories and leave people free of traveling across pages and thoughts; they are powerful and add emotions to the words; they can engage the readers’ memories as well as accompany them to discover new worlds.”   Andrea Davis Pinkney Children’s Book Author, Editor & 2018 Carle Honors Presenter “Come, little one. Climb onto my wings. Nestle, settle, celebrate. My feathered pages take you to places only the clouds can touch. Up, up! Here we go, soaring through words and pictures that fill you with my unforgettable flutter. Do you see the view from where my colors paint themselves into your quietest places, into the deep-down knowing that brings you comfort, giggles, wonder, discovery? “Listen to my wisp of words spinning stories that will someday become your heart’s memories. Yes, child, I am a picture book. Our journeysâ€"yours and mine, togetherâ€"will last your whole life. This is what we picture books doâ€"we lift you. We let you rise to skies filled with wonder. This, the awakening of your soul, starts from the day our wings hug your imagination. From there, we beckon you higher. Child, young or old, I am a picture book. No matter your age, stage, time or place, I give you the power to fly!”   Thank you, Honorees, The Carle Museum…and picture books! What question would you ask the Honorees? Please tell us in the comments…