Five Ugly Monsters
by Tedd Arnold
Published 1995. Maybe it is nostalgia talking, but I love this style and look of art. The illustrations are oozing with character and emotion. A simple retelling of the classic, ‘Monkey’s Jumping on the Bed.’ Most of my enjoyment is from the story’s fun visuals, and that’s enough for me. This telling doesn’t have much of a message, but there’s enough for me to continue reading and looking at this book.
Slow Down for Manatees
by Jim Arnosky
Published 2010. Stunning artwork, the way the illustrations flow into each other throughout the book, and the various ways the artist laid out the book create an incredible visual journey. The message is excellent and honest to the reader, if a bit predictable at the end.
Every Autumn Comes the Bear
by Jim Arnosky
Published 1993. More splendid artwork from Arnosky. The story is very relaxed and gives me a ‘slice-of-life’ vibe as we watch the bear seek its den. The text is subtle and provides the reader with just the right amount of information.
Rabbits & Raindrops
by Jim Arnosky
Published 1997. Same lovely artwork and a few great moments where the illustrations showed us something that wasn’t in the text. A beautiful moment in time of rabbits playing and waiting out rain, the story’s simplicity and openness allow the reader to reflect on the story.
Raccoons and Ripe Corn
by Jim Arnosky
Published 1987. Very consistent work from Jim Arnosky, same superb artwork and gentle stories. I just realized that these stories feel like ‘Planet Earth’ were children’s books. They so beautifully capture a simple moment in time, even if these books don’t always catch every truth, as a moment of conflict or more significant stakes could make these exciting stories, but that would also change what Arnosky desired to achieve with these books.
If you liked this post, I hope you’ll consider becoming a free subscriber and joining our crew (discussions via Substack are always a delight!). That’s it for this edition of The Weekly Picture, I hope you have a wonderful day and as always, thank you for reading!
Caleb
