Though summer humidity still clung to the Manhattan streets, a September 15 gathering of educators, illustrators, and individuals associated with both Pratt and the Bank Street School of Education served as a welcoming introduction to a new school year of reading, illustrating, and teaching. The event, held at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery, was part of a closing reception for an exhibition curated by children’s book historian Leonard S. Marcus that has been in display in the space since July 12, called The Picture Book Re-Imagined: The Children’s Book Legacy of Pratt Institute and the Bank Street College of Education. The exhibition features original children’s book art, manuscripts, and other archival materials that showcase picture book art from artists and illustrators whose work and careers were in part shaped by the institutions of Bank Street and Pratt.
Joining Marcus for a broad ranging discussion of children’s literature past, present, and future, were: Caroline Ward, faculty member at Pratt Institute and coordinator of youth services, Ferguson Library in Stamford, Ct.; Barbara Lalicki, retired senior v-p and editorial director, HarperCollins Children’s Books; illustrator Steven Light; author Caron Lee Cohen; illustrator James Ransome; and illustrator Scott Menchin. Audience members included many Bank Street and Pratt alumni and faculty members.
Marcus opened the discussion with a few words on his experience curating the exhibition, which he described as being “very collaborative.” He remarked that the many illustrations on display represent the “picture book as an art form” and “highlight the artistry behind seeming simplicity.” He turned to the panelists, asking them to reflect on the ways the roles that children’s books play in their careers might have shifted or evolved over the years.
Lalicki spoke about her career as an editor, which meant that, for most of her professional life, she learned to see books through a specific kind of critical lens. Since her retirement, however, she has found that she is now looking at books in a way that harkens back to early in her career – less with an eye toward editing and more as a reader. Ward spoke about how libraries as cultural institutions have changed dramatically over the past few decades. She recalled how, when she started her career, she wore a hat and white gloves at work. She also commented on her amazement that the books that parents and children checked out at the beginning of her career are still being checked out today.
Light discussed how his relationship with his own work has evolved, from collage-like art in the vein of Eric Carle in the beginning stages of his career, to finding his own distinctive style using fountain pens. He also credits his relationships with art directors, editors, and his publisher, Candlewick, with helping him to grow and develop as an artist, to arrive at an aesthetic all his own.
As is the case with many children’s authors and illustrators, Menchin shared how having a child changed his relationship with his art. His daughter, he said, provided “an incredible resource of ideas.” He kidded that, now that she’s a “jaded, cynical 13-year-old,” he’s not sure how much of a resource she is anymore. Light added that, as a pre-K teacher, “I get a new batch each year” to provide that type of inspiration.
Ransome commented that the tools that he uses have changed. He began painting predominately with oils and expanded into the use of acrylics and watercolors. He also expanded the discussion to touch on the ways that the field as a whole has evolved in recent years, particularly in terms of “diverse storytelling styles.” He sees a great deal of excitement within the field surrounding the ways in which authors and illustrators are telling stories through the intersection of language and graphics.
The types of stories Cohen tells have steadily evolved over the course of her career. Early on, one of her passions was to retell folk tales, but the demand for such books began to decline. In recent years, after working with educational publishers, she has developed a strong interest in writing concept-driven books designed for very early readers, which feature a “minimum number of words” and are “very spare.” She sees writing these types of titles as a particular challenge, because in terms of their design, they require a real “engineering effort.”
As both Pratt and Bank Street are institutions of education that foster mentor and mentee relationships, Marcus wondered if they could speak about the mentors that have helped to shape the work they do and the people that they are. “I guess it would help if they were from Pratt or Bank Street,” he joked.
Ransome, who did attend Pratt, met illustrator Jerry Pinkney through the school. After graduating, he began visiting Pinkney regularly and learning from him. On these visits, Pinkney would provide him and his work with “his undivided attention” and, he noted, would also buy him lunch. In perhaps a different kind of mentor-mentee relationship, Menchin spoke about going to high school with David Diaz and how “David was always doing things ahead of me.” For example, Diaz illustrated a children’s book (Smoky Night, written by Eve Bunting), and it won the Caldecott. His success inspired Menchin to work harder. “He put a lot of pressure on me,” he kidded. “Even though he probably wasn’t even thinking of me at all.”
Also looking back to high school, Light recalled how an art teacher noticed his talent and actually took his father aside, sat down with him and told him that she believed Light needed to go to art school. Though Ward has had mentors herself, she counts “being a mentor to all of my wonderful students” as being one of the most gratifying experiences she has had in her career. Lalicki echoed this, noting that she has gleaned inspiration and motivation from many “authors and illustrators I have worked with over the years.”
The panelists went on to elaborate on how children’s books are changing in terms of format, content, and their target audiences. They discussed how, in recent years, there has been a slimming trend for picture books in terms of the number of words used to tell a story and the overall length of a book. Ransome admits that these days, when looking at his own earlier books, he believes that they were “too long.” Yet Lalicki commented how, while this may be the current aesthetic and the trend going forward, she hopes that, for instance, the work of William Steig or the Curious George titles will not be judged based on their length, but taken on their individual merits.
Menchin also commented on the trend for kids in the first and second grades to read up, by embracing chapter books rather than picture books. The reading demographic has changed as well, suggested Cohen. It used to be that you did not see babies or toddlers in libraries, but those institutions now cater toward those ages, and board books that feature simple concepts and objects that babies recognize are thriving.
On the topic of e-books, the panelists had a very strong preference (“We’re paper people,” said Ransome) and expressed skepticism over the value of the parent-child interaction that can be achieved through a screen. But Ward also noted how pediatricians at the University of Washington have been conducting ongoing research into the impact tablets may have on children’s developing brains, and the verdict is still out. She added that, for the library, “e-books are expensive and complex to format,” particularly when it comes to making them as engaging as their paper counterparts. However, she believes that platforms like Epic!, which provides access to 18,000 children’s e-books and has a team of designers, demonstrate how an e-book service can effectively blend content and design in a user-friendly way. On the topic of e-books, she concluded, “It’s complex, but interesting.”
Questions from the audience yielded conversation about the limited presence of international children’s books in America and what other types of books might be missing from the market or are otherwise in high demand. On the topic of international books, Marcus does see different expectations in America, particularly when it comes to happy endings at the end of children’s books. Yet he also does see the slow emergence of “an international style” in picture books. In terms of curing the deficit of international children’s books being read by American kids, Cohen suggested that it might start with teacher training programs. Providing future educators with “more exposure to international books” themselves, can assure that they are bringing those books into their own classrooms. Menchin noted how e-book libraries, such as the International Children’s Digital Library, which provides access to children’s books from around the world, can be an excellent resource for educators or anyone who wishes to seek out books from other countries.
Beyond international titles, audience members commented on the need for more books that organically introduce characters from diverse backgrounds; Ward added that she also sees a need for beginning readers for slightly older children. At the library, she frequently meets children who are reading below their grade levels but are interested in more mature content suiting their age group. Very often, she added, these are students for whom English is a second language.
Regardless of what may or may not be missing from the market or library shelves, Ransome believes that the writers and illustrators in the audience shouldn’t strive to fill a niche or meet a demand, but rather, “it should just come from the heart,” he said – advice clearly embraced by the artists whose illustrations hang on the gallery’s walls.
