Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark

Marcus, Leonard. S. 2007. PASS IT DOWN: FIVE PICTURE BOOK FAMILIES MAKE THEIR MARK. New York: Walker. ISBN 9780802796004 [Suggested Grade Levels 2 – adult]

REVIEW
Noted children’s literature historian, Marcus profiles five picture book producing families where the talent has been passed down through the generations. He chronicles the Crews, the Hurds, the Myers, the Pinkneys, and the Rockwells. In each family, parents and children have been successful authors/illustrators. Using a traditional family album as a model, Marcus introduces readers to these authors and shows how their books were created. Illustrated with photographs showing the book dummies and the original art, the book gives an intimate look at the creative process for each family. The text consists of the conversations between the parent and child which adds to the intimacy. Backmatter includes “Books in the Family,” a list of what each has published and a useful glossary of publishing terms. Marcus has delivered an entertaining look at picture book creators and gives readers the opportunity to enjoy their favorite books on a deeper level.

CONNECTIONS
Most young people do not realize the effort poured into the creative process. Gather author biographies and books about making picture books. Also, explore author web sites. Many of them reveal information about how they create their works. Two good sources for author web sites are ALA Great Web Sites: Authors & Illustrators at www.ala.org/ala/alsc/greatwebsites/greatwebsitesauthors.htm and
Children’s Authors & Illustrators on the Web at
www.ucalgary.ca/~dkBrown/authors.html

RELATED BOOKS
More books about the creation of picture books:
Aliki. HOW A BOOK IS MADE. ISBN 9780064460859
Carle, Eric. ARTIST TO ARTIST: 23 MAJOR ILLUSTRATORS TALK TO
CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR ART. ISBN 9780399246005
Marcus, Leonard S. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SEVEN ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. ISBN 9780802797049


By Jane H. Claes