Book Review: Show Me A Story by Leonard S. Marcus

Show Me A Story by Leonard S. Marcus is a fascinating read. The interviews with notable illustrators are interesting to read, and gave me greater insight into a genre of children's books that I already adore, the picturebook. I will not relay here the number of times it has been said to me how easy it must be to write for children, particularly picturebooks. I will gladly put this book in their hands to help them understand the work, the inspiration, and deep thought that has gone into the most celebrated picturebooks so that they can see what it really takes to get it right. These twenty-one interviews and eight-eight color plates will help explain how picturebooks came about, just why picturebooks are so important, and the impact that they can have on the children that have access to them.

I was very interested to read Show Me a Story. I love picturebooks, the skill it takes to get a story across in thirty pages or so, and make it interesting is much more difficult than most people realize. Getting a glimpse at the mindset and inspiration of some of my favorite authors and illustrators was fascinating. Individuals such as Eric Carle, Mo Willems, Chris Raschka, Rosemary Wells, Peter Sis, and William Steig. The interview providing insight into Maurice Sendek's work was really poignant to me, since he just past away on Tuesday morning after suffering from a stoke a few days earlier.

I highly recommend Show Me a Story to anyone that appreciates picturebooks, teachers, librarians, and aspiring writers. I also recommend the read to anyone that thinks writing or illustrating a picturebook is easy and simple. It will give any reader insight and understanding into how some of the best and most celebrated picturebooks came about and how picturebooks can make a difference in the lives of children.