SLJ Gets an Inside Look at NYT's List of Best Illustrated Books for Kids
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Rick Margolis -- School Library Journal, 11/13/2007 2:15:00 AM
The wait is finally over. The New York Times Book Review has just released its annual list of the best illustrated books for kids. This time around, the Times tapped as its judges Caldecott Medalist David Wiesner, Steven Heller of the School of Visual Arts, and Ellen Loughran, who teaches at the Pratt School of Information and Library Sciences. We spoke to Loughran about her experience as a member of the panel… and tried to get the skinny on what happens behind the scenes.
David Wiesner is arguably the most talented illustrator working in children’s books today. Was it intimidating being on a panel with him?
I had to get used to being with two very high-profile people. Steven Heller was the art editor for the New York Times Book Review, and David Wiesner has won the Caldecott three times. But they’re very down-to-earth people. They both have senses of humor. I myself am a person of decided opinion, so I rose to the occasion.
Was there a book that you loved that didn’t make the final cut?
Oh, many.
Like what?
I promised Julie Just [the Times’ children’s book review editor] that I would treat this with the same confidentiality as a Caldecott committee. But, it’s funny, I didn’t go in with a list of books that I thought should make it. I had one or two books that I felt incredibly strongly about, and they are on the final list.
Which ones are they?
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic, 2007, by Brian Selznick). I think it’s a groundbreaker.
What’s the other book?
The Arrival (Scholastic, 2007, by Shaun Tan). I felt that book translated the immigrant experience through visual art into an emotional reality. My grandmother and grandfather both came from Ireland. My grandmother talked to me about being an immigrant in the United States in the 1920s. This book translated some of the things she told me about into a totally different experience for me. Because as I was reading it, looking at those alien creatures and those alien technology things, I realized how very, very difficult my grandmother’s transition from a farm in Ireland into a cold-water flat or room in New York City must have been.
Some librarians look down their noses at the Times’ list because they say the judges just look at the art—and ignore the text. What’s your response to that?
In one of the first discussions with the Times, I said, “You know, I’m a text-driven person.” So I feel that the texts work with the books that we have chosen, where there is text. And I understand that this book list may not really be a library list.
So who’s it for?
I think it’s for parents. I think it’s for librarians who may miss beautiful books that are artistically sound. Sometimes the books do not have a huge child appeal. I think that’s why a lot of librarians don’t like the list.
Does it have any value for them?
I have always felt that this particular list is like the Society of Children’s Book Illustrators’ list—a lot of those picture books do not have child appeal, but they do have wonderful art and wonderful illustrations. And what that says to me is, “Look for this person’s next book”—artists feel the art in this book is exceptionally strong. Do you know what I mean? It’s like a pointer. You learn from everything someone else points out to you if you are listening. And I feel the more people I listen to, the more acute my judgment becomes.
Were there any books on your list that hadn’t gotten the recognition they deserved?
Actually, there were a couple of books that were favorites of mine that didn’t make the final list, but I totally understood the reasoning of the people who had strong objections to them.
Are you willing to name names?
No, I’m not going to name names. It’s like being on the Caldecott. People would stomp you if you named names after you got off Caldecott. And they’d be right, because you’re not supposed to do that.
