The Art of the Picture Book

The Art of the Picture Book

The Childhood Stories That Inspired the Mini Editions Artists

For World Book Day, we asked our family of Mini Editions artists to share the books they loved most as children. The dog-eared favourites read over and over, and the stories, characters, and illustrations that first captured their imaginations.

Hollie Fuller

“The first book that came to mind was Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

The illustrations are so joyful and capture so much humour through classic lines and shapes. I love the bright colour palette against the black, and how a lot of the illustrations exist within their own colourful border. The wibbly linework makes my heart sing. And their tiny skeleton teeth! Sensational.”

Alice Bowsher

“My favourite book was Lavinia’s Cottage by John S Goodall.

It’s a pop-up book with no words about a girl's friends coming to visit her while she has the measles. The copy I had was second-hand and loads of the mechanisms were ripped, but it was still magical. I loved it because the pages were so full of little details there was always something new to look at and I was really into the ‘old timey’ style of the artwork.”

Marcus Oakley

“I’ve chosen The Great Gulper, a book I vividly remember for its illustrations and story.

The Gulper is a small brown monster who drinks oil. It was written by businessman Jim Slater and illustrated by his 10-year-old son, Christopher.

I think the reason I remember the book so well is that it was illustrated by a child, and I imagine my five-year-old self would have found that really inspiring.”

Caroline Dowsett

“Here's my book 'Madeline' illustrated by Ludwif Bemelmans.

The painted, hand-drawn playful textures and colours of the illustrations from this book are a forever influence for me, how the images jumped out of the page with so much energy, pulling you directly into the world of Madeline. When I create more illustrative pieces, I see a big influence come through in mark making and textures of using ink, through to my abstract pieces and the use of colour to evoke different emotions.”

Nicolas Burrows

"When I was a kid I loved the Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem, especially 'The High Hills' and 'The Secret Staircase'.

They are so detailed that it's really immersive - and I loved the cosiness of the world Barklem created. My work is nothing like her's but it's probably the strongest feeling I have toward a picture book from childhood. When I read them with my own kids I still feel the same fuzziness I did as a child."

Dorcas Brown, Mini Editions co-founder

“There are so many great books to choose from, but one that really stuck in my mind was Tooth Fairy by Audrey Wood.”

“I was all about picture books, films and animation when growing up. I had a very vivid imagination. It was the illustrations that drew me in – the labyrinthine tooth fairy palace made entirely of teeth, the elves working away sorting the good ones, the robots busily scrubbing the bad ones. There were few words in the book, but a whole world of systems and existences played out in the pictures.”

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