Pictured Worlds: Masterpieces of Children’s Book Art by 101 Essential Illustrators from Around the World

In Pictured Worlds, renowned historian Leonard S. Marcus shares his incomparable knowledge of illustrated children’s books, which came of age in the 18th century when John Newbery set a model for tailoring books to the interests and capabilities of young readers and went on to become a global cultural phenomenon. The author of more than 25 award-winning books, Marcus here highlights an international roster of 101 artists of the past 200 years whose touchstone achievements collectively chart the major trends and turning points in the history of children’s book illustration. While some illustrators explored in this lively volume (John Tenniel, Maurice Sendak) have become household names, Marcus’s wide-ranging survey also shines a light on several lesser-known figures whose unique contributions merit a closer look. The result is a sweeping chronicle of a vibrant art form and cultural driver that has touched the lives of literate peoples everywhere.

More than 500 illustrations showcase landmark books from Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, Russia, Japan, China, Korea, Bulgaria, Argentina, Cameroon, and more. Each illustrated entry comprises an artist’s biography and career overview and a deep dive into a pivotal book and its legacy. Featured books include Ivan Bilibin’s The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, Leo Lionni’s Inch by Inch, Richard Doyle’s In Fairyland, Květa Pacovská’s One, Five, Many, Helen Oxenbury’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Anno Mitsumasa’s Anno’s Journey, and Zhu Cheng-Liang’s A New Year’s Reunion, as well as the books that introduced such iconic characters as Alice, Max, Struwwelpeter, the Little Prince, and Winnie-the-Pooh.

At once a celebration of illustrated children’s books and an essential reference work, Pictured Worlds encapsulates, in the author’s words, “the special nature of the illustrated children’s book as a cultural enterprise that is at once a rewarding art form, a bridge across cultures, and a ladder between generations.”