PICTURE BOOKS- Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture Book Teams Go To Work

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 2001. SIDE BY SIDE. New York, NY: Walker & Company. ISBN 0802796168

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a collection of five picture book teams and their personal stories of their journey to success. Each team (author and illustrator) shares their personal experiences of how they met, how they collaborated, and how their journeys included both successes and failures. They include pictures of their first drafts, initial drawings and sketches, and the finished products after their collaboration took place. It is a very inspirational retelling of personal experiences for anyone who has ever dreamed of creating a picture book.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
SIDE BY SIDE is not your typical picture book. There are no plot lines, or themes to be learned. It is a book that tells the stories of five picture book teams and their journeys on the road to creating all time favorite picture books. It tells of how each author and illustrator met, about their collaboration process, and the meaningful friendships that developed from the many years that they worked together. The authors had to develop a trust with their illustrators, and vice versa in order to develop a final product that they were both happy with. The book includes snapshots of beginning sketches, works in progress, and the end results.

The illustrations provided gives a rare glimpse inside the illustrators mind as they reveal what the road to completion looks like. Some illustrations began with actual models; others were born with just a thought or an idea in mind. They show how some things were modified, changed, left out, or added to that eventually led up to what we see in the final version of the picture book.

SIDE BY SIDE is an interesting and alternative way to think about picture books. It would open the door for many conversations with children and adults, and provide opportunities to explore the world and creation of picture books.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Well written and beautifully designed.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Valuable insights about the many different ways children’s book creators (and editors) approach their projects. Adults who work with children’s books will delight in this glimpse into the creative process.”
Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Readers…..will appreciate the insights into the inner workings of bookmaking.”


5. CONNECTIONS
This book shows the ups and downs of team collaboration during the process of creating children’s picture books. This is a great tool for career days, to encourages team work, or as a tool for students that show interest in the children’s literature field.
*Other books that show the book creation process:
Marcus, Leonard. PASS IT DOWN. ISBN 0802796001
Marcus, Leonard. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION. ISBN 0802786561