inspire me... Jon Klassen

Summertime means lots of things to me. Freedom, happiness, fishing, bonfires, and lots and lots of children's books. I mean... a LOT of children's books. Our programming for the library goes from one a week to one a day. And I'm not complaining, but there's only so many times you can read about Pete's white shoes before you start looking for some fresh material. (Don't get me wrong, though... I really love Pete.) And while my partners in crime... I mean... storytelling... usually go for a book with a great story, my artistic tendencies take over, and I'm drawn to the tales with the pretty pictures.

One artist who's illustrations always claim my attention immediately are the works of Jon Klassen. Simple, witty, with tons of texture and color, all I can do is sit and ponder at what his process must be like. His illustrations are what my dreams are made of, I swear. If you only have time to check out one of his books, my absolute favorite is I Want My Hat Back.

Extra Yarn page 18 (Tree Sweater), Illustration by Jon Klassen

Klassen Links:

print shop

tumblr

blog

books (on Amazon)