I’m a member of the international group of picture book illustrators called Illoguild. Each month, we each answer a question here on Substack. For October, that question was: “What are some picture book spreads that inspire you?”
My answer: Spreads that are designed for impact.
To answer this month’s question, I turned to my trusty bookshelf filled with picture books, selected a bunch at random and chose spreads that emphasized emotion.
Here are a couple that hit right in the feels for sadness and loneliness. Note the dark tones and where the pops of color are. The main characters are small but if you squint, they’re the things that pop off the page due to high contrast and color choice. Each spread has one line of text, making the reader pause and consider the heaviness of that moment in the story.
From Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
From Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
Here are a couple that hit right in the feels for anger. Note the red tone of the background, the large main character, and the huge typography. These are big payoff page turns that really pack a punch.
From Anzu the Great Kaiju by Benson Shum
From Barbara Throws a Wobbler by Nadia Shireen
Last but not least, here are a couple that hit right in the feels for daydreaming. Note the horizontal layout of these books, the liquid feel of the composition, and the cooler tones. Again, not a lot of words, making the reader stop and linger on the beauty of the illustration.
From Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
From Paper Son by Julie Leung and illustrated by Chris Sasaki
What are some of your favorite picture book spreads for impact? Let’s continue the discussion in the comments!
A look at page spreads
I’ve never thought of designing for impact, so thinking this way is a new tool I could try! I like getting lost in pages, I think this is influenced by Richard Scary books, as a kid scanning through a picturebook with your eyes feels like actually being and moving through the author/illustrator’s world!
Great examples! I recently bought Julian is a Mermaid book and was blown away by the beautiful art