Do the creators of children’s books see the work of fellow author-illustrators the same way regular readers do? They know better than most how much hard work goes into those pages and how magical it really is when they get it right. Pat Cummings, the award-winning author-illustrator of more than 30 books, looks at how Ezra made A Letter to Amy so fresh and lively, then and now.
Keats captures layers of childlike, but never childish, emotions in Peter’s deceptively simple story. That the art is as nuanced and narrative as the words is awe-inspiring. When I began illustrating picture books, an editor handed me one of Ezra’s books and suggested that I try to ‘do something like HE does…you know, with collage.’ I was speechless. Why not hand me a trumpet and ask me to play like Miles? Ezra’s art is singular, an exquisitely personal aesthetic.
Looking at A Letter to Amy, it’s easy to succumb to the textures and patterns, the glowing light in the rain-slicked streets and the changing palette that so aptly reflects Peter’s emotions. It’s the layers that keep the story lively throughout repeated readings. The scraps and graffiti suggest a story within the story. There are eyes in that headline! Is that a Macbeth poster on the wall behind Peter as he dashes to catch his windblown letter?
I love that something as simple as sending a letter can be shown to be so momentous. With his note, Peter expresses what seems to be lost today in emails and texts: ‘…it’s sort of special.’ Maybe it is because we communicate instantly and rely on emoticons that this book resonates. When was the last time you sent or received a handwritten letter? Lucky Amy.”
Keats captures layers of childlike, but never childish, emotions in Peter’s deceptively simple story. That the art is as nuanced and narrative as the words is awe-inspiring. When I began illustrating picture books, an editor handed me one of Ezra’s books and suggested that I try to ‘do something like HE does…you know, with collage.’ I was speechless. Why not hand me a trumpet and ask me to play like Miles? Ezra’s art is singular, an exquisitely personal aesthetic.
Looking at A Letter to Amy, it’s easy to succumb to the textures and patterns, the glowing light in the rain-slicked streets and the changing palette that so aptly reflects Peter’s emotions. It’s the layers that keep the story lively throughout repeated readings. The scraps and graffiti suggest a story within the story. There are eyes in that headline! Is that a Macbeth poster on the wall behind Peter as he dashes to catch his windblown letter?
