Picture Book Author & Illustrator Websites

Sometimes it seems like the whole world is going digital. Almost everybody has a website, including some fantastic children’s authors and illustrators. Whether you’re a student looking for information about an author for a school project, a teacher or parent hoping to find classroom or playtime activities, or a fan who would love to know more, these authors and illustrators do not disappoint.

Great for Kids

The wonderful Audrey Wood has created a Clubhouse full of information about the books she’s written (mostly illustrated by her husband, Don, and son, Bruce), activities related to the books, and (best of all) secrets about how the books came to be. The design is bright and kid-friendly, as one would expect from the Wood team.

Bob Barner’s site uses flash animation and Barner’s own artwork to create a beautiful site full of information about his life and work.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, but Chris Van Allsburg, author of Jumanji, brings us a website full of games and interactivity and a dog named Fritz. A kid (or a librarian) could spend a lot of time on this site.

David Wiesner’s beautiful and imaginative art is the focus of his site. Kids can follow the steps of Wiesner’s creative process and do some online coloring of their own.

Great for Parents and Teachers

Debra Frasier’s website includes lots of resources for parents and teachers. Her books often deal with the natural world, imagination, and vocabulary, so they are natural springboards for lessons. Frasier’s site has many free, printable activities designed exactly for that purpose.

Wonderful for people who wonder where authors get their ideas, Molly Bang’s site tells the story of how each book came to be. Some of her books, like When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry… are accompanied by suggested activities to use with children.

Eric Carle’s site includes a link to his blog, a forum for educators to talk about creative ways to use his books, photos and videos of Carle at work, and his own suggestions for creative projects.

Marla Frazee, illustrator of my new favorite picture book, All the World, has a beautifully designed website with information about all her books and lots of interviews, in text and video form. This site is fun for the fan or someone who is new to her work.

Particularly fun on Kevin Henkes’ site are the downloadable activities available for his mouse books, such as Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. I also like the brief video about his latest book, Little White Rabbit.

Beautiful art and delightful stories are just the beginning. Visit these sites to further explore the work of some very creative people. Do you have another favorite? Take a look online. They just might have a fabulous website.