Animal Fair: Birds, Beasts, and Bugs in Children's Book Illustrations

Whether illustrating animals in works that pique a child’s interest in nature, or using them as surrogates for humans to tell a story, illustrators find critters to be most obliging subjects. Engaging and varied in appearance, behavior, and habitat, animals never complain, though they may be depicted with photographic realism or portrayed in fantastic or abstract styles. 

Featured artists Adrienne Adams, Maginel Wright Barney, Roger Duvoisin, Jill Kastner, Kimberly Bulken Root, Petra Mathers, John Schoenherr, Ward Schumaker, Art Seiden, Catherine Stock, Lynd Ward, and others exploit a range of media and techniques to animate creatures of all sorts. Subject matter ranges from realistic description of animal life through fable and fantasy, expressed in a wide range of styles. Underlying all is each artist’s perception and understanding of his or her fascinating animal subjects.

Organized by Gail Aaron, former Assistant Curator of Original Illustrations for Children's Books