12 brilliant illustrators bringing today’s children’s books to life

You know their pictures, but do you know their names? Here are 12 contemporary children’s illustrators we love – some very famous, others who deserve to be. Which is your favourite?

by Misti Traya

Some children’s illustrators are extremely famous – you see their work the world over, emblazoned on bags, posters, lunchboxes ….even books. Pick up a Korean edition of Roald Dahl for example, and the Quentin Blake cartoons will mean it’s immediately familiar. See also Axel Scheffler’s pictures for Julia Donaldson’s books.

But about 10,000 new children’s books are published in the UK each year, so surely the same few people aren’t illustrating everything, even if it sometimes seems like they are. In fact there are loads of fabulous illustrators out there, making kids’ books come to life. This is why we’ve compiled a list of super-talented current artists whose names you might or might not know, but whose work has the staying power of Maurice Sendak’s Max in a wolf suit or E.H. Shepard’s Winnie The Pooh. The illustrations we see when we’re little stay with us for life, so these are the artists making powerful memories for our own children right now…

1) Nick Sharratt

You’ve probably read Shark in the Park to a toddler – and if that toddler has reached Jacqueline Wilson book age, you’ll definitely know the bright, bold instantly familiar style of Nick Sharratt (but you might not know that it’s pronounced to rhyme with ‘carrot’ and ‘parrot’). See Nick’s website here.

2) Oliver Jeffers

This Northern Irish author/illustrator is excellent at communicating emotion. His  images lead readers’ eyes exactly to what is important. Nothing exists that is surplus to requirement. His playful style is a mashup of mixed media and line drawings. It’s amazing how much an illustration of a boy with stick legs can stir your insides, but Jeffers manages to do it. His books have won tons of awards. If you’re not familiar with them, we recommend starting with Lost & Found, The Day The Crayons Quit, and This Moose Belongs To Me. His website is here, and you can follow his work on Instagram and Twitter.

3) Sara Ogilvie

She won the 2011 Booktrust Best New Illustrator Award for her work in Anna Kemp’s Dogs Don’t Do Ballet, which was also shortlisted for The Roald Dahl Funny Prize and is the only book my daughter ever wanted to read for a whole year. Ogilvie teamed up with Kemp again for Rhinos Don’t Eat Pancakes and with Julia Donaldson for The Detective Dog. Her work just makes you happy.  

4) Jon Klassen

This Canadian author/illustrator is a modern classic. His 2012 book, This Is Not My Hat, won both the American Caldecott Medal and the British Kate Greenaway Medal. His book, I Want My Hat Back, also won the Caldecott Award and happens to be my husband’s favourite to read. The charm of Klassen’s work isn’t just in the illustration, but also the (sometimes black) gently subversive humor and surprise endings. His website is here, and you can follow his work on Instagram.

5) Chris Mould

His style is the perfect combination of gothic and comic. His gloriously dark sensibilities are best illustrated in The Iron Man and his steampunk depictions of Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories, while his humour shines through in the pictures he created for Matt Haig’s books. My favourite is The Truth Pixie. His book, Pirates n’ Pistols was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Follow his work on Instagram and Twitter.   

6) Isabelle Arsenault

The first time I saw this artist’s work was in Cloth Lullaby: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois. It was a book I bought for my daughter after we’d seen Bourgeois’s famous spider sculpture, Maman, at the Tate Modern. Arsenault’s touching illustrations are a symphony for the eyes; reading the text and viewing her art is the closest I’ve come to experiencing synaesthesia, a blurring of the senses. Follow her work on Instagram.

7) Hilary Knight

It pains me that Eloise, the girl who lives in the “room on the tippy-top floor” of The Plaza Hotel in New York City isn’t as well known on this side of the Atlantic. In America, she is a star, much because of Hilary Knight’s fabulous animation. Kay Thompson gave Eloise a spirit with her words, but Knight gave her a physical presence with his pen. The black and white drawings strategically painted with varying shades of pink are so distinct and playful. Knight also illustrated The Algonquin Cat, a story about Hamlet, who really did reside at the real Algonquin Hotel in New York.

8) Jackie Morris

Jackie Morris is one of the most talented author/illustrators presently working. Her depictions of nature are visual poems. Just look at The Snow Leopard and Something About A Bear. The illustrations in both display a serenity and realness, not often found in books for children. The animals she paints are soulful, some of them with a gaze so penetrating you feel like they’re actually looking at you. No wonder she was chosen to team up with nature writer, Robert Macfarlane, for The Lost Words, a beautiful book that celebrates nature and summons lost words to rewild imagination. I’m thrilled to hear they’re collaborating again on The Book of Birds: A Field Guide To Wonder & Loss. Follow her on Instagram.

9) Frann Preston-Gannon

I fell in love with her illustrations last year. I was shopping for birthday presents for my daughter when the cover of I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree caught my eye. It was bright and simple. Some of the images looked like paper cut outs and all the animals had big friendly eyes. No wonder it was shortlisted for Waterstones 2018 Book of The Year. There is a wonderful childlike quality in Preston-Gannon’s images. By that I mean they look as if a child had drawn them, a highly skilled child. I adore her otters, but all her animals are charming. If you’re not familiar with her books, try In The Swamp By The Light of The Moon, Hot Dog, Cold Dog, and Dave’s Cave. Follow her work on Instagram.  

10) Michael Sowa

This German illustrator paints dreamy Surrealist scenes full of wit. Esterhazy: The Rabbit Prince was the book that made me a fan of his. There is beauty and humour in his work. Whether it’s an image of a rabbit in leopard print boxer shorts checking out his profile in the mirror or a bunch of potatoes walking down the street, excuse me–the strasse, his pictures are guaranteed to make you smile.

11) Leo Espinosa

In January 2019, this Colombian born illustrator received the prestigious Pura Belpré Honor Medal for his work in Islandborn which is Pulitzer-Prize winner Junot Diaz’s first children’s book. Espinosa’s images are evocative of another era. They have a fun mid-century feel to them. Colours are saturated and composition is carefully considered. His images look seamlessly art directed. Follow his work on Instagram.

12) Lauren Child MBE

Lastly, here’s one you’ll definitely know. Of course, the woman behind Charlie & Lola and Clarice Bean isn’t just a distinctive illustrator – she’s a very clever, very insighftul writer about children, and the current UK Waterstones Children’s Laureate. She has a fun website called Milk Monitor.

We hope this list helps make bedtime an extra special treat. If you have particular favourites, why not let us know? There are so many children’s books we can’t possibly cover them all, but it would be lots of fun to try!

More reading: Every picture tells a story – The magic of children’s book illustration and The 15 best bedtime stories (that are actually fun to read aloud).

At the Children’s Furniture Company we believe kids’ furniture should be practical but with a sprinkle of magic dust. Find the perfect children’s bookcase for your little ones’ bedside here.