Picture Book Pairings I’d Like to See

The greatest advantage to being a children’s book editor, as I see it, is the power to occasionally pair your favorite authors with your favorite illustrators on a picture project near and dear to your heart.  We know on a logical level that it is rare when an editor manages to attain the precise perfect pairing they’ve always dreamed of.  There are schedules to work with, egos to stroke, and sometimes it’s just the wrong project for your chosen duo.  But since most of us are not real editors, we are not constrained by the chains of mere reality.  As such, I’ve come up with a couple of my own dream pairings that I haven’t seen (yet!) but would absolutely love to view.  When I open my next PW Children’s Bookshelf newsletter, these are the announcements I want to hear about:

Mac Barnett and Kadir Nelson

Here’s my thinking.  Mac gets great illustrators all the time, right?  And Kadir is only rarely paired with standard children’s book authors anymore.  He’ll either write his own picture books or not do them at all.  But what if, WHAT IF, you put these two crazy guys together?  Barnett can be manic or meaningful, depending on the book, and if he had a toned down text alongside Kadir’s art the end result could be pure movie magic (for lack of a better term).

This is fun!  Let’s try another.

Neil Gaiman and Lisa Brown

I think they may already be buds, so this is sort of cheating.  It would not surprise me in the slightest if a Gaiman/Brown book were in the works as we speak.  But if it is not, and it may not be, then why in high heaven haven’t we seen this duo working side by side?  Her books could suit his tone to a tee.

Alternatively . . .

Neil Gaiman and David Small

Oh, it could work.  Small’s doing a lot of super cute stuff these days (princesses, kitty cats, muddy fairies, etc.) but anyone who has ever read Stitches knows that he would be a dream Gaiman pairing.  Doesn’t even have to be a picture book.  Could be a novel.  *sigh*  Such a lovely thought.

Kathleen Krull and Raul Colon

I had to double check that this pairing hadn’t already happened when I came up with this one.  It feels like it already has, right?  One of our greatest nonfiction authors and the guy who can bring any real life subjects to life with a wave of his remarkable paints.  But odd as it may seem, the two have somehow never produced any books together (that I could find – you are more than free to correct me if you locate one).  What if they did a book about a subject that wasn’t the usual stuff.  He  does a lot of heroes so what if they switched gears and did a Typhoid Mary picture book or a story of the Great Molasses Flood?  Just spitballing here.

Mo Willems and Christian Robinson

Granted GRANTED this is a long shot, but I have my reasons.  You see, in spite of his worldwide domination, Mo has never eschewed pairing with other illustrators as an author.  He did it with Jon J. Muth and he did it more recently with Tony DiTerlizzi.  Now, granted, he and Tony are buds who practically live in the same town, but if you haven’t seen Diva and Flea it is WELL worth your time.  Mo cultivates a rather classic feel in that book, harkening back to children’s books of old.  And that is EXACTLY what I think Mr. Robinson needs.  His books evoke a bygone era of children’s book publishing.  If he and Mo were to collaborate on something with a contemporary city feel but alongside a tale with heart and hope, they’d be on to something big.

Andrea Davis Pinkney and Julie Morstad

Okay.  I’ll confess it.  I don’t really have a project in mind for these two.  I just like the idea.  It could be amazing.  Just saying.

Dan Santat with LeUyen Pham

Now please bear in mind that Dan has never written anything that wasn’t also illustrated by his own hand.  I aim to change that.  Imagine if Dan branched out more into the authorial side of things.  Clearly he has the chops.  And think about Ms. Pham.  If he wanted to do something high energy she’d be able to match him, and if he wanted to go the slow and meaningful route she’d be there as well.

Laura Amy Schlitz and Brian Selznick

Brian hasn’t illustrated another author’s work in years.  I think his work on Barbara Kerley’s Walt Whitman title might have been the last time.  The likelihood that he’d do it again is low.  And then I remember when he won the Caldecott.  Were you there?  I maintain to this day that it was the best Newbery/Caldecott speech pairing of all time.  There was Laura, resplendent in blues and silks and not merely reciting a speech but honest-to-goodness storytelling.  She was off the podium and amongst us.  It harkened back to the very roots of telling stories in the first place.  And then there was Brian with his screens and videos, a graceful integration of text and electronics with special guest stars (Remy Charlip!) on the side.  Now imagine if she wrote a book and he illustrated it.  Imagine.

Jon Scieszka and Adam Rex

Adam’s done a lot of work with the aforementioned Mac Barnett over the years and Mac was sort of Jon’s protege when he was first starting out.  Yet Adam has never illustrated anything for Jon, even though it would fit his verbal gymnastics perfectly.

That’s just off the top of my head, but you see where I’m going with it all.  What are your dream author/illustrator pairings?

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