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Like all things design, it is amazing to see the evolution of illustration in children’s books. Gone are the days where children’s books were just simply some pretty pictures for kids to look at. Today, children’s books illustrators are artists in and of their own right. Pick up an handful of children’s books at the store and you are bound to find a completely different style of illustration in each and every one of them. It is those variety of styles that I want to showcase in today’s post.

Below, you will vide a variety of illustrators who all have a style very much their own. It is these individual styles that have made some of the extremely popular and profitable in their field.

Andy J Smith

Portfolio Andy is a 34 year old illustrator based out of Ipswich, MA who has always found a way to make a living doing what he enjoys. Currently he is a full time children book illustrator with 8 published books and more on the way. Before he managed to make it as a childrens book illustrator, he do other illustration based jobs such as worked as an animator and taught high school and college art.

Francesca Assirelli

Portfolio Francesca Assirelli is a children’s book illustrator who currently lives overseas in Wimbledon Village, London. It is always nice to see a children’s book illustrator who has a style all their own and Francesca Assirelli certainly has that. Her work offers us bold colors and an almost abstract style that fits children’s book well, but has a hint of folk art mixed in it.

Gris Grimly

Portfolio While most, if not all of Gris Grimlys work is a little unsuitable for children books in the literal sense, he is still an amazing illustrator. If you aren’t familiar with his work, Gris creates children’s style books full of poems, short stories, and other children’s subjects; but with a dark macabre style about them. They are all extremely cool, but you might end up with one sick child if you let them read these growing up.

Karen Craig

Portfolio Karen has been lucky enough to have been designing and illustrating children’s books for over 15 years. That my friends, is no small feat. She has not only worked as a children’s book illustrator, but also as a toy designer for Nickelodeon. You can probably tell by her illustrative style, that she was very much involved in the Nick Jr hit, Blues Clues. It is this very style that won her a Broadcast Design Award.

Bobby Chiu & Kei Acedera

Portfolio While not your typical children’s book illustrators, the pair have done a lot of work in the industry. However, they are probably more known for the degree of their work, than for the places and books it has been published in. Bobby Chiu and Kei Acedera are members of the popular artists group, Imaginism Studios, which as won tons of design awards over the years.