It’s no secret how much we love Oliver Jeffers books.
They are always our most anticipated releases, and they never disappoint. Oliver Jeffers has not only a way with words, but a way with images, drawing us into his irresistible worlds of wonder. His latest, A Child of Books, co-illustrated with Sam Winston, has already jumped to the top of our favorites list. This is a must-read for anybody – child, adult, or otherwise – who has grown up with or is developing a love of books. It takes the reader on an adventure through words and stories, reminding us that we all have the key to our imagination – if only we’re brave enough to use it.
We were lucky enough to attend a signing to hear Oliver Jeffers read from A Child of Books and talk a bit about his inspiration and the process that helped bring this book to life. It was a wonderful evening spent with other book lovers like ourselves, and it was incredibly insightful to get a glimpse into the mind of such a prolific author.
A Child of Books took Jeffers five years to write – a length he attributed to the amount of time and effort that went into creating the illustrations that are made entirely of words. He also mentioned that the process of getting this particular book translated has been so long because they will also be translating the illustrations. So cool!
We particularly loved Jeffers’ opinion on the art of picture books themselves. He noted how he doesn’t like to call his works children’s books – how he believes that picture books are for people of all ages. We couldn’t agree more – particularly with some of Jeffers’ books, which touch on themes that are moving for both children and adults alike.
Picture books are becoming so much more, morphing into an art form that speaks to generations without speaking down to the younger ones. Authors and illustrators have begun giving children the credit the deserve for what they can and cannot understand or relate to – and this is absolutely present in A Child of Books and so many of Jeffers’ books.
It was such a pleasure to hear him speak, and even more exciting to have a signed copy of his latest to add to our Wise Wonder library!
We would recommend A Child of Books to book lovers everywhere. We hope you all get a chance to pick it up soon – and let us know what you think! 🙂
Happy reading!