Best illustrated books all over the world
This Is Rome is one of those books where you open the first spread and immediately feel the weight of centuries settling around you, but in Šašek’s playful way, never solemn, never heavy. Rome in his hands is not a postcard city polished for tourists, it’s a living place, a […]
The Adventures of Cipollino tells the story of the brave little onion boy who stands up against injustice in a world of fruit and vegetable characters. Gheorghe Zlobin’s illustrations bring this playful tale to life with bright, energetic drawings full of movement and personality. Zlobin’s style is unusual and lively: […]
Original title: Бочонок собачонок Boris Zakhoder’s The Barrel-Pup is a joyful collection of poems filled with humor, imagination, and that unmistakable spark of childlike wonder. Here live an elephant, a bear, a goat and, of course, countless dogs and puppies. They are not just animals, but characters with their own […]
In The Hidden Forest, Baker turns her attention to the mysterious underwater world of Tasmania’s giant kelp forests. When Ben dives beneath the waves in search of his lost fish trap, he discovers a realm of unexpected beauty and begins to see the ocean and his place within it anew. […]
Stephen Gammell is one of the most recognized masters of visual horror. His most famous work in this genre remains the series of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. These collections were published over the course of a decade, until Schwartz’s death in 1992. Decades later, […]
Original title: Hur låter djuren? Who knows what the frog, the blowfish or the snail sound like? What about the forest mouse and the enormous tiger? And when the bumblebee sneezes, what sound echoes through the woods? Guessing right is trickier than it seems! In Clara Dackenberg’s giggling bestiary, every […]
Original title: Чудесная волынка Rafail Volsky brings to life magical and everyday tales, richly infused with authentic Czech and Slovak customs and historical realities. Among these, the stories of Jánošík, the legendary Slovak hero and defender of the oppressed hold a special place in the hearts of readers. The books […]
“Um Dio, um Rio”, illustrated by Brazilian artist André Neves, is a story with a strong ecological message, but the author deliberately drifts away from realism into a haunting, surreal world to show the tragedy from the inside. The main character and narrator here is the river itself, suffocating in […]
Original title: 지난 여름 The road leaves the city behind. The high-rise buildings fade into the distance, the trees grow taller, the air becomes cleaner, and the world slows down a little. Summer is a time of adventure, friendship, relaxation, and growing up, and its magical atmosphere is especially present […]
Halloween ABC (Eve Merriam, illustrations by Lane Smith) is a darkly playful alphabet book of twenty-six short poems, each keyed to a Halloween word. Published in 1987, the volume pairs Merriam’s rhythmic, often macabre verses with Smith’s moody, painterly images; the illustrations (oil on board) use shadow and a restricted […]
In A Halloween Happening, a community of witches invites children to a Halloween party full of magical mischief. The witches build a giant tower of jack-o’-lanterns, complete with a batwing glider platform at the top, while preparing toad tarts, worm waffles, and candy bats. Adams’ dark, muted palette and detailed […]
For decades, jazz has been inspiring musicians, artists, and writers in their work. Its special energy is unique and unmistakable, yet some gifted authors and illustrators have still managed to capture it in their books. These six works range from playful riffs to visual rhythms. Through words and art, the […]
Charles Perrault’s Puss in Boots has attracted generations of illustrators since its first publication in 1697 — and yet Fred Marcellino’s version still feels completely new. His cover alone breaks every convention: a witty feline face dressed in Renaissance finery stares straight at the viewer, without a single word of […]
At Grandma’s house in the countryside, it feels like stepping into another dimension, where there are fewer worries and cares, the food is the most delicious in the world, there are endless new things to do, and everything around is green and smells nice. The mountains look like whale bellies, […]
Alison Lester began illustrating books in 1986, and just four years later her Imagine broke all sales records in Australia, becoming the number-one children’s bestseller. And I can completely understand why. To my taste, this is exactly how an educational, illustrated children’s book should be. Lester seamlessly combines several techniques […]
Starry, Starry Night is a picture book about friendship and the beauty of the world, published in 2009. Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao breaks from the usual picture book format: instead of the standard 32 or 48 pages, this book spans 136 pages, filled with full-spread and panoramic illustrations. The idea […]
The Museum of Me by British artist Emma Lewis — winner of the 2017 Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Award — offers an unusually sincere, child-eye view of what a museum is and why it exists in the first place. A little girl wanders through all kinds of galleries (there’s even […]
Sylvester loves collecting pebbles — small treasures that usually don’t change anything. But one day he finds a red one, and the world shifts just a little: suddenly any wish can take shape. In a moment of fear things go wrong, and Sylvester ends up quite literally out of reach. […]
Vladimir Kanevsky was known not only for his art but also for his warmth and presence. Friends and readers remember him as generous, playful, and attentive, sharing his world through drawings, personal notes, and stories.
A timeless picture book where poetry, color, and kindness meet. Beni Montresor’s jewel-like illustrations turn a simple story into a royal celebration — full of rhythm, wit, and a touch of absurd charm. Every page glows with rich, theatrical color, as if lit from within by stage lights. You can […]