Best illustrated books all over the world
Robert Ingpen’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King restores the story to its strange, dreamlike origins — far from the glittering ballet we all know. Here, the tale feels darker, deeper, and far more human. Hoffmann’s world isn’t made of sugar and snowflakes; it’s filled with shadows, curiosity, and the […]
“Nordic Tales” is a book frozen under white snow, enchanted by forest sorcerers, and cherished by lonely princesses. It comes from that very world of snow-covered forests, where the air smells of pine and snowflakes shimmer in the moonlight — where trolls hide behind boulders, cunning foxes whisper, and heroes […]
Leonid Vladimirsky illustrated Cipollino in his recognizable, lively style. His drawings are full of movement and humor, turning the story into a vivid and engaging visual tale. The familiar warmth of his characters makes this version one of the most beloved among his works.
Original title: Приключения Чиполлино Gianni Rodari’s The Adventures of Cipollino, illustrated by Evgeny Migunov, holds a special place among the many Soviet editions of this classic story. Unlike other versions, Migunov’s illustrations were originally created not for a book, but for a filmstrip (diafilm) — a popular visual format in […]
Original title: Сказки дядюшки Римуса These illustrations are among Kalinovsky’s most distinctive works. They earned him two major international awards — a silver medal at the Leipzig Book Fair and the Golden Apple at the 1977 Biennial of Illustration Bratislava. Kalinovsky approached the American folktales of Joel Chandler Harris not […]
Original title: Приключения Чиполлино Gianni Rodari — The Adventures of Cipollino (illustrated by Yevgeny Galey, Detgiz, 1960) was the first of Rodari’s books to be published in a foreign language and quickly became one of the most beloved stories among children in the Soviet Union. Translated under the supervision of […]
Original title: Приключения Чиполлино In 1956, Detgiz published the first Russian edition of Gianni Rodari’s The Adventures of Cipollino, illustrated by Vladimir G. Suteev. For generations of readers, the charming vegetable characters from Rodari’s beloved tale remain inseparable from the images created by Suteev’s hand. Later illustrators of Cipollino rarely […]
Original title: Dobrodružství pavouka Čendy “The story of a miraculous rescue,” says Czech author and illustrator Pavel Čech, “in which a cuckoo saves a little spider from a thief, and the spider later helps the cuckoo escape the ruins of an old house, came to me spontaneously. Inspiration can strike […]
A Story, a Story is a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Gail E. Haley. It retells an African tale about how the trickster Anansi, the Spider Man, obtained stories from Nyame, the Sky God, so that children on Earth could hear them. To succeed, Anansi must capture three […]
A Bear, a Bobcat, and Three Ghosts — a slightly surreal Halloween poem written in loose blank verse, follows the wandering trader Timothy Todd on his nocturnal adventure. On the eve of Halloween, Todd sets out to visit old friends — to sell a bit, buy a bit, and share […]
Original title: Собачки This book was both written and illustrated by Vera Mikhailovna Ermolaeva (1893–1937), one of the most remarkable figures of the Russian avant-garde. A practicing artist as well as a leading theorist, she headed the Laboratory of Color at the State Institute of Artistic Culture (GINKhUK) in Petrograd, […]
Hilary Knight brings Cinderella to life with characters endowed with the same humor, zest, and personality that made readers adore his most famous creation, Eloise. His version includes delightful touches: house cats, a blue fairy godmother, and a slightly plump Prince Charming, that dance across the pages and into readers’ […]
Original title: Сказы Павла Бажова Oleg Korovin, a gifted Russian artist and illustrator, became closely associated with the legendary Ural folktales of Pavel Bazhov. In the late 1940s, he began working on illustrations for Bazhov’s stories, participating alongside other artists in the 1949 edition of The Malachite Box. Korovin gained […]
Fred forgets everything — his head is filled only with music. The flute plays, and all else just slips away. Even when he’s sent to fetch the Bitter Fruit of Satisfaction for the richest man in the world, he seems more tuned in to melody than to mission. Along the […]
Marsha Winborn has created lively, expressive artwork for numerous children’s books, known for her playful linework, warm color palettes, and a touch of humor that makes her illustrations instantly recognizable. Her work often captures the gentle whimsy of everyday life and the small adventures of childhood. Among her most charming […]
George notices a strange, crumpled brown thing pinned to the wall in his father’s studio. When he asks what it is, his dad warns him — it’s too scary to tell. Of course, that only makes George more curious. What follows is a story about a midnight visit from a […]
Original title: На реке Ангаре In Valentin Rasputin’s book, the Angara is the embodiment of untamed nature — powerful and willful, both menacing and beautiful, like an ancient goddess. For the young protagonist, the river is alive: “It stirred restlessly, heaving and sighing. At times a deep, hollow murmur rose […]
When Fritz Eichenberg (1901–1990) was commissioned to illustrate Jane Eyre for Random House in 1943, he had never read the novel or been to Britain. Working from New York during World War II, he approached Charlotte Brontë’s story through Jane’s own sharp and honest perspective. Eichenberg, a German-born artist who […]
Original title: Pepelka Alenka Sottler’s Pepelka is a timeless retelling of the classic Cinderella story, as recorded by the Brothers Grimm two centuries ago, now reimagined through her distinctive illustrative style. Sottler’s illustrations move beyond the familiar stereotype of Cinderella as a simple tale of virtue rewarded over vice. Instead, […]
Original title: Маленький охотник Тагикак The book The Little Hunter Tagikak brings together three Eskimo folk tales retold by G. Snegiryov and V. Glotser: The Little Sorceress, The Wooden Dish, and The Little Hunter Tagikak. The title story tells of two generations of sea hunters — a father and a […]