We get a lot of books out of the library. I choose very much based on the illustrations, I can’t help it. Recently I seem to have been picking up alot of books illustrated by Russel Ayto. There are a couple that I hadn’t realised he’d illustrated when I checked them out. I’m obviously a fan.

The first book we got was The Cow That Laid an Egg with Andy Cutbill which is the story of well, a cow that lays an egg or at least she thinks she has. The story is funny and the illustrations are perfect. Not too childish, not too simple, but a great balance of line drawing and texture.

A few weeks later I picked up Love Bugs which is another funny story, this time by Simon Puttock, about a valentine mishap with a happy ending.

” “DEAREST ‘Red’!
You have made me the
happiest bug in the world!
Let me say I LOVE you?
Longingly,
‘Blue’”
Ladybird blushed as red as the
rose. “He LOVES me,” she cried
and she wrote a reply. “

We’ve had this one for a while. Jeff really enjoys reading this one and doing different voices for ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’. The illustrations in this one are richer and more layered than in the Cow books. Alot of the background textures look like distorted or blurred botanical imagery which is very fitting as the story takes place among trees and plants.

Another book that’s become a firm favourite over the last few weeks is One More Sheep and it wasn’t until today that I realised Russell Ayto had also illustrated this one. It is a simpler style but with more toned down colours. The textures are all handcreated, there are no scanned patterns or fills. They are really lovely and fit the quirky story about a farmer who almost endangers his sheep because he can’t count them without falling asleep. Such a brilliant idea!

” Sam said:
“It’s a well-known fact
that counting sheep
tires people out
and sends them to sleep.

You’re not at all interesting.
You’re not at all odd.
You’re a first-class ticket
to the Land of Nod.” “

We’ve got a few more to explore so I’ll be back with more from Russell Ayto…