Discriminating against illustrators... Keeping track of our recent reads has made me realize how often I leave out the information about illustrators. When I write the list of our reads I always include the author but never the illustrator - even when it is favorite illustrators like Eric Carle and Audrey Wood. Why is this I wonder? Even when I am reading the book to my children I have to consciously remind myself to include the illustrator's byline. This is pretty terrible of me as often it is the illustrations that make or break a children's book. Often we decide to read or purchase a book simply based on the illustrations and some of our favorite books are because of the illustrations (Audrey Wood, Eric Carle and Chris Van Allsburg to name a few) yet why do I always find myself only giving credit to the writer? I need to be better about this. I recently began emphasizing the illustrators to Rhia and make her repeat back to me what the illustrator does. Perhaps it is the left brained focus of my mind to only credit the writer.

Peace,
Tenn