Why aren't there many Picture Books like this?

[ArtMelC]

A bit of background: the 2 books that got me started with the whole PB obsession are these beautiful books by author-illustrator Hideko Ise:

1. Chero no Ki (The Cello Tree)
2. Ookina ki no you na hito (A man who is like a big tree)

I own the Chinese translated version and absolutely love them. However, it seems that this style is almost non-existent in the English language publishing world These books have been translated to Chinese, Korean, and French but I can't seem to find any English translation. So, evidence seems to point to the idea that someone in the big publishers decide the style isn't very marketable to the English speaking PB audience.

I can understand why, as many of the hallmarks of her style goes against the conventional illustration wisdom I've learnt in the courses I've taken, namely:

1. Understated character design - unlike most American PB where the characters are designed to be unique, exaggerated and to stand out, her characters tend to be the plainest of plain janes and average joes wearing white shirts but they are really dynamic and endearing in my opinion
2. Environment dominates over character. Mood, emotions and actions are largely conveyed by the way the environment is painted and the character's gestures. Most of the time, the character is pretty small on the page and facial expressions are often not visible

The closest equivalence of this style I've seen in the English-speaking market is probably Aaron Becker's Journey trilogy, and not much else.

So, if you're reading this far into this long post, let me know what you think:

1. Is Hideko Ise a rare exception that somehow breaks the rules successfully, or
2. There is a cultural barrier/ difference that makes this style of picture book popular in some markets and not in others?

[ArtMelC]

Just to add that when I ask this question in a different forum, I get a vague non-answer of "There is a room for every style" with no further explanation so I took my question here because I know yall are honest, straight-talking bunch that can have meaningful discussions

[Griffin McPherson]

@ArtMelC this is a really great question. I think you’re on the right track with the character design point. I hadn’t thought about it until you brought it up but US picture books seem to like characters that are designed as if they could be in an animated film or show. I think it’s just that the US doesn’t like those blank canvas type of characters.

[Melissa_Bailey]

@ArtMelC the type of books that you're talking about are called "quiet books". They don't get a lot of fanfare, usually, but they do have a place in the market and a loyal readership.

Why aren't there more quiet books?

1. The target audience for picture books is kids ages 3-5 (sometimes pushing it to 7 or 8). Most kids nowadays have shorter attention spans. Publishers are also competing with apps, TV, and movies. Kids want to see engaging and relatable characters, hence the reason for the current character design.
2. Publishers are most interested in printing books that will sell. It's primarily a business decision. So yes, although there is a fan base in the US for quieter books, it's a smaller group. In terms of sales and marketing, it doesn't make business sense to publish a lot of quiet books.
3. They often are more lyrical, conceptual, and/or have nonhuman main characters. (In the two examples you listed above, the theme/main characters of those books aren't human, they're inanimate, which is why they're given more visual weight than the human characters.)

But there are gorgeous quiet books in the US market, and some have even won the highest publishing awards.

Here are some you may want to check out (if you're not already aware of them):

• Great Big Things by Kate Hoefler, illustrated by Noah Klocek

• Stormy by Guojing -- all of Guojing's books are stunning.

• The Road Home by Katie Cotton, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby

• The Over and Under series by Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal (the illustrations are in a more modern style, but the environment is front and center with understated characters, in keeping with the theme of the books)

• Books illustrated by Erin E. Stead: The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles, Music for Mister Moon, Tony

• This House, Once by Deborah Freedman

• Grand Canyon by Jason Chin, a Caldecott honor book. Redwoods, Galapagos, and Water Is Water (by Miranda Paul) are also worth checking out.

• A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker (humans are understated because the main character is the stone)

• The Fisherman and the Whale by Jessica Lanan

• The Hundred Year Barn by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Kenard Pak

• The seasonal "Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn" series by Kenard Pak also focuses more on environment than characters.

• Teacup by Rebecca Young, illustrated by Matt Ottley (originally published in Australia in 2015 & in the US in 2016 -- it's a little bit older of an example but it's gorgeously illustrated)

• This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin

• Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer -- a well-deserved 2021 Caldecott honor book

There are many, many more quiet books that are more about environment than character design and that are fantastically illustrated ... but this will get you started.

[NessIllustration]

@ArtMelC I do believe there's a cultural difference. What publishers believe makes for a good, marketable story, what "ticks all the boxes" is different in different countries.

I remember discovering Ghibli movies as a teen and being quite confused because in Asian storytelling, it's not always necessary to give all the answers and tie every loose end with a neat bow like it is in Western animation. I always left with many questions, which a Disney movie would NEVER do, but it's really quite nice to relinquish control. You can dive deeper and find more meaning, but it's okay not to understand every single thing.

These books by Hideki Ise seem very poetic and less straight-forward than typical Western picture books. I like picture books that focus a lot on emotions and visual storytelling, but this is nice too! There are many ways to tell a story

There are some books like this here too, but they're marketed differently. Librarians would say there are picture books for children, and there are picture books for adults! Those poetic books are marketed to parents, and to win awards. The books marketed to kids are often much different have a more pop appeal. Both can have good commercial success!

[ArtMelC]

@Melissa_Bailey thank you for the list! So helpful to know the industry term for it. I guess they were hard to find for me due to the lack of marketing push and also me not knowing what proper term to search for. I get that this type of book is probably an equivalent to literary fiction in the adult publishing world and aren't going to dominate the market in a commercial way but it's good to know that they continue to be produced into the mix.

From illustrator pov I think they also require very high level of ability to pull of: shaping the environment to pull all the storytelling and emotional weight looks a lot harder than focusing on a human or animal character.

@Griffin-McPherson good point about the potential for screen adoption and by extension merchandise sales from character-centric books

@NessIllustration very valid point on cultural differences! Probably something to do with East Asian culture where the individual is expected to conform under the influence of their environment
and larger society to a certain extent, vs the emphasis on individuality in the US.

[Georgios Christopoulos]

@Melissa_Bailey this is such a wholesome list you shared there. I know some of them and they are so good. Thanks for the suggestions Melissa!

[Melissa_Bailey]

@ArtMelC you're so welcome! Yes, quiet books aren't heavily marketed. I found this list of recommended quiet books on a library website; you might like it too. Not all of the books are illustrated like the above examples, as some of the stories are character driven so the main character is central in the illustrations. But all do fall into that "quiet" category. Maybe you'll find some new favorites!

[Melissa_Bailey]

@Georgios-Christopoulos you're very welcome! While I love all picture books, there's a special place in my heart for quiet books. I've loved them ever since I was a kid.