A Little History

 

Pictures have been used to tell stories for thousands of years. True picture books started when Randolf Caldecott used images to help tell stories rather then just as text decorations (Popova 2012).  Wanda Gag considered to be the pioneer in the development of the picture book.  The formula for illustrated books had been to show text on the left page and pictures on the right page.  In the book Millions of Cats, 

Gag mixed up the order of pictures and text, combined pictures and text, and stretched pictures onto more than one page.   Her ideas paved the way for modern authors/illustrators like Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, and Eric Carle. Millions of Cats (1928) is the oldest American picture book still in print.

Picture books are usually equal or less then 48 pages. Thirty-two pages is considered to be standard.  The illustrations play a major role in telling the story.  

Popova, Maria. “A Brief History of Children's Picture Books and the Art of Visual Storytelling.” The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2012. Accessed 17 Aug. 2021.