Pig Tale and More
Some of my favorite picture books
Pig Tale by Helen Oxenbury
My love for children’s books was nurtured in my early childhood. My mom had a passion for well-written, beautifully illustrated children’s books, so I was lucky to be surrounded by them as I grew up. For hours, I would immerse myself in the stories, imagining myself as the main character, going on grand adventures in faraway lands. Books became my oasis—a safe place where I could be anyone I wished to be.
One of my favorite picture books is Pig Tale by Helen Oxenbury. My aunt gifted it to me when I started elementary school in 1974, and I still own and treasure the exact book to this day.
The story is about a pig couple who are bored with their mundane farm life. They dream of a life of luxury until, one day, they stumble upon a small treasure chest filled with glittering gems buried in the mud. Now, their dream seems within reach. Will they find happiness in the extravagant life they imagined?
The illustrations are wonderfully detailed, with beautiful textures and vibrant 70’s colors. Helen Oxenbury’s skill in creating pig characters that are both natural and delightfully anthropomorphic is truly remarkable. Their expressions and movements are so lifelike, that they almost leap off the page. I was especially fascinated by the interior scenes and landscapes, which felt so different from the ones I was familiar with in Japan. The whimsical nature of this book has influenced my storytelling and illustrations.
Next, I want to share Chirri & Chirra by Kaya Doi. I talked about my mom’s passion for children’s books earlier. When my children were growing up here in the USA, my mom would send them delightful books from Japan. Even after they had grown, she continued to send books to me. This book is one of those books she sent to me just because she had to share with me the joy of reading it. 😊
Before you even open the book, the cover draws you in with the sweetness and charm of Kaya’s storytelling and illustrations. As soon as you turn the page, you are greeted by dreamy landscape endpapers, setting the stage of Chirri and Chirra’s enchanted adventure. Interestingly, the story doesn’t begin with a traditional title page, which adds more drama when the title page is revealed.
The story is about two girls’ fantastical bike ride through the forest, where they encounter lively and adorable forest animals at a cozy restaurant, bakery, and hotel, before ending their adventure at a magical nighttime concert.
Kaya’s illustrations are soft and bright, and full of delicious textures. She uses colored pencils, pastels, and crayons to create her art, drawing inspiration from mid-20th-century lithographs, which is why I love her art so much. Each page feels like a visual feast, and when you finish reading, you feel satisfied as if you had a wonderful, delectable meal.❤️
My friend stumbled upon Chirri & Chirra, Under the Sea at Homegoods (!!) and picked it up for me, thinking it reminded her of my illustration style, not knowing Chirri & Chirra was one of my favorite picture books. How amazing is that? 😭
Last but not least, I have to share It Might Be An Apple by Shinsuke Yoshitake. I spotted this book among a collection of his books displayed in a cozy corner of a popular bookstore during a visit to my parents in Japan last year. I was immediately drawn by his simple, quirky illustration style. As soon as I opened the book, I couldn’t stop smiling. It was so imaginative and unexpected—it completely blew my mind! I found it hilarious and had to reread it for more giggles before I finally decided to buy it.
The story begins with an apple sitting on a table, and from there, a little boy’s imagination takes us on an incredible, whimsical adventure that goes beyond your imagination of what an apple can be. But then he gets hungry and decides to eat the apple. 😆 I’m so impressed with Shinsuke Yoshitake’s talent for creating hundreds of imaginative, wondrous ideas from a simple apple.
I love his uniquely humorous and lively illustrations and the characters’ subtle expressions. His line work is fantastic, and this book inspires me to be more imaginative in storytelling and illustrations.
Last week, my friends/critique partners and I had the incredible opportunity to see the special exhibition Golden Legacy: Original Art from 80 Years of Golden Books at the Orlando Museum of Art. It was fascinating to see the original illustrations from the Little Golden Books I used to read to my kids! They were so much more vibrant with rich colors and textures that don’t quite translate in printed books. We were speechless, admiring at the thoughtful details, especially considering the artwork was done on a smaller sized paper.
I was thrilled to see the beautiful original art by Richard Scarry, Garth Williams, Mary Blair, Tiber Gergery and others. I even did a sketch study in front of Tiber Gergery’s Seven Sneezes illustration, which was so much fun! I left the exhibit feeling inspired with a renewed passion for children’s books!
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about some of my favorite picture books. I’d be so happy if they became your favorites too. If you’d like to receive more updates and recommendations like this one, just hit the subscribe button below!
What’s your favorite picture book or two? I’d love it if you shared it in the comment below. Thank you so much for reading my post. It means a lot to me. I hope you’ll have a peaceful Christmas season!
I’m so thankful you and Obaachan introduced us kids to these gorgeous books and many others like them! We enjoyed finding Japanese picture books at a bookstore nearby not long ago. Have you read other books by Shinsuke Yoshitake? They’re hilarious and so creative. I wish I could think that out of the box!