In The Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming (1991) appears at first glance to be a simplistic book of rhyme intended for the toddler. Brightly colored creatures leap, dance, fly, and slither across two-page spreads of grass. Just a few words precisely describe their actions. Dilys Evans' book Show & Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration explains how these images are extraordinary. On page 125 is a sequence of six photographs that show the complex process by which Fleming produces pictures. "Fleming's first step is to make the paper itself. . . the paper is the medium from which the artwork is created." If I understand correctly, colored paper pulp is layered to create her artwork. The results are amazing. Wouldn't it be fun if every picture book had backmatter that celebrated the illustrator's process!
