*The Library by Sarah Stewart (1995) is a well written story in rhyme made even more magical by David Small’s magnificent illustrations. His cover art foreshadows what we see when we turn the pages. Elizabeth Brown reads her growing collection of books in a way that creates comical mishaps. “She took the train one afternoon And promptly lost her way, So bought a house and settled down To tutoring for pay.” Elizabeth fills her house with books.
David Small shows us a home with little furniture and piles of books that gradually block windows and darken the interior. Each illustration is within a line drawn frame that fills about three quarters of the page. This is within a second, decorative, frame that encloses the text below the picture. There’s more. A small black and white line drawing accompanies the text! Sometimes, elements of an illustration extend beyond the confines of its frame. Details made me appreciate the large amount of time, work, and thought that must have gone into this artistic masterpiece. A bird doesn’t simply perch on a branch; it appears to be hanging on. A toy teddy stands on its head, mimicking Elizabeth doing exercises and sits on books throughout the story.
I checked a few more books out of the library that were illustrated by David Small. They were fine enough, but not as exemplary as his work for The Library.
