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Unusual Illustrations! Picture Books That (Mostly) Weren't Drawn

Dolls, puppets, collages, quilts - there's more to picture books than paintings and drawings! Check out familiar favorites and intriguing new stories that look beyond 2-D doodles. (NOTE: Some of these definitely incorporate drawings - but none of them stop at 2-D art!)

User from Kenosha Public Library

14 items

  • The night is so hot that the moon melts into glowing, delicious moon pops! Using paper figurines and LED lights, Hŭi-na Baek retells a classic Korean folktale in a modern setting.
    Book, 2021Toronto, ON ; Berkeley, CA : Owlkids Books, [2021] — E BAE
  • Dark, delicate dioramas recreate the experience of late nights outside and the dreamy questions the night inspires.
    Picture Book, 2020Toronto : Kids Can Press, [2020]. — E VA
  • Nikki McClure's bold illustrations of are actually carefully cut paper - like snowflakes on steroids!
    Board Book, 2019New York, NY : Abrams Appleseed, an imprint of Abrams, 2019. — JUV BB MCCLURE
  • "My favorite things...are little things." And this book is full of them, from tiny round blueberries to wispy dandelion seeds, all snipped out of paper!
    Picture Book, 2019White Plains, New York : Peter Pauper Press, Inc., 2019. — E DYE
  • Elly MacKay is a master of creating shadowbox illustrations. This book, a collection of sayings, is light-filled and warm as a hug from a friend.
    Picture Book, 2018Toronto : Tundra Books, 2018. — E MA
  • Polymer clay - yes, Sculpey! - is the basis for many of the figures in this sad but hopeful story about a child who escapes the Syrian Civil War.
    Picture Book, 2017Toronto, Ontario : Pajama Press Inc., 2017. — E DE
  • Once Upon a Time

    a Disney Princess Papercut Storybook

    Intricate papercut illustrations accompany these retellings of classic Disney Princess movies.
    Book, 2017Los Angeles ; New York : Disney Editions, 2017. — J 398.2 PRI
  • Painted paper and a doll-sized park bench make Antje Damm's book stand out, but it's the story of a bear waiting for his BFF that'll really draw you in.
    Book, 2017Wellington, New Zealand Gecko Press, 2017 — JUV P ANIMAL FRIENDS DAMM
  • Enjoy the story of Star Wars in a whole new way with hand-felted puppets of all your favorite characters!
    Board Book, 2015San Francisco, CA : Chronicle Books LLC, 2015. — J BB STA
  • Yuyi Morales uses meticulously outfitted dolls to introduce children to artist Frida Kahlo.
    Picture Book, 2014New York, New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2014. — SPA E MO
  • Tiny sculptures of food illustrate the story of how Peanut Butter and Jelly became...well, like Peanut Butter and Jelly!
    Picture Book, 2014New York, NY : Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), [2014] — E BOR
  • You probably recognize Eric Carle's one-of-a-kind illustrations, but do you know how he made them? He'd paint tissue paper, cut it into shapes, and collage those shapes together into the images we know and love.
    Picture Book, 2009New York : Philomel Books, 2009, c1987. — E CAR
  • A combination of quilted and embroidered fabric tells the story of how Mother Earth's children make the changing seasons.
    Picture Book, 2007Elmhurst, Ill. : Breckling Press, c2007. — E OL
  • Follow a package as it's sent from one place to another in this toddler-friendly story illustrated with painted plaster figures.
    Book, 2003Brookfield, Conn. : Roaring Brook Press, [2003] — E CA