Award-winning illustrators of some of the best known children’s book series have come together with Scholastic to support a new literacy initiative, “Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life.” Thirteen illustrators each made their own artistic representations of Scholastic’s theme, all focused on the love of reading.
“This year’s Read Every Day artwork exemplifies the joys and dreams that are created through children’s books,” said David Saylor, Vice President and Creative Director of Scholastic Trade Publishing and the curator of the collection, in a press release today. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the diverse group of artists who have come together for this amazing opportunity to promote the importance of reading every day through art.”
“I am big fan of Scholastic’s ‘Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life’ campaign,” said Dav Pilkey, illustrator of the beloved Captain Underpants series. “Kids and their parents need to know the importance of reading every day and how it creates endless possibilities not only in school, but also for a kid’s overall future successes. I am honored to be part of this project with these amazing authors and illustrators.”
Some of the well-known artists who added their talents to the Scholastic project include Harry Bliss, creator of Bailey and its sequels; Nancy Carpenter, illustrator of Big Bear’s Big Boat; Henry Cole, author/illustrator of Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad; Kazu Kibuishi, author/illustrator of the Amulet series and cover illustrator of the recently released 15th anniversary editions of the Harry Potter series; Jeff Kinney, creator of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and its sequels; Yuyi Morales, author/illustrator of Niño Wrestles the World; Kadir Nelson, author/illustrator of Nelson Mandela; LeUyen Pham, illustrator of Freckleface Strawberry; Dav Pilkey, creator of the Captain Underpants series; Jerry Pinkney, illustrator of the latest paperback edition of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi; Judy Schachner, creator of the Skippyjon Jones series and Bits & Pieces; Axel Scheffler, illustrator of the Stickman series; and Erin E. Stead, illustrator of If You Want to See a Whale.
Materials for teachers who wish to incorporate these artists’ work in their lesson plans can be found on the Scholastic website, while the pack of thirteen poster-sized renditions is available in the Scholastic store. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork benefits the Read Every Day initiative.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.