The Enduring Magic of Picture Books

This week, two handwritten notes reminded me why I do what I do.

The first arrived by mail – a carefully handwritten letter from ten-year-old ‘Z’ in South Dakota. She told me about her love for I Love You to the Moon and Back, and how she still treasures the book despite being “a little over the age range.”

   

Z asked about my hardest book to make and what my favourite book is, signing off with words that are music to my ears:

I love your books and your art. I hope you continue making books for kids so they can enjoy them as much as I did.

The second piece of paper I found while sorting through old keepsakes at my Mum’s – a note I’d written to my Dad decades ago, complete with a big love heart. Dad read to me every night, and those moments helped forge a connection that lasted his entire life. Even in his final years, when cognition was a challenge, we enjoyed reminiscing about Charlotte’s Web and Pooh.

   

I was touched that it’d been treasured all these years. With the two notes placed side by side, I see the beautiful circle that picture books – and storytime – create. Z’s letter embodies the very essence of what I strive to achieve as a picture book creator and storyteller, whilst my own childhood love letter served as a reminder of what (and who) helped me become a storyteller in the first place.

Throughout his long life, Dad fondly recalled the tradition of bedtime stories from his childhood, a tradition he passed on to us. These bedtime stories (coupled with frequent visits to the local library with Mum) not only nurtured a love for reading but also instilled a profound sense of being cherished and seen. The experience was about more than just stories—it was about being present and creating connection, and delivered a daily message that I was worth my father’s time and attention. Here he is as a grandfather, giving his all to The Cat in the Hat Comes Back with Noah (looking like it was way past bedtime!).

   

Now, through my books and recommendations, I have the privilege of helping other parents create those same sacred moments. When Z writes that she loves my books and art (“I know nothing is perfect but the art in your book is close”), I hear echoes of my own childhood wonder and appreciation of, for example, Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear and the Busy World of Richard Scarry. When parents or grandparents tell me my recommendations helped them find books that engaged their children, I see that circle completing itself again.

I shared this in my reply to Z:

When I was a little boy (a long time ago – I’m 54 now!) bedtime stories was my favourite part of the day. I loved snuggling up and listening to my dad, mostly, read stories. He always gave the characters different voices. My favourite ones from childhood include '“Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman, Maurice Sendak’s “Nutshell Library” collection and the Beatrix Potter stories.

Picture books aren’t just entertainment. They’re conversation starters and memory makers. They’re the balm to a busy day, a pause to be present, a quiet moment of togetherness. They contain a kind of magic.

Every time a parent chooses to read with their child instead of scrolling their phone, every time they wonder over a beautiful illustration or discuss a character’s feelings, they’re nurturing their child and planting seeds. Seeds of literacy, yes, but also seeds of relationship—the kind that grow into a lifetime of connection.

“We have such great times reading DANGEROUS! It’s a every night before bed kind of deal! Abraços from Brazil!”

— Eduardo Amoroso Parra @eduparrox

Z's letter reminds me that these seeds take root in ways we might never fully know. Kids in Brazil, as I discovered firsthand at the Bienal do Livro in Rio this summer, feel connected to me through my work, while their parents appreciate books like PERIGOSO!, which have the power to nurture their children and strengthen family bonds. My note to my daddy reminds me where my own seeds were planted, in those precious bedtime moments when he chose to give me his full attention. Happy times when he played the fool, acted the part, and gave me the gift of story.

The circle continues.

One book, one child, one bedtime story at a time.

My note to Dad is a testament to the enduring power of childhood stories and the deep connection they foster between the storyteller and the listener.

And as Z’s letter testifies, the magic of picture books is still working.

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