‘I am very serious about being silly’: children’s illustrators on the art of storytelling
Stuart Heritage | The Guardian | 30th May 2026
Illustrators feel overlooked and it’s hard to disagree. We usually place them as part of a dual act (with storytellers) and their audience is “just” children. One might dispute that – illustrated books must appeal to adults who mostly choose them. There is also a broad field that includes political cartoons, animation, fashion, advertising and digital culture. Says one illustrator, “we do know they were making comics [40,000 years ago] about people chasing cows, because they’re all over cave walls.”