Illustrator: Peter Spier

I have two favorite children's books of all times. I have to tell you about one of them (the other I'll save for later). It's not a well known book at all, and in fact, I can't find an online image of it anywhere. It's called, "Oh, were they ever happy!" by Peter Spier. It's currently out of print, but a few people are selling old tattered copies. If I had a tattered copy, I would not sell it.

I love Spier's work. I find his style utterly unpretentious, and simply funny. I grew up gazing at the pages in "The People Book" and singing the words to "The Eerie Canal" during bedtime story hour. His books contain few words, and that is the true challenge in creating books for children. The art, in itself, must tell the story.

Spier loves details. You have to sit with his books for a while and look closely at the illustrations, finding little secrets between the lines. You have to imagine the characters are speaking back to you, and you have to imagine you're playing with them in their imaginary worlds.

The book I love is about three children who decide that they should repaint the house to surprise their parents who leave for the day (the whole house, including the bathtub). The words are minimal, but the story is full. The unspoken tale is visible in the children's whimsy as they run through the house with open paint cans found in the garage. The details are in the teetering step ladders, the scampering cat, the suspicious dog. And the ending is clear, by the expressions on their parents' faces when they return home. As you can imagine, oh, were they ever happy!

The art example above is not from the book, but it gives you a sense of Spier's style. Any book of his is a classic.