The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (4 Volume Set)

This series is important for those seeking carefully written biographies on authors and illustrators, and reviews of the key classics of Children's Literature. While this reviewer would have greatly appreciated a much larger number of pages dedicated to the styles of the best illustrators, copyrights and color reproductions present difficulties. That said, perhaps a supplement for each volume which presents all the illustrations in one grouping would be a good thing for a second edition. For now, know that each biography is written by writers who seem to have an affinity for their subject, and there is a modest number of illustrations representative of the work of the greatest illustrators thru the 20th Century.