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September 2, 2016 by Travis Jonker

A Tribute to the Best Picture Book Author Photo of All Time

September 2, 2016 by Travis Jonker   2 comments

There have been some great picture book author photos before. I’m pretty fond of Don and Audrey Wood on the back of In The Napping House:

The Napping House

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And of course, Uncle Shelby on the back of The Giving Tree:

Shel

But those shots (and all other picture book author photos in recorded history) can’t touch an author photo that was brought to my attention by Laura over at LibLaura5. It’s on the back of Yoda: The Story of a Cat and His Kittens by Beth Stern:

Stern Author Photo

This simply cannot be topped.

But why is it so clearly the best ever? Let’s discuss . . .

Stern Numbers

1. It’s huge and takes up the whole back cover of the book. Shel taught us a lesson – go big for maximum effect. Many celebrity picture books go this route.

2. It has a Glamour Shots vibe.

3. Howard Stern is there. I would argue he is not happy to be there. Howard Stern is pulling off a half-hearted smile that would make Mona Lisa proud.

4. They’re holding cats.

5. One of the cats has its eyes closed.

Photographer: One more guys?

Howard and Beth: Nah, we’re good.

6. Head bonk.

Any other contenders out there?

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About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy Tandon says

    September 6, 2016 at 8:10 am

    Glamour Shots = coffee snort. I’m now re-thinking the whole plan for my upcoming author photo…

  2. Nicole Powell says

    October 18, 2016 at 10:19 pm

    Yoda Gets a Buddy by the Sterns was our Calde-not!

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