Illustrator of the MonthE.B. Lewis

Birthday: December 16, 1956

The books that

E.B. Lewis has

illustrated are written by

different authors.

Remember, books in the

Easy and Fiction

sections are shelved by

author’s last name.

E

TAR

E

WOO

Our library has 15

different titles

illustrated by E.B.

Lewis, but he has

illustrated over 65

different books!

Learn more about

E.B. Lewis on his

website:

www.eblewis.com

Find E.B.’s

picture books

in the Easy

Section.

On illustration“I like to look at it, think of it as the author has weaved these strands. But in order to make a full cloth, you have to weave through it and bind it together and that's what the illustrator does. He comes in and weaves those spaces.And so, in doing so, what I have to do is I have to go out and do some research. I have to kind of make sure that when a child opens my book, they're transported, you know, because I've done my homework.”

What is your time frame for illustrating a book? What is

your general process?

I do three books a year. It takes me four months to do a book. I

do an immense amount of research. I am one of the artists that

go to the place where the story takes place. I use live models

for reference photos. For me, it’s like I’m producing a small

short movie. I’m everybody, the director, lighting person, the

casting director, and the set designer.

I don’t make up anything I illustrate. I have reference photos

for every element, including the birds flying in the sky and the

sky itself.

I’m not trying to reproduce reality. I just use it as a jumping off

point to create a reality that is as intense.

More information, interviews and photo sources:

• http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/e-b-lewis

• http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/lewis#bio

• http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/eb-lewis-

interview/image_862cd9f0-7894-11e2-9089-

001a4bcf887a.html?mode=jqm

• http://www.kidlit411.com/2014/05/illustrator-spotlight-eb-

lewis.html