We have just remodeled the kids' bedroom, and it looks fab. I've been waiting since my son was born to decorate a kids room, and he's about to turn 5. You would think I would have planned it all already, but no....

However, faced with freshly painted but empty walls this morning, I had a brainwave. I want to take pages from picture books and frame them along two walls. I know I want a page from 'Where the Wild Things Are' and a  page from Dr Seuss, probably Sneetches because that's my favourite, and there's where I get stuck.

What other books can I use? I'm looking for books that are mostly picture, with not that much text, and are easily recognisable, classic children's books. Any suggestions would be great! I have a boy and a girl (4 and 2) in this room, so we can use both boy and girl books.

I'll need about six or eight pictures, I think.... so any and all suggestions would be welcome!!

I don't know how popular of a children's book these are, but I read Dinotopia and The World Beneath as a kid, and the illustrations in those books are amazing.

Other than that, I'd say any Dr. Suess, any illustrations from Shel Silverstein poems, maybe a Quentin Blake drawing from your favorite Roald Dahl book, maybe one of the original illustrations from a book like Charlotte's Web, maybe Tikki Tikki Tembo (I liked it as a kid, and I recall illustrations that were different enough to add some variety)...I'm trying to think of more from my childhood, but if there are any books your kids love, you could put pictures of them up - even if they're not easily recognizable to others, your kids will like them.

By the way, your idea is great, and Where the Wild Things Are is pretty much required to be one of the choices.

Some of my favorites I'd probably use....  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do you See, any of the Eric Carle books, the Graeme Base illustrations are great too.

Curious George is always a good one, so is Olivia (the Pig), and Madeline.  I am also a fan of the pictures in David Shannon's books - they all use bold colors and are wonderfully fun. 

GREAT idea, Alex!

If I were doing this, I would INSIST on a Winnie-the-Pooh picture.  = )  I might also include Curious George, Madeline, Frog and Toad, Danny and the Dinosaur, Goodnight Moon, Berenstain Bears...  If I think of any more, I'll add them to my list.

Emily says she would include the "C" and "U" pages from Dr. Seuss's ABC!  Her other suggestions are Pinocchio and Bambi (probably thinking of the Disney versions), and Cat in the Hat.

Have fun with this project!

~Jori

Graeme BAse. Colin Thompson.

Thanks for all the ideas!! I had never heard of Graeme Base and a couple of you suggested him, so I'll be looking out for those! I love finding new authors.

My shortlist so far:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Where the Wild Things Are, Madeleine, Sneetches, Paper Bag Princess, Very Hungry Caterpillar, Tikki Tikki Tembo, Winnie the Pooh

but I'm still open to suggestions!!

Last night I remembered Beatrix Potter.  It's been a while since we've read her tales, but her pictures are classics.  Peter Rabbit in his blue jacket, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin, the mice in The Tailor of Gloucester...any of them would be sweet in a frame on a child's wall!

Also, Jan Brett's illustrations from any of her books are wonderful.  I have always particularly liked The Mitten and  her version of Town Mouse and Country Mouse.

Alex, you know you'll have to post pictures of the finished room, right?  = )

~Jori

I love this idea too.  A friend of mine did a mural with the characters from Dr. Suess' Go Dog Go. 

Some of my ideas would be any of the characters from Richard Scary books and Sandra Boynton.   Arthur and DW would be cute for a brother/sister theme.  Any of the characters from the Laura Numeroff series "If you give a pig a pancake".   My daughter loved the pigeon books by Mo Willems.

Hope it turns out great!

You've tapped into one of my guilty pleasures: buying discarded children's books from libraries for the art!  They're usually only a dollar or two, and because they are mylar-covered, the dust jackets are almost always in great shape!  I've framed some, used them as gift wrap, decorated a dresser,... And recently, I discovered that my library now simply gives away the dust jackets.  You can't beat that! 

Have fun decorating!

Cas

Wait!!!!!!   Before you go cutting up books, take a trip to your local Borders or Barnes and Noble and see if they have any promotional posters that they are not using. Publishers send them out constantly to bookstores. You might find some really nice ones featuring popular characters like Olivia or Junie B. Jones.  Sometimes, the library receives them too and does not have the places to display them.  Ask someone in the Children's Dept. of your local library.