Books with Illustrations
The Spiderwick series is full of great illustrations that help the story to come alive. Here are more books that have lots of illustrations.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Kirkus Age Range: 9-11
Greg Heffley is about to learn, from dreaded cheese touches to secret freckles, middle school is a strange place. Lucky for us, he documents his hilarious life and adventures in a notebook diary. Greg loves to draw funny comics about his friends and family; his diary is full of them! Although definitely not creepy, like in The Spiderwick Chronicles, Greg’s illustrations help us readers to understand his world while also making us excited to turn each page.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Kirkus Age Range: 11-14
Readers who want an illustrated book that is creepy like The Spiderwick Chronicles should definitely check out A Monster Calls. Ever since his mom started treatments for cancer, Conor is visited in his bed every night, at exactly 12:07, by a nightmarish monster. Conor knows it is all probably just a dream, until one night a new monster shows up. An old, and very dangerous monster; one that is very real. What does it want from Conor?
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Kirkus Age Range: 9 & Up
Ben Wilson and Rose Kincaid are two children living in different time periods. Ben’s story is told in words, and Rose’s is told in pictures. Like The Spiderwick Chronicles, this book is a story of adventure as the two children run away from their unhappy lives in search of a family. But in Wonderstruck, the illustrations don’t support the story, they are the story!
Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
Kirkus Age Range: 12 & Up
Tales from Outer Suburbia isn’t really a story; it is a collection of stories! The tales cover all sorts of different subjects, from an amnesia machine, to a water buffalo, to a small stranger who comes to stay. Each story is accompanied by mysterious and exciting illustrations, some containing creatures you’ve never even thought to imagine. All about finding magic in surprising places, this book is a really good choice for readers who enjoyed The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Amelia's Notebook Marissa Moss
Kirkus Age Range: 7 & Up
Amelia has just moved away from her old home and her very best friend. Her mom gives her a notebook to help her write out her feelings; Amelia reluctantly decides to keep a journal of her adventures at a new school. Amelia is a funny writer and a talented artist; the notebook is full of doodles illustrating her world, family, and new friends. Readers of The Spiderwick Chronicles will recognize and enjoy Amelia’s Notebook as a sort of field guide to a nine year old girl’s life.