I recently stumble upon an article in The Horn Book Magazine regarding photography and children books and it made me wonder, can photography be consider art in children picture books? Over the years, there has always been a debate as to whether or not photography is art to begin with. But, in the 20th century Photography took a tool and was finally seen as part of Fine Art. We have come a long way haven't we; yet today I ask myself, can we include photography as a form of illustration for a children's book?

When we get a hold of a children's picture book we believe it to be full of illustrations made out of pure imagination. The only resource an illustrator has is the text and the description the author gives. It takes a lot of creativity to be able to see what each page would look like and bring it to life. Some of these illustrations are ink, penciled in, and watercolor (to name a few means), but most importantly this is what is expected of a children's book. Of course, books that use photography have been more part of information genre; whether is a book that teaches about seasons or a book like the one above by Ellen B. Senisi.

Now, how would we react when we pick a children's book, and as we open it, we are expecting to see beautiful illustration; yet we come to realize that what's in front of us are pictures that help tell the story. Does it still feel as a children books or do we automatically classify it as something else. For example, Growing Up in Coal Country, yes it is a children's book, but it becomes a teaching tool that helps have a glimpse of the past.

I love picture books and I do consider photography Art. Photographers use their imagination and creativity to bring a vision to life, but I don't think I can still see photography as part of the children literature genre without being classify as a teaching tool or resource. What about you? What's your belief on Photography and children books?