band Op eniny Wdebration Ms. Patz worked with the book's designer, Chris Paul, to formulate what she calls "the vi- sun] concept" — the look — of the book. It was not easy. Ms. Patz had been recom- mended to Little, Brown as being an artist whose style would work well with the book's text. And when the Boston-based company called to tell her about the book and the diversity of art that was needed, "I could taste it," Ms. Patz said. But when she submitted ear- ly samples to the publisher, she discovered that she and the book designer were on different wave- lengths. "I had to find out what they wanted that I also liked," said Ms. Patz, who lectures around the country on the subject of illus- trating picture books. She also has taught courses on writing and illustrating children's books at local colleges. Children's books is a crowded, competitive field. More than 5,000 new titles are published every year, Ms. Patz says. Pub- lishers market their books by age • categories: infant to 3 years old, 3 to 7 years old, and up. Picture books appeal to younger children. By third grade, or about age 8, children are reading and they prefer "chapter books." All of Ms. Patz's previous works are picture books. She likes to set up a reading rhythm, inte- grating the words and the art. Her story ideas come from her own experiences. Themes range from dealing with grief and loss to maintaining a long-term lov- ing relationship. "I ask myself questions, but the answer doesn't come down from heaven," Ms. Patz said. "I have to think about it awhile." Her next step is to decide if she wants to use people or animals for the story's characters. There's In the book's chapter on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a drawing of honey cake accompanies the recipe. a reason so many children's books have animal characters, she says. "Animals allow the child to ex- perience the book's emotions but not make them uncomfortably close," she said. Another consideration: if she uses animals, which animals. For her books, Ms. Patz's drawings have ranged from elephants to a happily married pair of "nice, fat, middle-aged bears." Picture books can have no words at all or some short, sim- ple text. Not surprisingly, says Leslie Morrill, an instructor in vi- sual communications at the Maryland Institute College of Art, the illustrations can make or break a book, especially a picture book. "The intent of the writer is re- vealed in the illustrations," he said. "But the best illustrations take you beyond that. They open up your imagination. They be- come an additional factor in the appreciation of the book." For books like The Family Treasury that are targeted to a specific, rather than a general, audience, the illustrator has an additional consideration. A spe- cific readership is knowledgeable about the subject. They want, and expect, historical accuracy. The illustrator's job "is to get it right," Mr. Morrill said. The characters in each chap- ter wear the authentic period clothes that Jews wore in various parts of the world. Historical accuracy is one thing. But in Ms. Patz's opinion, there was another element to il- lustrating The Family Treasury. "I can't imagine someone who isn't Jewish doing the illustra- tions," she said. "The book is intended to be part of a family's observance," she said. "We made it for parents and children to read and use togeth- er." ❑ PaTICI. TIT CUSTOM CLOT-I-II-E-R Suits • Sport Coats • Trousers • Shirts Formal Wear • Sportswear • Alterations Boardwalk Plaza • 6895 Orchard Lake Road • West Bloomfield • Phone: 810.932.1155 Store Hours: Mon., Tue., Wed., Fri., & Sat. 10 am-6 pm • Thur. 10 am-8 pm HAPPY HANUKKAH! FREE Pair Of Socks with the purchase of a pair of pants FREE Monogramming v‘ith the purchase of a dress shirt by November 27th FREE Pocket Square with the purchase of two ties Other Great Gift Ideas: "Coogi-like" Sweaters Leather Jackets Banded Collar Shirts Dress Shirts Vests . Jogging Suits Fr. $96 Fr. $265 Fr. $25 Fr. $23 Fr. $24 Fr. $45 Holidiay Hours: November 27-December 18 Mon.-Sat, 9:30-6, Thurs. 9:30-7 OPEN SUNDAY 12:00-4:00 19011 West Ten Mile Rd. Southfield, MI 48075 (Between Southfield & Evergreen) Men's Furnishings And Accessories 810-352-1080 GI