25 March 2019
There are picture books that engage, transport, amuse, intrigue, enchant, comfort, or even haunt adults, but that don't connect with the children who are their purported audience. This would be absolutely fine-picture books are a unique and endlessly variable art form-but it can be hard to overcome customers' resistance to buying them for themselves. As one of my bookselling colleagues said recently, people will spend $40 on glossy coffee table art books they'll look through once or twice, but are reluctant to buy themselves an $18 picture book they can't stop leafing through in the store.