Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark Book

This book reminds me of another book by this author: Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work, that one about author-illustrator teams. This book is about intergenerational family members who've created picture books, writing and/or illustrating them. I think I liked the Side by Side book slightly better, but they're both terrific books and I hope there will be similar new books in the future.

These are very lucky family members, both to have the inherited talent and to have the family support and closeness. I did find it so funny about the kid (in this case (John) Thatcher Hurd) who couldn't rebel except by (temporarily) not being an artist. I think this book shows how the important thing is to support and encourage children's interests, whether they're the same or different than parents/others' interests. And it is fun reading about a family business that happens to be art.

I wanted a bit more though. A bit more about other family members (there is some) and more families/artists too. I did like how history and family history are incorporated into the stories of these specific artists and writers. I liked how some editors' letters were included.

The whole book's layout is very appealing.

This book features

The Crews and Jonas Family: Donald Crews, Ann Jonas, and Nina Crews

The Hurd Family: Clement Hurd, Edith Thatcher Hurd, and Thatcher Hurd

The Myers Family: Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers

The Pinkney Family: Jerry Pinkney, Brian Pinkney

The Rockwell Family: Harlow Rockwell, Anne Rockwell, Lizzy Rockwell

There's a Books in the Family section in the back of the book that lists all the books written and illustrated by the above (as of publication date in 2007). There is also a glossary and it's mostly for art and publishing definitions.