Pat Cummings has illustrated many books for children, including C.L.O.U.D.S. (Lothrop, 1986), Storm in the Night (Harper, 1988) and C Is For City (HarperCollins, 1995). She also realizes that although she shares things in common with other illustrators, her studio work on any picture book is unique to who she is as an individual. In her popular Talking With Artists (Harper, 1992) she provided a vehicle for 14 picture book creators to respond to frequently asked questions. This second volume featuring 13 artists includes each one's explanation of personal technique and a photo of his/her studio. The artists are Thomas B. Allen, Mary Jane Begin, Floyd Cooper, Julie Downing, Denise Fleming, Sheila Hamanaka, Kevin Henkes, William Joyce, Maira Kalman, Deborah Nourse Lattimore, Brian Pinkney, Vera B. Williams and David Wisniewski. Their published books are listed, readers can see a childhood and an adult photo of each, a reproduction of one piece of childhood art and a published illustration. Terrific organization and compelling subject matter mark these glimpses into artists' careers that offer realistic encouragement within excellent reading. (Ages 6-14)

Distinguished picture book artists talk about their early art experiences, answer questions most frequently asked by children, and offer encouragement to aspiring artists.