Story & Pictures By

CIFF award-winner Joanna Rudnick (2015’s “On Beauty”) returns to explore the wide, wonderful world of children’s picture books, relishing the genre’s fascinating history and spotlighting three current authors (Christian Robinson, Yuyi Morales, Mac Barnett) who are paving the way for a more diverse future.Celebrating the art and timeless influence of the picture book, STORY & PICTURES BY features three of today’s standout children’s bookmakers—Mac Barnett, Yuyi Morales, and Christian Robinson—who dare to share the stories kids are living every day. Through their eyes, along with boundary-pushing pioneers of favorite children’s classics, the film explores the trajectory of children’s literature from its solely instructional purpose to its evolution of crafting stories for a child to relate to, connect with, and see themselves in the words and images on the pages they’re turning. Captivating illustrations born from a variety of mediums, paired with honest storytelling, provide an oasis for readers to feel safe and included, discover new ideas, and make sense of the sometimes scary, overwhelming world around them. As children’s books face heightened scrutiny in the forms of bans and censorship, sharing these powerful stories is just as important as protecting them. —A.B.