Magic Pencil – Children’s Book Illustration Today
is a display of more than 300 paintings and drawings for children by Britain’s ‘starriest’ illustrators. It examines how and why they work. It also shows that the strong tradition of British children's book illustration is actively flourishing in the 21st century.

Popular author and illustrator Quentin Blake has made the selection from living, British artists. It wasn’t easy. But here is his final choice – a mix of well known names and new stars on the block:

• Angela Barrett
• Patrick Benson
• Stephen Biesty
• Quentin Blake
• Raymond Briggs
• John Burningham
• Emma Chichester Clark
• Lauren Child
• Sara Fanelli
• Michael Foreman
• Tony Ross
• Posy Simmonds
• Charlotte Voake

Magic Pencil looks at each artist in some depth.
It shows examples of
• layout and approach that break with tradition
• excellence in draughtmanship
• how today’s illustrators reflect contemporary concerns, often through subject matter not always associated with children’s books.

The British Library is the perfect home for this display, setting contemporary work in the long tradition of classic British illustration for childrens books.

The Free exhibition will be held at the British Library 1 November 2002 to 31 March 2003.