I am curious...

   These are my favorite books at the minute, in terms of illustration.  I have mentioned them before, but I think they all bare mentioning again.

Chalk - is outstanding in the illustration department!  These hand painted images in a photo realistic style are so engaging and lifelike.  I love also, the changes of perspective and the dazzling colors.  It feels like the characters are not only coming alive from the chalk drawings, but they might just walk off the page.

Brown Rabbit in the City - these illustrations where created with printmaking and are lovely and soft in color.  They have a whimsical feel and great repetitive patterns and shapes.

 I Love My Mom - This book was illustrated with watercolors.  I appreciate that the illustrator has chosen to paint the characters on a plain white background.  It is so fresh and clean in feel.  The butterfly spread took my breath away the first time I saw it.  It is so sweet and magical.  I also enjoyed the tiny details like the lady bugs and caterpillars.  Bud Bud has fun looking for these.

The Curious Garden - I believe that this book is illustrated with paintings - though the first time I saw it I was convinced that it was computer aided illustration.  The colors are really striking especially in terms of the transition from the world at the beginning of the story to the end.  Bud Bud and I love to flip back and forth from the two different spreads of the world before and after the garden.    The level of detail is also great.   It is so much fun to look at each building and plant and garden.

But Who Will Bell the Cats?  - This is our most recent find.  I am really taken with the illustrations on novelty value.  This is not really one of my favorite stories and I don't think Bud Bud or Little Flower were particularly into it, but the illustrations are owed a long second look.  It is collage like in the use of layers of photos and illustrations and feels sort of like looking into one of those sugar Easter eggs at an alternative world.  Cool.

So, to get back to the title of this post, my question is - What is your favorite type of illustration?

and further to that:
What are you favorite books in terms of illustrations?
What kinds of illustrations do you dislike and why?
and lastly
Do illustrations make or break your choices in children's books?