Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien

Posted & filed under "Take Five" Series, Art, Book Recommendations, For Teachers, For Writers.

I recently discovered a gorgeous picture-book biography written and illustrated by Katie Wray Schon, published by Waxwing Books in 2025. Painting Wonder lifts us into the world of Pauline Baynes, the artist who illustrated C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and drew the Middle-earth map for J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Moving from Pauline’s early childhood in colorful India to her boarding school days in gloomy England, the story takes off when “a burst of wonder breaks through the dark” and Pauline discovers the joy of reading. She trains as an artist, makes maps for the navy during World War II, and eventually pursues illustrating for children. When Tolkien sees her painted dragons and gnarled trees, Pauline’s new career takes off.

As someone who also writes picture-book biographies, I enjoy noticing the choices other authors make. (It is difficult to condense a life into a short text!) Schon’s pacing, art, and language make this a memorable book.

Five Highlights:

  1. Smart opening lines. Since young readers probably haven’t heard of Pauline Baynes, the author starts by telling us what Pauline is known for: “This little girl will grow up to draw pictures that will wing their way around the world, flying to faraway places. Her pictures will be held in millions of hands—maybe even yours. But who is she?” This caught my eye because I used a similar approach in the first pages of a biography scheduled for publication in 2027.
  2. Alliteration. Don’t you like the sound and feel of “wing their way around the world”?
  3. Visual details. Schon’s art gives readers so much to look at. Details such as a monkey on a dainty teapot and open books sloshing with waves immerse us in Pauline’s life and imagination.
  4. Sensory language. “Bags in hand, she sees her saltwater tears mix with saltwater waves as the boat steams away from India…” Saltwater lets us taste Pauline’s sadness.
  5. Special endpapers. Schon uses the pages stuck to the inside of the front and back covers to add a timeline of Pauline’s life. Paintings of Pauline’s book covers placed along fanciful swirling vines convey the fantastical worlds she brought to life with her art.