Story & Pictures By

Invited

The power of representation in stories cannot be overstated. Stories give people a voice and shape identity. Story & Pictures By focuses on three authors, Christian Robinson, Yuyi Morales, and Mac Barnett, who are creating children’s picture books that contain more diversity and greater representation than ever before—from topics ranging from immigration and sexual identity to race and class. We gain an understanding of their unique perspectives by following their lives and art. The impact of their work is evident as they travel to various venues to read for audiences of curi- ous and captivated children. A throughline of the film is the history of children’s picture books, including the controversies, told through whimsical animation and archival interviews with beloved authors like Maurice Sendak and Eric Carle and experts in the field. The film demonstrates how much our childhood stories mold our imaginations and how much magic they still hold for us even as adults. BD

Director

Joanna Rudnick

Producers

Joanna Rudnick, Korelan Matteson, Tim Horsburgh

Editors

Eli Olson, Davon Ramos

Cinematographer

Robin Mortarotti

Release Year

2023

Festival Year

2024

Country

United States

Run Time

86 minutes

Subtitled

Partially subtitled