Picture books and graphic novels tend to be overlooked or considered less important than text-only stories, but illustrated texts are more than just lesser versions of other stories. Picture books and graphic novels are a completely unique artform — and they’re having a moment. Illustrations are not intended to make words easier to read or understand; instead, picture books and graphic novels use words and images together to tell deep, nuanced, and complicated stories. If you remove words from a picture book or graphic novel, the story wouldn’t make sense and vice versa. In this way, picture books and graphic novels are one of the few art forms that give equal weight to words and pictures.

Picture books and graphic novels represent a form of storytelling that should be celebrated and protected. The difference between picture books and graphic novels is primarily length, audience, and subject matter. Picture books have remained mostly geared towards children and adults reading aloud with them. They are usually much shorter than graphic novels, with most picture books containing 32 pages. Graphic novels, on the other hand, vary in length, though they are usually much longer than picture books. Graphic novels often tell more mature and varied stories, with everything from superhero stories to personal narratives and contemporary fiction to Japanese-style manga.