The full page on Charlotte's classic 1958 Do You Know What I'll Do? is not yet complete --- but here is a taste.

Do You Know What I'll Do? was first illustrated by Garth Williams, and published by Harper and Row in 1958, when it won an American Library Association notable book citation. William's soft, gentle pencil drawings very much matched the dreamy, poetic, quiet tone of the text. 

When the second edition of the book was published, by HarperCollins in 2000, illustrator Javaka Steptoe took a different approach --- to contrast rather than echo the book's mood. His siblings are loud and rowdy, full of color and material activity (borne out in the texture-y collages of

When this page is complete, you'll find samples of illustrations from both artists. Side by side, they point out the legitimacy of both approaches to illustration --- echoing a text or contrasting it. Each, in its very different way, enlarges Charlotte's beautiful series of loving word-pictures. And both show that sibling relationships have many faces, styles, and expressions --- but is always, underneath, one of the most tender and ambivalent forms of love. 

Above, one of Javaka Steptoe's  vibrant collages illustrates a big sister's big promise: "Do you know what I'll do when the wind blows? I'll put it in a bottle and let it loose when the house is hot."

What the reviewers are saying about the new edition

"Bold new illustrations featuring African-American characters heighten the text of Zolotow's 1958 classic about a young girl's tender question-and-answer game with her brother. Mixed media collages set against white backgrounds beautifully expand the simple, poetic words, shaping in just a few images the exuberant character of the sister as she dotes, cherishes, bosses, dazzles, and comforts her younger brother... Whatever their position in the family line-up, young ones will find themselves in this startling, spot-on portrayal of creative, loving siblings." --- Booklist .

"As Zolotow's poetic images flow in a rhythmic question-and-answer format, Steptoe responds in kind (with) stunning illustrations... layered, almost three-dimensional portraits of the striking African-American siblings. Both author and illustrator prove they know how to convey a strong sense of familial love. "  Publishers Weekly. STARRED REVIEW.

"A big sister lovingly promises to bring her little brother flowers when flowers grow again, a shell to hold the sound of the sea, a bottle of captured wind to open on a hot day, and other treasures, some more emotional than concrete. Steptoe illustrated Zolotow's 1958 text with rich collages. There's a lot to look at and young readers and listeners will find themselves wrapped in the same warm intimacy." --- Kirkus Reviews

Charlotte's Home Page / e-mail charlottesdaughter@charlottezolotow.com