Brian Selznick Quotes

Powerful Brian Selznick for Daily Growth

About Brian Selznick

Brian Selznick is an acclaimed American author and illustrator, renowned for his innovative blending of text and images in narrative storytelling. Born on July 13, 1966, in East Brunswick, New Jersey, Selznick's passion for art and storytelling was evident from a young age. He attended Columbia University, where he studied English and Art History. However, it was during his graduate studies at the Rhode Island School of Design that he fully embraced his dual talents. Selznick's breakthrough work was "The Houdini Box" (1991), a short film he wrote, directed, and animated, which won several awards at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. This success paved the way for his career as an author-illustrator. His first published book, "The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins" (1996), was followed by "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" (2007), a novel illustrated with over 500 pages of intricate drawings. This groundbreaking work combined Selznick's love for storytelling and art, earning widespread acclaim and the Caldecott Medal for its distinctive blend of words and pictures. The book was later adapted into the critically-acclaimed movie "Hugo" directed by Martin Scorsese in 2011. Selznick's subsequent works include "Wonderstruck" (2011), another Caldecott Medal nominee, and "The Marvels" (2015), which further solidified his position as a master of the format he has helped pioneer. His latest book, "Sondermans Moderns," is set to be released in 2023. Throughout his career, Selznick's work has been influenced by a wide range of artists and writers, from Maurice Sendak and Jules Verne to silent films and early twentieth-century graphic design. His unique storytelling style continues to captivate readers and critics alike, making him one of the most influential authors in contemporary children's literature.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Words without pictures can be confusing. Pictures without words can be vague."

This quote emphasizes the complementary nature of text and images in communication. Words, when used alone, may leave room for ambiguity or confusion due to their abstract nature; meanings are not always immediately clear. However, pictures provide a concrete visual representation that can help clarify, contextualize, and enrich our understanding. Conversely, images without accompanying words can sometimes lack specificity or detail, making them vague or open to multiple interpretations. Thus, the combination of both serves as an effective tool for conveying ideas effectively.


"Stories have a way of comforting you right when you are scared witless."

This quote by Brian Selznick highlights the unique power of stories. When we're confronted with fear or anxiety, stories offer us solace and comfort. They provide a sense of understanding, helping us to relate to characters who may be experiencing similar emotions or situations. Through these narratives, we can find reassurance that our feelings are valid and not entirely unique, which can help alleviate some of our fears. Stories serve as a source of empathy, connection, and resilience, offering an emotional sanctuary amidst the chaos and uncertainty of life.


"You don't have to tell the whole story all at once; you just have to tell a piece of it - but what a piece it is!"

This quote by Brian Selznick emphasizes that storytelling doesn't necessarily require revealing every detail or event in its entirety, but rather presenting a significant portion of the narrative to spark curiosity and engagement. It encourages authors to share captivating pieces of their stories, allowing readers to fill in gaps with their imagination and keep them invested in the unfolding tale.


"The book was full of silence and empty spaces, and I found myself filling in the story with my own images and associations."

This quote suggests that the power of reading extends beyond the words on a page, inviting readers to actively engage with the text by visualizing their own interpretations and personal connections within the empty spaces or gaps between the written words. It underscores the subjective nature of storytelling, as each reader brings their unique experiences and imagination to shape their understanding of a narrative.


"Stories are transporting, they're transformative, they're hopeful, and they can change the world, but only if you let them in."

This quote by Brian Selznick underscores the transformative power of stories. He suggests that stories can not just take us away to different worlds (transporting), but also inspire changes within us (transformative). Moreover, stories hold a potential for instilling hope and fostering positive change in society (hopeful and can change the world). However, for this transformation to occur, one must be open to embracing and experiencing the stories they encounter.


I majored in illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, although I never had any intention of being an illustrator and didn't take any classes in illustration there. It was just that the illustration degree had no requirements.

- Brian Selznick

Island, Degree, Requirements, Illustration

I love illustrating for other writers because I am given stories I never would have thought of, and my work as an illustrator is always in support of the story.

- Brian Selznick

Love, Always, Given, Illustrating

Well, everything surprises me about the writing process because illustrating comes much more naturally to me than writing does.

- Brian Selznick

Process, More, About, Illustrating

A friend suggested that I get a job at a children's book store so I could meet kids and read books, and that turned out to be the single best bit of advice I've ever gotten.

- Brian Selznick

Read, Turned, Gotten, Suggested

What interests me about clocks is that everything is hand-made, and yet to the person looking at the clock, something magical is happening that cannot be explained unless you are the clockmaker.

- Brian Selznick

Clock, Explained, About, Clocks

A lot of people who don't write for kids think it's easy, because they think kids aren't as smart as they are, or that you have to dumb down what you would normally write for kids. But I think you have to work harder when you write for kids, to make sure every word is right, that it's there for the right reason.

- Brian Selznick

Dumb, Reason, I Think, Normally

I can draw pencil lines to show something is moving, but if I'm writing, I struggle with how to write it. The boy ran down the hallway? The boy ran quickly down the hallway? The boy ran down the marble hallway? I agonize over the words. So my editor works very hard. I'm lucky to have her.

- Brian Selznick

Lucky, Very, Works, Struggle

The orphan in children's literature allows the child protagonist to move the story forward themselves. I think that, however happy a family, every intelligent child thinks: 'How did I come to be born to these parents?' - it is about finding your place in the world.

- Brian Selznick

Happy, I Think, However, Orphan

Sometimes, I have themes that interest me or that touch on larger issues but, really, I'm just trying to figure out the plot, or how the characters work. I'm trying to make the best story I possibly can.

- Brian Selznick

Work, Larger, Figure, Possibly

I guess I see a part of myself in everyone I write about. I tend to write about kids who are obsessed with something, and even though I have never been good with machines the way Hugo is, I did love miniature things when I was a kid.

- Brian Selznick

Love, Been, Hugo, Machines

I've been taking art lessons since I was little, and I've always drawn. I think in pictures.

- Brian Selznick

Think, Always, Been, Lessons

I think from an early age I was aware of how a camera can tell a story, how a movie camera can affect how the narrative is told.

- Brian Selznick

Think, Movie, I Think, Early Age

A lot of times, people complain about how books and stories change when they're translated to the screen. But I think sometimes people forget that a lot of changes have to be made because we're not in a book when we're watching a movie.

- Brian Selznick

Sometimes, Movie, I Think, Translated

Once I'm given an idea for a story I have a million ideas on how it should be illustrated, but I don't have a big shoebox full of unfinished ideas.

- Brian Selznick

Big, Idea, Given, Unfinished

I think everything belongs in a certain place, for kids who feel they don't belong anywhere. A museum is an institution like a library where everything has a place, everything belongs.

- Brian Selznick

Think, Belong, I Think, Institution

I've always loved the wild rumpus in 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak, because the words disappear, the pictures take up the whole page, and we move forward in the story by turning the pages.

- Brian Selznick

Forward, Always, Move, Move Forward

But I'm a fairly mechanical worker - I tend not to think about themes so much as plot. I want to get the feeling right. If it's moving through tunnels, I ask myself, what is it like to move through tunnels?

- Brian Selznick

Through, Mechanical, About, Worker

For most of my career I illustrated books for other people.

- Brian Selznick

Career, Other, Most, Illustrated

I love being an illustrator because I get to read really great stories, work with amazing people, travel and see places I never would've seen. And I get to draw all the time.

- Brian Selznick

Love, Seen, Great Stories, Amazing People

It's fun to see how other artists adapt my work.

- Brian Selznick

See, How, Other, Adapt

I definitely think my work comes from things that I liked as a kid, and things I still like now. Monsters and magic and museums and movies, a lot of things that start with 'M' for some reason.

- Brian Selznick

Magic, Think, Some, Monsters

I think when I'm drawing, I'm seeing what's happening on the page almost as if it were unfolding like a movie in my head.

- Brian Selznick

Think, Movie, I Think, Unfolding

I think the most important thing you can do is to keep drawing no matter what. And to not be afraid of drawing whatever interests you. If there is something that you want to draw, to make, then I think you should pursue it and not let anybody tell you that you can't do it.

- Brian Selznick

Tell, I Think, Anybody, Draw

Since I spend such a long time making each book, I only choose books that I'm really interested in and that I really love.

- Brian Selznick

Love, Book, Making, Such A Long Time

I think I always knew that I would do something with art because it was the one thing that I knew I was really good at.

- Brian Selznick

Art, Think, Always, The One Thing

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