Children’s Books Still Creating Special Bonds Between Parents, Kids

MINNEAPOLIS - In today's world of computer screens and high tech gadgets kids still love to hold, and read, books.

Rick Chrustowski is a children's book author and illustrator in Minneapolis. He's published 10 books so far. He says for him he starts with writing the story...

That takes me about five or six months, sometimes much longer, depending on how it's going.  Sometimes a story just doesn't work the way I want it to and I need to spend a little time away from it and then I can come back to it with a fresh eye.  So usually I do the story and then I do the art, and the art takes me a little bit longer.

Chrustowski says his next book "My Little Fox" will be released on May 13th.

He says tablets and e-readers haven't hurt the popularity of actual books.

I'm happy about that.  I remember when everybody started getting readers everybody was worried about what was going to happen to the picture book. But now I think its kind of settled down. And you know people like to hold a book. And not only do kids like to hold a book, parents like to hold the book with the kids in their lap and read the book together.

He says he also does art residencies in about 30 to 40 elementary schools each year, teaching kids about the process of creating a book.

Sunday was "Children's Book Day".