Off Topic: Ellen Raskin's picture books are as rich as her novels Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Off Topic: Ellen Raskin's picture books are as rich as her novels They're just harder to come by. Feature by Christian Donlan Features Editor Published on 25 Jan 2022 Ellen Raskin was a children's author whose complex, playful novels are enormously rewarding for adults as well as kids. Sadly, she only wrote four of them - four puzzle-mysteries which I return to often, because they are always revealing new aspects, new elements. (I say sadly, but I only half mean it - we are so lucky to get those four novels.) And Raskin was an illustrator as well as a novelist. She created over 1000 book jackets, including classics like the original cover of A Wrinkle in Time. And alongside the jackets, she created children's picture books - large format, bold designs, a story or poem to lead you from the start to the finish. Over the last few years, having become a proper Raskin-head, and having even made the pilgrimage to her house in Greenwich Village (a memorable day!), I've started collecting the picture books. Most if not all are out of print here, if they ever made it over at all. I spot them on eBay and at funny old book auctions - only online; you never see one in a charity shop. What I love about them being out of print is that it's exciting to track them down, and then get your copy in the post and find out that it has library binding, or an Ex Libris plate from somewhere unusual. Subscribe to Eurogamer to read this article Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More Features Feature What games get wrong about horses And what they could do about it. 27 Feature Shout out to all the Overwatch supports - where would we be without you? Merci. 55 Feature From abandoned board game to birthing a genre: Football Manager at 40 Kick off. 21 Feature How I became an Elden Ring detective It started with a save game... 26 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store