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In a picture book, what tells the story: the pictures or the words? I mean, it's called a picture book for a reason, right? What would a picture book be without the pictures? Imagine any of your childhood favorites without illustrations. On the other hand, what would Dr. Seuss' whimsical tales be without the wacky rhymes and made-up words?

Ok, so obviously that's a silly question. There are some picture books in which the text is dominant and could be paired with a number of different illustrations (think, for example, of Mother Goose rhymes). And there are those for which the illustrations are clearly the focus — even some in which there is no text at all. Text and image aren't always entirely integrated, and in the case where authors and illustrators often have never met (and have no choice in the matter), it often becomes the illustrator's prerogative to interpret the author's text to their best ability.

Here are two upcoming picture books, each with an interesting take on the matter. Both of these books use the words and pictures in interesting and somewhat unexpected ways.

Chloe and the Lion, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex

Writer Mac Barnett and illustrator Adam Rex have teamed up to have a falling out. They've both worked on various projects together and separately (some of my favorites: the Brixton Brothers series, Oh No!, and The True Meaning of Smekday). In Chloe and the Lion, though, the author and the artist have a bit of a disagreement.

Which is more important, the writer or the illustrator?

Chloe is a little girl who likes collecting loose change and spending it on the merry-go-round at the park. But one day, she gets lost in the forest and a huge lion leaps out ... except the illustration is a dragon. And then Mac and Adam, in the form of little figurines, have a big argument which ends with Mac firing Adam and finding a new illustrator for the job. But the problem, of course, is that Hank can't draw lions quite the way Adam could.

Here's a really funny video trailer for the book that will give you a good idea of the tone of the book: