This article examines the effect of Jim Kay’s illustrations on the
experience of reading A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. The author compares the
responses of six Key Stage Three children (11–14 years old), three of whom were
given an illustrated version of the text, and three a non-illustrated version. The
children with an illustrated copy engaged with the text more deeply and critically
than the others. They were also more likely to relate the story to their own lives. The
illustrations were found to work alongside the participants’ own visualisations
rather than replacing them, and opened up further possible interpretations rather
than limiting them. The illustrations did not appear to have influenced the participants’
overall enjoyment of the book, nor did they significantly alter the readers’
views on key themes and ideas of the text.

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• What is the Use of a Book Without Pictures?’’ An Exploration of the Impact of Illustrations on Reading Experience in A Monster Calls