URBAN ART : The Art of Childhood, Collected

Adults who ache for the comfort of a good bedtime story are, well, buying good bedtime stories. In the past few years, children’s books have become a billion-dollar industry, and not just because boomers are having babies. Sophisticated art and story lines often appear to be aimed at the adult market and such author/illustrators as the late Theodor (Dr. Seuss) Geisel (“Oh, the Places You’ll Go”), Barry Lopez (“Crow and Weasel,” illustrated by Tom Pohrt) and Graeme Base (“The Sign of the Seahorse”) have been seen on best-seller lists.

Lured by such success, other artists including Red Grooms, director Tim Burton, Jules Feiffer, David Shannon and Gary Kelley have either dabbled in children’s illustrations or carved out entire careers in the field.

And it’s not just the books; their illustrations are also drawing L.A. fans. “Children’s art can be comforting and familiar. It’s a kind of nostalgic indulgence,” says Patricia Peyser, who has been collecting children’s books and art for three years.

Adults may also respond to some children’s art because it recalls the darker side of childhood, says Lois Sarkisian, co-owner of Every Picture Tells a Story, a 4-year-old L.A. bookstore and gallery. “Some of Chris Van Allsburg’s work has a cold solidness about it,” she says. “There’s an inherent terror to the work--a sense that something horrible is about to happen.”

Original art from children’s books can be a wise investment. Four years ago, a Van Allsburg painting from “The Polar Express” cost $900. Today, his work is priced up to $20,000. Well, notes Sarkisian’s partner, Abbie Phillips, “Not everyone can afford a painting, but they can afford the book.”