Hello, I'm writing my dissertation on the use of hand lettering in children's books. It seems to be a bit of a minefield with some suggesting that hand lettering hinders childrens reading and only belongs in 'arty' books (i.e. the ones all the art students buy and worship rather than the ones children enjoy reading) and others saying that it adds to the overall result and makes reading more enjoyable/interesting. I just wondered what your thoughts/opinions were on this and if you can suggest any essential reading matter on the subject.

What a great question.

I remember as a kid reading Babar and feeling the script lettering was too difficult, and frankly not as much fun as traditional type. A few years ago Mirko Ilic and I published a book called "HANDWRITTEN," which surveys the use of the hand in the digital design environment.  Again, its the big stew idea, the media and forms we use are more widespread these days. But as far as your
question about hand lettering for kids. I simply don't know. I find books that vary the letterforms (i.e. various sizes and widths and
styles, as well as hand and traditional) are more fun to look at and read. I  used to love reading Henrik Drescher's books to my son. BUT that did not mean he loved reading the text. The perceptions of kids are decidedly different from us as adults. Again, back to my own kid-dom, when I used to read children's books I wanted "the official" lettering of a book rather than the "ad hoc" lettering of a kid because I wanted to feel accomplished as a reader.

It would seem that legibility is the major concern in children's books, hand written or not.  Handwritten covers vast territory from handwriting to hand printing.  Readability in general text would be the criteria no matter how it is done.  Expressive hand lettering does not necessarily mean you can't read it.  Graphic novels and comic books have traditionally been hand lettered with very little problem in readability.