Folksy, Vivid, Dreamy
Tar Beach's illustrations they draw on folk traditions like quilting, and use a colorful, flat style that's often associated with folk art. When Cassie flies over the city, for instance, she doesn't look super-realistic. Also worth noting? Her power of flight has a folk tale quality about it. (See the Symbols section for more details.)
Another important stylistic quality is the way in which the words and the art are both vivid and dreamy at the same time. The verb tense shifts over the course of the story so it's hard to place each moment in time. The plot follows a sort of dream logic as it weaves in and out of real-life events and Cassie's imagination. There are lots of vivid details to appeal to our senses, especially in the bright colors and all those tables full of yummy-looking food.