You CAN Judge These Books By Their Covers!

(But you don't have to, because they're already CLASSICS - soon to be adorned with Penguin Threads Deluxe Classic series bookcovers.)

These breathtaking covers, which wraparound and include french flaps, will be embossed to have the feeling of the intricate embroidery that is being created by Jilian Tamaki.  Click HERE to read her Sketchblog.

The story of Black Beauty never looked so foreboding...

My personal favorite:

Not to be missed - due out in October 2011.

Happy Birthday, Dear Frances

Yesterday marked the 50th birthday for Russell Hoban's little badger, Frances. Carol Baicker-McKee, an author/illustrator that I've written about, wrote a special tribute to Frances that you can read from her blog, DOODLES AND NOODLES, here.

Carol Baicker-McKee has lent her fun 3-dimensional art photographs to several children's books, one of which I have on my Christmas Book List. It's MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHEEPS!, by Julie Steigemeyer. I love Carol's style. Click here to see her other books and read my past blog post.

Frances was in the broom closet, singing:

Happy Thursday to you,

Happy Thursday to you,

Happy Thursday, dear Alice,

Happy Thursday to you.

"Who is Alice?" asked Mother.

"Alice is somebody that nobody can see," said Frances. "And that is why she does not have a birthday. So I am singing Happy Birthday to her."

"Today is Friday," said Mother.

"It is Thursday for Alice," said Frances...

"I am sure Alice will have cake and candy on her birthday," said Mother.

"But Alice does not have a birthday," said Frances.

"Yes, she does," said Mother. "Even if nobody can see her, Alice has one birthday every year, and so do you. Your birthday is two months from now. Then you will be the birthday girl. But tomorrow is Gloria's birthday, and she will be the birthday girl."

"That's how it is, Alice," said Frances. "Your birthday is always the one that is not now."
From A BIRTHDAY FOR FRANCES, by Russell Hoban, with charcoal illustrations by his wife Lillian Hoban

FAIRY TALES FROM GENNADY SPIRIN

"It is my great pleasure to create paintings, whether for galleries or children's books, because it is important to maintain child-like wonder to truly appreciate the amazing world we live in.  What do I want a viewer to feel when they look at my work?  My answer is simple:  absolute delight!" - Gennady Spirin.

FAVORITE FAIRY TALES BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, LITTLE MERMAIDS AND UGLY DUCKLINGS

The Little Mermaid

The Ugly Duckling

In my last post, I introduced you to Russian artist and illustrator, Gennady Spirin.  He has also done some beautiful picture book adaptations of many well known fairy tales from all over the world...


FAIRY TALES, ILLUSTRATED BY SPIRIN:

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (Grimm Fairytale)

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS (Grimm Fairytale)

click here to see the gorgeous illustrations!

THE CRANE WIFE (by Odd Bodkin, Japanese Folktale)

(click here to see illustrations)

THE TALE OF THE FIREBIRD (Russian fairy tale)

A RUSSIAN ARTIST, GENNADY SPIRIN, ILLUSTRATES CLASSIC TOLSOY AND CHEKHOV STORIES FOR CHILDREN

Born in a small town near Moscow, Russia, on Christmas Day, 1948, Gennady Spirin had an artistic talent recognized at an early age.  He graduated from Surikov School of Fine Art at the Academy of Arts in Moscow and Moscow Stoganov Institute of Art.  He developed his own style over the years, combining traditional Russian contemporary art technique with the great traditions of the Renaissance.  His sumptuous colors and delicate lines set his unique illustrations in a class of their own; they are full of realistic precision, but also have an ethereal quality that lends itself perfectly to both classics and fairy tale stories.

My next post will feature some of his fairy tale adaptations, but today I want to share two of his picture books written by classic authors of Russian literature...

PHILIPOK - this is a retelling of Tolstoy's simple tale set in 19th-century Russia. Young Philipok wants nothing more than to go to school with his elder brother, Peter. He waits until his grandmother falls asleep, gets his hat and coat, and sets out through the snow to the schoolhouse on the other side of the village. Cold and frightened when he arrives, he earns the privilege of staying at school.

KASHTANKA In this rather quirky story by Anton Chekov (also set in 19th-Century Russia), a dog, separated from her master, is taken in by a kindly circus performer.   Kashtanka quickly adjusts to her new surroundings, which are shared with a goose, a white cat, and a pig - but in the end she is heartwarmingly reunited with her original owners. (ages 8 and up)

ART IN SILHOUETTE

by Henry Lawrence Oakley

Silhouettes harken back to the art of Ancient Egypt and Greece, as images painted on tomb walls or pottery.  What today are considered to be traditional profile silhouettes, painted or cut from black paper, were first used in 18th Century portraiture, before the invention of the camera - which led to the end of the silhouette's widespread use for portraits.  But if you've ever been to Main Street, Disneyland, you may have noticed a shop where artists quickly hand-cut portraits in profile. I'm not getting paid to promote Disney, but their interesting and informative (1-minute long) video about this studio and silhouette portraits is worth watching. 

from RHYMES ABOUT THE COUNTRY
by Margaret Chute

Like the quick "click" of a camera shot, or children playing freeze tag, a silhouette captures the image of a moment in time we might otherwise have missed or forgotten. This art makes us stop and admire the lines and curves of the seemingly back-lit, darkened subjects of the scene. Because silhouettes communicate the whimsy and fleeting nature of childhood, I think they are wonderfully employed as illustrations for children's literature -- be it poetry, fantasy, or just a simple story. 


Hans Christian Anderson would often accompany his public story-telling with impromptu designs and small scenes, as he cut them out by hand from paper. Though not specifically silhouette portraits, they were called "paper cuts".

THE AMAZING PAPER CUTTINGS OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON  
by Beth Wagner Brust

Many countries, including China and Turkey, have a history of paper-cutting art.  The French used the term silhouette, after a man by the name of Eteinne de Silhouette, whose very affordable hobby was making cut-out portraits in the profile style; but in Germany, this art was called schernschnitte, which means "scissor cut". 


Starting in the late 19th and early 20th century, some illustrators began using this paper cutting technique for books. Silhouette pictures could easily be printed by blocks that were cheaper to produce and lasted longer than detailed black and white hand drawn illustrations.  Arthur Rackham was one of the earliest illustrators who used silhouette scenes in several of his books.

Modern day children's book illustrators who use paper cuts include DAVID WISNIEWSKI, JAN PIENKOWSKI, CLAY RICE, and NIKKI McCLURE.  (Click on each name to read about their art and books).

Nikki McClure, from The Great Chicken Escape

Clay Rice, The Lonely Shadow

David Wisniewski, The Warrior and the Wise Man

Jan Pienkowski,  from The Thousand Nights and One Night

Source links for more information:
Portrait Silhouettes
History of Paper Cutters
Charles Burns Silhouette Parlour

A CAT IN THE DARK...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We've always been pretty old-fashioned about Halloween.   As a child, my dad was the pumpkin carver, working with us out in the backyard on our old picnic table.  We children were the designers.  As a mom, the fun continued, as I'd glimpse those faraway looks in my own children's eyes, and catch snippets of their conversations with each other about what they wanted to dress up as, and what kind of creations they were going to challenge their dad with carving for them.  It was all about fun and imagination, with a lot of anticipation and excitement thrown in.

Something about going out in the dark of night and seeing all the illuminated neighborhood windows and Jack O'lanterns was - though cozy on the one hand - a bit mischievous and unfamiliar, so we didn't encourage goblin, witch, or gruesome costumes -- just walking around our dark neighborhoods was spooky enough!

Which brings to mind a mesmerizing book by a very talented lady:  THE CAT AT NIGHT, by Dahlov Ipcar.  In this story, we get to spend an evening watching a cat stroll around after dark.  Cats can see in the dark and that's when they like to go exploring!  The pages alternate between almost total darkness, with only silhouettes of the things the cat is passing by, followed by the same scenes in full color that show what is visible to the cat.  He meets other cats before the dawn finally comes, when he must finally leave them and go back to the farmhouse.  He's greeted by the farmer's wife and given milk.  Then he curls up to go to sleep...

And the farmer says, "What a lazy cat.  

He sleeps all night and he sleeps all day, too!"  

But the cat doesn't hear him.  He is dreaming 

about all his adventures in the long, wonderful, dark night.

Another beautiful book by Ipcar (also with an autumn theme) is HARDSCRABBLE HARVEST, in which there is a running battle between a farmer and his wife and the mischievous animals who plunder their fields.  The story is told in rollicking verse, with the distinctive illustrations of Dahlov Ipcar bringing the verse to life.

To read more about Dahlov Ipcar and see her other books and artwork, click here .