"WE THREE KINGS"...A ROYAL RENDERING

WE THREE KINGS is another beautiful offering by Russian artist, Gennady Spirin!  (To read my past posts about him, click here.)  


His lavish illustrations of this well-known Christmas carol will not disappoint you!  He dedicated this book to his three sons.

From Publisher's Review:  "Opulence befitting royalty characterizes Spirin's lush, jewel-hued watercolor-and-colored-pencil interpretation of the beloved carol about the three wise men (and their extensive entourages) who traverse afar. A spread rendered in an antique-like palette and featuring a host of singing, trumpeting angels in an inky, starlit sky marks each refrain of the familiar tune. Although younger readers will need help understanding some of the phrasing, they'll be happy to read or hum along, or just gaze at the sumptuously outfitted parade of camels, elephants, horses and kings making their way to Bethlehem. All ages."

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)