Fishes

Fishes
Brian Wildsmith ~ Oxford University Press, 1968

Just in case you haven't had enough Wildsmith of late, here's one more to add to your subconscious. Following the same theme as our family favorite, Birds, (d'uh), here Brian uses grouping names as a conduit to share his lovely underwater illustrations.

His visuals are always astounding.

A herd of sea horses.

A company of archerfish.

A glide of flying fish.

There's a quote on Brian's Website that I thought particularly lovely. “I believe that beautiful picture books are vitally important in subconsciously forming a child’s visual appreciation, which will bear fruit in later life.”

Here, here. If you are interested in reading more, a great interview with the artist ran in the Independent last spring. It's a fun read, but in knowing a lot about Brian's picture books and his eye for color, the design geek in me really just wants to see pictures of his house. Right?

Also by:
A Child's Garden of Verses
Professor Noah's Spaceship
Maurice Maeterlinck's Blue Bird
Brian Wildsmith's Birds
The Hare and the Tortoise
Squirrels

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The Magpie's Nest

The Magpie's Nest
William Stobbs ~ Joseph Jacobs ~ Follett, 1970

Today is the day my son tours his new school for next year. He is excited about first grade but terrified by the idea of going into it via Spanish Immersion. "I'm happy with the language I have, Mommy." Ouch. So, this week I'll be giving him all sorts of reassuring love about how awesome it is to be bilingual... and reading him all kinds of books about the things he loves best, pájaros.

All the birds of the air came to the magpie and asked her to teach them how to build nests. For the magpie is the cleverest bird of all at building nests. So she put all the birds round her and began to show them how to do it.

This is a funny little old English fairy tale about how the magpie teaches other birds to build nests, but the other birds are to impatient to wait until the end, so they each leave only taking a wee bit of the lesson with them. Thus, why all birds build nests differently. Never can say no to an illustrated nest, or two.


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Great Monday Give: The Monster at the End of This Book

Let us hark back to my secret Muppet past for a moment. As longtime readers know, I was a huge Jim Henson fan in my youth and worked for the company for a while when I was in New York in their children's publishing division.... So I'm still a sucker for vintage Sesame Street, and usually can't say no, like in this case... The Great Monday Give for today is a sweet, 1977-printing vintage edition of THE Sesame Street classic, the Little Golden Book fave, The Monster at the End of This Book starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover. I know everyone and their grandmother has a copy of this book, but I still thought somebody, somewhere might still need to give their child the creeps in the most wonderful way. To be entered to win, all you have to do is comment on this post between now and May 15, Sunday at 11:59 PM. A winner will be selected at random and anounced the next day. Case in point...

The winner of the last give of Hey Al! is ChristyJan. E-mail me at webe(at)soon(dot)com and thanks again for playing. Everyone, really.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, Meems! (circa 1972...)

Update Friday: Do you know what I'm going to do next Saturday?

Welcome to Update Friday.. they day when I dust off a post from way back when and update it with new scans and thoughts. Here's a great one from 2008 about a book I scored when I was taking care of my mother when she almost died a few summers back. (Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Glad you made it...) Please enjoy the ex-Mrs. Dr. Seuss classic, Do you know what I'm going to do next Saturday?

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Squirrels

Squirrels
Brian Wildsmith ~ Oxford University Press, 1974

I'd always get tickled watching tourists foreign tourists in NYC taking pictures of squirrels, as if they were some magical creature of legend. When really, here in the U.S., they are everywhere. Albiet cute and curious, they are often times more pest than pet. That said, I've rescued many a squirrel in my life. From babies fallen from trees to full-grown (probably rabid) adults staggering in Central Park. No one can resist a squirrel, no matter how unsanitary or troublesome they may be. It would take a lifetime to understand everything about this all-too-common yet mysterious creature, but here, Brian Wildsmith sums them up in a few pages... a few pages filled with his signature color and vibrancy.

It is easy to recognize a squirrel. He is a furry, small animal with a long, bushy tail, two strong back legs, two small front paws, two large tufted ears which stick up, and two big front teeth. He looks happy and mischievous.

From where squirrels live (in trees BTW) to the many uses of its tail to how they store food for the winter, this endearing book will have you wishing you had one as a pet.... though I wouldn't recommend it. Many a squirrel pet story has ended in tragedy. My neighbor whose pet squirrel was electrocuted while eating the cord on her stove... my mother who was crestfallen as a small girl when her pet squirrel returned to the wild. The adorable pets my husband and I allowed to live in our attic until they tore up all our installation. Falling in love with a squirrel is sure to end in heartbreak, so why don'y you just look at these pictures and squeal, instead.

Good enough?

Also by:
A Child's Garden of Verses
Professor Noah's Spaceship
Maurice Maeterlinck's Blue Bird
Brian Wildsmith's Birds
The Hare and the Tortoise

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The Times Interview: Tomi Ungerer

In case you didn't see it... Andrew Billen's great Times' interview with Tomi Ungerer...

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