So we have all heard this expression before. Pictures do often speak much more than words can. In some cases, such as in illustrated books they enhance the story so much that they become identified with the tale. Good, imaginative illustrations that we see leave an imprint on our minds for ever. We can then never think of the story without the pictures flashing on our inward eye!
Children's classics are a special category of story-telling that I am especially fond of. I remember thinking as a child that I would never tire of some of the stories I read--I vowed that I would keep them on my shelf (under my pillow?) for ever and never allow the "grown-ups" to replace them with serious reading material.
I remember reading "Treasure Island"--a small illustrated one which I pored over till it was in tatters. Classics have the capacity to bring a whole world of rich adventure, fantasy and dreamland within our reach. For those of us who love children's literature, we can never forget the simple joys of childhood or what it means to be a child--and in some sense we never grow up--just like Peter Pan.
I bought a rectangular little book which caught my eye several years ago at some book exhibition--I think for second-hand books. I could not take my eyes off the cover page. Such detailed, evocative and beautiful colours and textures--the picture of a brownish kettle-like sailboat with tiny little people trying to board it to go to sea seemed lovely, gentle and quite extraordinary. Nothing like I had seen before--and certainly I had seen a lot of children's books by then! I immediately bought the book.
I always thought of it as a treasure.
And what do you know--Robert Ingpen, the illustrator who made this picture is one of the world's best! An Australian, he has won the Hans Christian Andersen Prize for Book Illustration--a very prestigious recognition. His contribution to the world of children's illustrations is enormous--he has lent his talent to at least a 100 of the most well-known classics in the western world--and brought his own extremely sensitive and imaginative reinterpretation of these stories to them.
Just a very few of his illustrations below. I am sure you can guess the first story. Those of the kettle and the little people are adapted from an ancient Peruvian myth to do with the Hairy Peruvians who set out on a voyage to Austraila and it is called "The Poppy Kettle Papers". Every year in Geelong, Victoria, one of the towns in Australia an entire festival is held around this tale! It is attended by young children who participate in a parade, wearing costumes associated with the story. What fun.
Can you guess what the last illustration is about--if you guess the name of the story I will try and get the book for you! Click on the pics for a larger view!
Children's classics are a special category of story-telling that I am especially fond of. I remember thinking as a child that I would never tire of some of the stories I read--I vowed that I would keep them on my shelf (under my pillow?) for ever and never allow the "grown-ups" to replace them with serious reading material.
I remember reading "Treasure Island"--a small illustrated one which I pored over till it was in tatters. Classics have the capacity to bring a whole world of rich adventure, fantasy and dreamland within our reach. For those of us who love children's literature, we can never forget the simple joys of childhood or what it means to be a child--and in some sense we never grow up--just like Peter Pan.
I bought a rectangular little book which caught my eye several years ago at some book exhibition--I think for second-hand books. I could not take my eyes off the cover page. Such detailed, evocative and beautiful colours and textures--the picture of a brownish kettle-like sailboat with tiny little people trying to board it to go to sea seemed lovely, gentle and quite extraordinary. Nothing like I had seen before--and certainly I had seen a lot of children's books by then! I immediately bought the book.
I always thought of it as a treasure.
And what do you know--Robert Ingpen, the illustrator who made this picture is one of the world's best! An Australian, he has won the Hans Christian Andersen Prize for Book Illustration--a very prestigious recognition. His contribution to the world of children's illustrations is enormous--he has lent his talent to at least a 100 of the most well-known classics in the western world--and brought his own extremely sensitive and imaginative reinterpretation of these stories to them.
Just a very few of his illustrations below. I am sure you can guess the first story. Those of the kettle and the little people are adapted from an ancient Peruvian myth to do with the Hairy Peruvians who set out on a voyage to Austraila and it is called "The Poppy Kettle Papers". Every year in Geelong, Victoria, one of the towns in Australia an entire festival is held around this tale! It is attended by young children who participate in a parade, wearing costumes associated with the story. What fun.
Can you guess what the last illustration is about--if you guess the name of the story I will try and get the book for you! Click on the pics for a larger view!
Alice, Alice, Alice in Wonderrrland! :) ... now you must buy me the walker illustrated classics version of the book!... Only Rs.400... I have access to it at Rs. 300.
ReplyDeleteAnd of-course the Poppy Kettle papers, so maybe you can buy me another copy of that as well :)