Showing posts with label children's illustration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children's illustration. Show all posts

Thursday, December 15, 2011

My favorite Rob Ryan Books



I can't say enough about Rob Ryan's paper cut designs. I've followed his works through his blog and Etsy shop for years and they never fail to be a source of wonder and inspiration to me. They are all beautifully intricate, detailed illustrations with just a touch of whimsy. The time and patience it takes to complete each piece is amazing. He has collaborated with fashion designers and his screen printed paper cuts are famous.

The Gift by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and paper cut artist Rob Ryan tells a tale of a young girl and her granted wish to be buried in an enchanting glade she happens upon. The story goes on to follow her life as she lives her life to the fullest, becoming an artist, marriage, and motherhood. It is a beautifully written book and the pictures that accompany the words can almost tell a tale of its own.











Rob Ryan's latest book is A Sky Full Of Kindness, which he both wrote and illustrated. I love that he incorporated the text into the paper cuts themselves. The handmade quality is very unique. This story is about a bird couple who are about to become parents for the first time. Through their journey, the birds learn the greatest lesson of all; unconditional love.











Handmade Portraits: Rob Ryan from Etsy on Vimeo.


I am such a fan of his craft and his philosophy about love!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

2011 is Year of the Rabbit




Last week I was shopping around for a bilingual Chinese + English children's book for my future niece. It's technically my first cousin's daughter but in my family we call practically every female relation and non-relation 'cousin' or 'aunt'.

I came across a wonderful and unique story Monkey and Rabbit Together retold by Dr. Mike Lockett and illustrated by Ming-Jen Hsu.

The story is based on an African folktale about two friends faced with each other's bad habits. A monkey and rabbit have a contest to see who can sit still the longest without exhibiting any of their bad habits. Monkey has a bad habit of scratching while Rabbit sniffs constantly. While telling stories to pass the time, both Monkey and Rabbit can't help but fall back into their old behavior. By the end of the story the two friends learn to accept the other's 'annoying' habits with humor. The tale is a simple and genuine lesson about friendship.

Hsu's illustrations are wonderfully drawn. The animals' facial expressions crack me up. I especially liked his addition of animals joining in during their contest.

An audio CD comes with the book to help kids follow the story on their own. Monkey and Rabbit is in a bilingual format with English on one side and when flipped over, Chinese is on the other side.