Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury - I love Jan Brett's art and this is a very nice omnibus of her charming Christmas-themed picture books.
Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation, Charles Solomon - Outstanding, must-own art book and condensed history of (mostly American) animated shorts and features, with a few stops along the way to briefly discuss animated commercials, music videos, and special effects. Starts with "Gertie the Dinosaur", ends with "Jurassic Park", and has a wealth of animation art throughout.
Your Favorite Seuss -Basic, but good, collection of art from Dr. Suess' classic picture books.
After Man and The New Dinosaurs, Dougal Dixon -The first of many speculative biology books! I've reviewed both books before and while they are dated, they are essential for the science-fiction illustrator's collection.
The Alien Life of Wayne Barlowe - Criminy, I need to show more love to Barlowe on this here blog. We'll run into his better known books later, but this is a very nice overview of his art and career. It makes me long for a book showcasing all his creature designs for films, though.
Gnomes, Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet - Essential, gorgeous book. I love the world-building so much.
Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee and Good Faeries, Bad Faeries by Brian Froud - Faeries is yet another must-have for your illustrator's library. It's gorgeous and inspiring. Good Faeries, Bad Faeries is a fine companion.
Arthur Rackham, James Hamilton - Haven't had a chance to properly read this one yet, but it's a very nice collection of Rackham's illustrations.
Mythopoeikon, Patrick Woodroffe - A former library book I discovered at my college's book sale and it blew me away. Great psychedelic art.
Since the World Began: Walt Disney World - The First 25 Years, Jeff Kurtti - An essential part of any Disney theme park nerd's library.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds: The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World, Dr. Christopher M. (ed.) Perrins - Found this giant, beautifully illustrated book in Buck-A-Book and it's been in my library ever since.
The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide, Fred Cooke and Hugh Dingle - An illustrated animal encyclopedia is a must-have and this one's pretty good.
And here's a pile of picture books, any one of which I'd recommend heartily. We're almost finished with the tour!
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Sketch of the Day
The first "Final Fantasy" continues to be strange.
