Time for Part Four of the Bookshelf Tour!

These next two shelves are... eclectic.  They've got nearly all my nonfiction after all.



Predatory Dinosaurs of the World: A Complete Illustrated Guide, Gregory S. Paul - Still the most-referenced dinosaur anatomy guide I have. My copy is practically loved to death.

The Dinosaur Heresies, Robert T. Bakker - The classic.  Still a must-read.  She isn't shelved yet but I've got Raptor Red around here too.

The Reader's Digest North American Wildlife, The Editors of Reader's Digest - This kind of has a cute story behind it.  It was my grandparents' field guide and Grammy gave it to me before she passed.  Yes, it's outdated like crazy, but it's still not a bad reference and by golly it's staying in the family.

Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle, Thor Hanson - Gorgeous book that simplifies a surprisingly complex subject.

Picture books by Michel Gange, Tiffany Turrill, and Bill Peet - All are very nice.

Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic - Not much to say here, I've loved these books since childhood.

Retro Hell: Life in the '70s and '80S, from Afros to Zotz, The Editors of Ben is Dead Magazine - I've seen a lot of "Oral history of the late 20'th Century" books but this is my favorite.

Future Evolution, Peter Ward and Alexis Rockman - Got this for the title expecting something akin to Dougal Dixon's books. It's very much not that, but it's worth a read for anyone interested in speculative biology. Speaking of...

The Snouters - Harald Stümpke and Leigh Chadwick - The classic tongue-in-cheek speculative biology.

All Yesterdays and Cryptozoologicon 1, Darren Naish, John Conway, and C.M. Kosemen - Spectacular speculative art of animals real and imagined.

Expedition - As I said before, Barlowe rules and his books are essential.  I've got his Guide to Extraterrestrials and Guide to Fantasy on another shelf.

A Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and Other Winged Dinosaurs, Matthew P. Martyniuk - Beautiful guide and such a wonderful idea you wonder why it hasn't been done before.

The complete Field Guide to Little Known and Seldom Seen Birds of North America collection, Cathryn Sill and John Sill - I've been planning a long post about these books for a while. Maybe this year...?

The Noble Approach: Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design, Tod Polson and Maurice Noble - Haven't had the chance to properly read this yet but it looks fabulous.  Looks like the focus is on design and layout, making this more valuable than just a collection of Noble's art, though that'd be enough.

Magic Color Flair: The World of Mary Blair, John Canemaker and Mary Blair - Outstanding, must-have collection of Mary Blair's art and design.



Picture books by Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and Maurice Sendak - All are outstanding.

Hark! A Vagrant Collection, Kate Beaton -  If you're unfamiliar with this comic, it is adorable and hilarious.

A Creative Companion, SARK - OK, so SARK is a little "woo-woo" as the TetZoo crew would say, but I haven't found another "get that imagination going" book that worked for me as well as this.  Your mileage may vary.

Legendary Northwoods Animals: A Farcical Field Guide, Galen Winter and John Boettcher - Terrific woodcut-style illustrations highlight this guide to mythical North American animals.

Cartoon Animation, Preston Blair - A must-have. I'd even go so far as to say this is the one animation/cartooning instruction book you really need.

Puddles and Wings and Grapevine Swings, Imogene Forte and Marjorie Frank - Dated but excellent arts and crafts instruction book with tips on (to borrow a phrase) raising a Wild Child.

Crafts and Hobbies: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creative Skills, the Editors of Reader's Digest - Another book I "inherited" from my grandmother. It's a good all-around reference guide.

Tetrapod Zoology 1, Darren Naish - A fine collection of some of the earlier articles on Naish's terrific website.

My Year of Flops, Nathan Rabin - Print collection of the very funny former Onion AV Club feature.

Inside Disney, Eve Zibart - An essential for the Disney theme park geek's library.  Insightful and fascinating.

Dragons, Leonardo's Notebooks, and Peterson's Birds - A small selection of economical art books I've collected over the years.

And, of course, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Omnibus, Douglas Adams.  Happy belated Towel Day!

And right next to that, the most beautifullest thing in this world, space for more books!

I'll be taking a little break from the Blog, but I'll be back in July.

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Sketch of the Day!


More original "Final Fantasy" weirdness

When you see the terrier, drink! Let's Read Six by Van Allsburg!

I made some art! I went for weeks without making art and it felt weird! Now I feel better! More (and the bigger version of this painting) at Flickr.

OK, last week the "long stuff on the usual days, quickies on the other days" pattern didn't work out so well. So I'm going back to my good old M/W/F schedule.
For today, it's the Picture Book Analysis project I mentioned way back in October. I saved it until now because now it is December. Which means it's almost Christmas. Which means it's almost time to read The Polar Express with a cup of cocoa.

Originally "published" 3/24/05.

Jumangi
Written and Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
For the Picture Book Analysis Project, I have chosen to review the works of author/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. I will be considering the six books in chronological order. In this way, I will be able to review Van Allsburg's growth as a writer and artist.
Amazingly, Jumangi is only the second book Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated. Already he shows an incredible eye for detail and atmosphere in his illustrations, rendered in black and white conté (a charcoal derivative). The lack of color creates an ominous, dreamlike mood. The illustrations are on single pages, facing blocks of text. This gives the story an even pace even as the tension mounts in the written text. The use of borders around the illustrations enhances the dreamlike effect, as if we're peering through windows into another world.
Van Allsburg's writing is often accused of being boring compared to his illustrations, which is a rather unfair comparison. In Jumangi, the text is mainly used to enhance the story told in the illustrations. Van Allsburg uses it to further the plotline, describing characters and events that aren't shown in the pictures.
This has turned out to be an important thread working throughout Van Allsburg's books. His illustrations are very detailed, but his books still rely strongly on the reader's ability to use her imagination. For this reason, and the fact that his stories tend to be subversively frightening at times, his books are better for students aged seven and above. Jumangi works well as a read-aloud and as an independent reader. As a read-aloud, children are compelled by the exciting story. As an independent reader, they have a chance to study Van Allsburg's meticulous artwork firsthand.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Written and Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is my single favorite Chris Van Allsburg book, and that's saying a lot.
There is no story. Just a collection of fourteen stunning Van Allsburg illustrations, each accompanied by a title and a short line of text. It's as if the artist has chosen to boil down his storytelling skill to its very essence. Van Allsburg's writing is often accused of being rather dull and redundant when compared to his evocative artwork. He usually uses text only to further the plot along and describe elements of the story that aren't contained in the illustrations.
In Mysteries, aside from a brief introduction crediting the drawings to a mystery artist, there are less than two hundred words of body text. Therefore, almost all the storytelling is done within the illustrations. In the mere three years between Jumangi and Mysteries, the increases in Van Allsburg's skill with conté and his confidence in his gift are nothing short of extraordinary. The black and white illustrations show incredible depth and detail, and the imagination they show is breathtaking.
Once again, this is a book that trusts the reader's ability to use her imagination. However, reading Mysteries is clearly a solo experience. It is perhaps best appreciated as an independent reader for older students. They have a chance to study the illustrations, but they also have an opportunity to expand on the stories within the drawings. While the artwork can be enjoyed on its own merits, any one of the pictures can be taken as a wonderful starting place for a creative writing project.

The Polar Express
Written and Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
Here is Chris Van Allsburg's signature book. Within a decade of its publication, The Polar Express had already established itself as a holiday classic. Not surprisingly, I know many fans (myself included) who read this book on an annual basis: on Christmas Eve, accompanied by a mug of hot cocoa.
Polar Express is one of Van Allsburg's few works featuring color. He has switched from his favorite medium of conté crayon to chalk pastels. Once again, his confidence in his abilities as an artist is increasing. The absence of color in his earlier works gave the books a mysterious, dreamlike quality. The addition of the element of color creates more realism. The first and final illustrations in the book are nearly photorealistic, while the remaining illustrations, with their fantastic settings and characters, are made more surreal. Perhaps Van Allsburg made the artistic decision to use color in order to increase the believability of Santa's workshop. (Of course, there's still the artist's trademark ominous air. The North Pole could be mistaken for an industrial park, were it not for the elves and cheerful twinkling lights, and Santa Claus would be hardly recognizable without his distinctive red suit.)
Furthermore, the formatting in Polar Express is highly unusual for a Van Allsburg book. I like to think of the illustrations as "letterboxed"; they're bordered double-page spreads with a bit of room set aside on either the far left or far right for a few paragraphs of text. Once again, Van Allsburg makes it very clear that the illustrations are, so to speak, the stars of the book. The text is simply a supporting player.
The Polar Express is very moving for older readers, reading independently. It is also a compelling read-aloud for much younger children, and is perfectly fine for first graders.
Just make sure you get to them before somebody decides to subject them to the movie.

The Widow's Broom
Written and Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
This is an unusual work from Chris Van Allsburg. In the three books I have studied so far, the text supports his illustrations. The illustrations are clearly the stars of the books. However, in The Widow's Broom, the text is on equal footing with the visual elements of the book. Broom was published in 1992, almost a full decade since Jumangi. In that time, we've seen Van Allsburg's skill as a visual storyteller increase dramatically. But now, we finally see an increase in his confidence as a literal storyteller.
The illustrations in Broom are, naturally, still fantastic. Once again, they are conté crayon, black and white, and highly atmospheric. Most of the illustrations are single-page pieces facing the text, but there are a few double-page spreads. These explain parts of the story that wouldn't come across as easily in the text, and as we've seen in most Van Allsburg books, quite the opposite is usually true.
I described The Polar Express illustrations as bringing to mind a letterboxed (wide-screen) movie. This time, the format is noticeably tall instead of long, which is very unique (the visual cortex is wired for horizontal compositions; this is why you almost never see films -or books- formatted in "tall-screen"). This layout serves the text more readily than the illustrations, emphasizing the fact that the text is the star this time out.
The Widow's Broom is a touching tale about the cruelty of intolerance. With that said, it's best used as a read-aloud for second-grade and above, and would be a fine book to discuss afterward.

The Sweetest Fig
Written and Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
Published one year after The Widow's Broom, The Sweetest Fig is sort of a return to form for Chris Van Allsburg. Once again, the text is less prominent than the illustrations. The storyline is amusing, but not as memorable as the four books I've analyzed so far. To be honest, it's one of his weaker efforts.
But even a comparatively boring Van Allsburg has more interesting things going on in any given illustration than some novels have in their entire length.
The Sweetest Fig is only the second book in this study where Van Allsburg has used color. It appears that the drawings are rendered in chalk pastels, as in The Polar Express. Color is used in a very different way this time. In Polar Express, the colors were very vivid, but in this book they are subdued. In fact, most of the illustrations barely appear to have any color in them at all, except for one or two elements such as the titular figs, and they immediately command attention as a result.
The formatting is also similar to that of The Polar Express. They're bordered double-page spreads with a bit of room set aside for a paragraph or two of text. This time, the text only has a tiny white square set aside for it.
The Sweetest Fig is not one of Chris Van Allsburg's masterpieces, but it could be a fun read-aloud for younger children. They will especially enjoy the magical justice served to the nasty main character by his long-suffering dog.

Bad Day at Riverbend
Written and Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
This one is another personal favorite of mine. With that said, I have a hard time ruining the surprise ending, as it is one of my favorite aspects of the book. I will try to make this a spoiler-free analysis.
Bad Day At Riverbend is at once obviously unlike anything Chris Van Allsburg has ever done before. It's almost unrecognizable as one of his works. In this book, for reasons that are integral to the plot, he has switched from his favorite medium of conté and pastels to pen, ink, and wax crayon. The illustrations are stark, simple outlines. He returns to his usual drawing style only in the final pages of the book.
The formatting in Riverbend is also unlike any other Van Allsburg book, because the text finally gets to share visual space with the illustrations, without being blocked in by borders or stuck on a facing page. The illustrations are all double-page spreads, and there are no borders at all until the very last page.
Just how distinct is this from any other Van Allsburg book? Well, this is the only book in this entire report where I wasn't able to find the trademark bull terrier he always seems to be able to sneak in.
I have a hard time imagining this kind of book working as a read-aloud, and I don’t know if very young children would understand the ending. Because of its high-concept story, Bad Day at Riverbend is probably best enjoyed by older children reading by themselves (the closest relative this book has is clearly David Wiesner's The Three Pigs). The reality of the "bad day", and its revelation, is ingenious.
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I'll be talking about Christmas movies and specials in the near-future. Until then, why not enjoy the best turkeys of the past decade, care of The Onion AV Club?

I haven't yet seen "The Happening" or "The Wicker Man", and I don't know if I could bring myself to sit through "Battlefield Earth", but I have seen "D Wars" and it is as awesomely insane as it sounds. So OK, ratbrains, which of these movies do you secretly like?

"Paul McCartney: The Music and Animation Collection" and a return to NIMH?

Who knew there was an animated adaptation of David Wiesner's Tuesday? And who knew that it was one of the most downright perfect adaptations of a picture book ever? (These are way too rare and tend to be quite short.) And who knew that Sir Paul McCartney was behind it?

And who knew that both Google and YouTube would fail me in finding the short.  But fear not, for it is available on the very nice "Paul McCartney Music and Animation Collection" DVD, which I rented off Netflix on impulse after seeing it and immediately thinking, "ZOMG 'Rupert and The Frog Song'!!!"

The DVD title is a bit of a tease. Technically, McCartney looks to have been the instigator: the real star here is the work of the crew headed by the brilliant animation director Geoff Dunbar. He and Paul McCartney have collaborated on several very nice shorts, not all of which are included on the DVD, and are currently bandying about the idea of working on a feature together. There is much more information about this at Cartoon Brew.

That Brew post also includes a very short clip of "Frog Song" (the entire film does not appear to be online) and as I mentioned before, this short inspired me to rent the DVD. It still is one of my favorite pieces of animation. As a child, this was utterly enthralling. Even back then, I liked that a lot of things in the short are left totally unexplained. And when else have you ever gotten a thrill from a phrase like "Frogs Only beyond this point"?

There's a third short on the DVD that, honestly, was so bland that I barely recall the title. But apparently it stars the characters that will be expanded upon in the upcoming Dunbar/McCartney film collaboration. Huh...

A quick look at Amazon reveals that the DVD is out of print, so if I've piqued your curiosity, grab a copy if you can.

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So in other news... apparently the guy who used to be behind Walden Media (the studio responsible for several recent adaptations of varying quality and accuracy of the chapter books that defined your childhood and mine) and the writer/director of "The Illusionist" (I liked the other "Hot Guys Play Dueling Old-Timey Magicians" movie better) are working on an adaptation of Robert C. O'Brien's book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
 
This is going to get very, very interesting very, very quickly, once the word gets out.

You see, if that title sounds familiar, it is because the book inspired a movie that I may have mentioned is my favorite movie ever: "The Secret of NIMH". My knee-jerk reaction to a second NIMH adaptation, and I am totally honest about this, is, "Really? Huh. Interesting."
Because, you see, I understand the difference between a remake and another adaptation of a book that has already inspired a film. You'd think this would be an easy concept to grasp, but it looks like I may be rare in possessing the ability to know the difference. I learned this during the long, L-O-N-G summer of 2005...

That's the main reason reason why it will be very interesting to see how the rest of the "Secret of NIMH" fandom reacts. My prediction is that the indignation isn't going to be of the "OH NOES THEY IS ATTACKING MY CHILDHOOD!!!" variety (NIMH-rods tend to be some of the smartest fans I've known).

It will be over the use of Live-action/CGI. Which will make this movie look not only like another remake of a well-liked 80's cult movie, but also another damn talking rodent movie.