Artists Books

I'm a longtime fan of Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series who recently read "The White Mercedes". Upon reviewing that rather interesting book, Amazon showed me this little book in my recommendations. The excellent price and intriguing description made me purchase it. I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed in the least.

"The Broken Bridge" is a really great novel for young adults about fitting in and dealing with family. Ginny's life, which she's rarely questioned, comes into question when she discovers a brother, a best friend's older sister, and her own past. Ginny is a pretty cool character, in that she's really easy to relate to. Her awkwardness at times and fears are realistic. Her anger makes sense. She's a perfectly constructed person, living inside a book. Other characters are equally real.

I liked Ginny's development over the summer, emotional and otherwise. She's a bit impulsive and that makes for an interesting read. Thankfully, this novel is very teen-friendly (minus a few swear-words) and should pass any "appropriateness" test, though it deals with serious subjects very well. It will capture the reader quickly and strongly, until you really want to know what happens. And the ending does not disappoint.

"The Broken Bridge" manages to deal with a number of serious issues quite well. Ginny, as a mixed-race teen, faces a number of racial insecurities, living alone with her white father and white community. Her strong artistic bond to her mother is meaningful as well, and this artistic aspect to the novel should draw in (no pun intended) artists as well. The way she views the world is quite special and unique.

Mysterious, well written, and absolutely enjoyable, "The Broken Bridge" is not the same fantasy Pullman, but still the same fantastic Pullman. Highly recommended!

Not up to the same standard as 'His Dark Materials' but it's aimed at a different market, I guess.

I found the writing good, creating that dreamlike, unreal, almost nightmarish feeling when your world is suddenly turned upside down.
The book grips you and you feel dragged along with our heroine as she tries to make sense of what is happening and the 'visions' she has; the only failing is the ending which seems a bit of an anticlimax.

Nevertheless, a very good read.

This is a wonderful book. I think it will resonate with many readers, who might relate to it even though the circumstances are unique.

Philip Pullman has a powerful gift. It convinces us to not only enter into the minds of his protagonists with sympathy, but to emerge actually caring about them. I really miss Ginny now, having finished the book. I try, in my imagination, to watch her grow up. I think she'll be brilliant, just like many of the readers who can relate to her and her step-brother.

As you begin reading the book, you're not told a whole lot; and I liked that. It made me more alert to cues in her thinking, watching her moods and the things that happen around her that she doesn't quite pay enough attention to.

On the other hand, the things she *does* notice are with the eyes of an artist, and one with a creative imagination. Readers who also like to draw and paint will find lots to like about the way Ginny thinks. It's a view of an artist's way, from an artist himself... and just like the best art, it moves something in us in a very subtle but profound way.

The book deals with feelings of isolation, which many of us encounter through race issues but everyone *could* understand, given a writer like Pullman. And then there's the matter of growing up. What happens when Ginny's secure world seems too small, but getting out of it is too scary? What happens when what she thinks she knows is not half of what's really there beneath her nose? Pullman makes her story a lot like our own story. We're hooked.

Her growing awareness of others' lives, her ability to move from a genuine and thoughtful sympathy to actual empathy - putting herself in their shoes, rather than looking at their shoes from her perspective, so to speak - is handled so well, I can't help but think we readers all benefit too.

Philip Pullman will probably always be best known for the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. This may be appropriate, as this trilogy - The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass - are superior fantasy. But there is more to Pullman than these three books. The Broken Bridge is a standalone novel that shows Pullman's skills go beyond just a single genre.

The Broken Bridge is the story of Ginny, a black (actually mixed-race) sixteen year old girl living in Wales with her white father. Despite the disadvantages of having a long-deceased mother (who came from Haiti) and being one of the very few non-whites in her coastal community, Ginny is reasonably well-adjusted. This stable life comes to a close, however, when a social worker appears at her house. Shortly thereafter, her father reveals something that will completely upset her life: her father had a son by another woman; the woman is dying and soon her half-brother will be living with them.

This revelation is only the first of many that will completely turn Ginny's life upside-down and make her question everything and everyone she has known. The most damaged relationship, however, is with her father who still has a number of other secrets that are beginning to leak out. But there are other truths that will be learned too, regarding her friends, her grandparents and her mother.

This is classified as a "young adult" novel, as most of Pullman's books are, but like his other works, these can actually appeal to any adult readers. I would guess it gets this classification because it is tame from a sex, violence or language standpoint, but the topics - including racism, adultery and even murder - are not exactly "childish."

Pullman is as a good a writer as always. The only disappointment readers are likely to experience is if they expect something like His Dark Materials. Outside of possibly one scene, this story is completely non-fantasy. But if you realize that Pullman can do more than just that one genre, you will find this is another is another good book by him.

The Broken Bridge is a beautifully written book about a girl named Ginny Howard, who is one of the very few black children in Wales. Ginny lives with her father, striving to reach her goal of becoming an artist. Then she finds out that she has a white half-brother named Robert. Even worse, she is illegitimate. Knowing that her father may not be telling her the whole truth about her own life, Ginny decides to find out all that she can about herself and her mother. The plot is embellished with Ginny's unique ideas about herself and also her artistic views. This book was very inspiring and I find that I can associate many of the things discussed in it with my own life. I am definitely better off from reading it.

An easy to understand book for kids with a great message. I read this book to my nephew and niece over the holidays and they loved the book (great illustrations too). Mookey is one incredible rabbit -- he shows kids that they can do anything and to have fun along the way!!

I bought the book for my two year old nephew, and he loves the book. He asks my sister to read it to him for his bedtime story. He loves the Bunny Rabbit illustrations!

Kudos to the author/illustrator of Bunny Rabbit on the Moon! Working with children, I was happy with the book's message that you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it,and that it is important to experience new things in life. The illustrations were framed nicely and contained delightful details. I highly recommend this book. It would make the perfect gift for families with young children.

I bought this book for all the kids on my Christmas shopping list. I love the underlying message of this book, and the illustrations are adorable.

I enjoyed reading the book and sharing it with those around me. The book playfully describes little mookeys big ideas and his adventures in accomplishing them. I think my favorite part is how little mookeys story and the ability for us to accomplish big dreams ourselves becomes real when you look at the moon. I read the story to my kids during a camping trip. Afterwards we all watched the moon and discussed some of our "big dreams". It made for a great evening but also opened our eyes to what we can accomplish if we set our heart and minds to it.

the quality of the research and the color of the paintings are outstanding.
Also the CD-ROM has an unbelievable amount of information on the artist's
works and their provenance.
Dr.John T. Spike's 20 years of research is shared with the reader and is so readable and engaging.

My husband and I just came back from Italy and we had to have a Caravaggio book. His painting in Vatican museum was especially memorable! I picked this book and it is very good. I agree with the earlier comments that some (not "many") pictures are poor quality (too red), but many photographs are very good, nice size for an art book and very important - it is an interesting and detailed research.

My library contains many various volumes on the subject of Caravaggio--fiction, biography, fictionalized biography and photo surverys of his works--but if I were allowed only one book on this most extradordinary painter and his life I'd take "Caravaggio" by John T. Spike. In this weighty large-format picture-book Mr. Spike has given us the most complete look at the artist and his works currently available, presented in graceful depth so as to engage any interested reader and art enthusiast regardless of the nature of his commitment. It's unusual to find such an authoritative colaboration of art historical expertise and first quality illustration as we have here, a book to read, study and savor.

The reproductions are excellent. The binding is fine and the cover handsome. The writing is solid academically. I would have liked the book to have had more information on the artist and his life. Much is left to be done in the study of Caravaggio. His life still seems to be quite mysterious. His probable use of optics and mirrors in his work is touched on and needs further exploration. This book provides a good introduction to Caravaggio and his paintings in a handsome package.

Great book on the greatest of all Italian painters. Glorious plates. And the text is a pretty good bio.

I absolutely loved reading this book! It provided me with an insight into the life of Chanel including all of her successes and struggles. It really made an impression on me and I would encourage anyone who is looking for a good read to pick up this book. Not only was it very informative, it also provided a great story full of saddness, love, and many other touching and motivating elements.

I haven't read the book but I really need a picture of Coco Chanel. Is there any about? I need it for my A Level French Course work!!!! Any Help Thanks xxxxxx

This book is very good. The text isn't hard to read, and in this book are allot of pictures, only in black and white. There should have been also a few colour pictures. This book is only looking at the period that Coco Chanel designed the collections and not the Karl Lagerfeld era.

This is a spectacularly beautiful and insightful view of a woman who was the major force in 20th century fashion. It is elegantly written and sumptuously illustrated and no doubt will become the definitive book on Coco Chanel. I learned a great deal that I did not know before and I had a long career in fashion. This book will delight men as well as women because it contains many revealing stories about Chanel's sexual escapades. Buy it by all means!

I have always been fascinated by whatever's written about her ever since I received a Chanel purse for an 18th birthday present. There have been a number of books written about Chanel, I'm sure but Janet Wallach's will not disappoint any reader. It is simple and elegantly written with beautiful black and white illustrations. Even if one is not a fan of Chanel's style, you will be intrigued by her notorious life as told here. Either for yourself or a friend, a nice book to keep and look through now and again.

After I picked up Suite Française by Irene Nemirovsky, I happened to look at the cover-design credit and recognized the name Chip Kidd. After a moment's reflection as to the source of my familiarity with the designer, I walked over to my bookshelf and picked up a volume from my collection of Osamu Tezuka's Buddha. Sure enough, Kidd had designed the covers for the entire series (incidentally, I found the design one part frustrating and one part inspiring, as the spines line up nicely and thematically but the half-jacket is kind of obnoxious to deal with).

After that, I went through my shelves and picked out any of the books that I thought had interesting covers. At least half of those were designed by Kidd as well. Kafka on the Shore. Pagan Babies. The Enigma of Japanese Power. Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans. Et cetera.

I was intrigued, Googled our dear designer, and found that he was more popular than I had properly imagined. This piqued still further my curiosity. And so now I have another book with a cover designed by Kidd: Chip Kidd: Book One: Work: 1986-2006, a 400-page volume exhibiting a sample of his book-jacket designwork from the last twenty years.

The book itself is a treasure. A visual smorgasbord of styles and themes. A veritable cornucopia of novel treatments. While there is an occasional overlap of feel or technique (or some other abstract quantification equally obscured and subjective), the breadth of design direction is truly impressive.

Kidd is clearly a creative devil.

And this collection of his work is impressively presented. Book One is a treat for both the eyes and the mind. While a mere presentation of the jacket designs themselves would be a worthwhile scheme for a design collection such as this, the work is elevated by helpful descriptions both of product and process by the creator himself as well as reactions penned by authors/victims of his creative process. Kidd's text shows both a joy in his work and a look into what goes into the crafting of a book jacket that enlarges upon the work it containsand does so with humour and more apparent humility than I would have expected.

I found the book so interesting that I blew through the entire thing in two days. Doubtlessly, I'll return to it time and again over the coming months and years. In any case, I highly recommend it to those interested in thoughtful design, a pairing of words too rare in our day.

NOTE: a big bone of contention is not the visual design of the volume's cover but its physical properties. While its dimensions are perfectly suitable for an art collection/coffee table read, the unique composition of its cover can be difficult to negotiate. The hardback cover only extends (front and back) to the point of the spine of the book photographed on the cover. Inside the hardback cover is a paperback cover that extends to house the rest of the book. It is awkward, certainly, and took a bit of getting used to, but once I became accustomed to the book, holding it comfortably ceased to be a difficulty. Heh, a book with a physical learning curvethat was a new one for me.

This is a great, great book. If you're a fan of Kidd's work, by all means buy this book. If you are at all interested in truly inspirational graphic design, this book is a must-have.

PROS: having so many of Kidd's designs in one place is worth the price of admission, inclusion of the development and back story of each cover is interesting and elucidating, stories of his adventures in the trade are well-written and fun to learn about.

CONS: the cover is awkward, the shape of the book makes it hard to hold while reading - you really have to put it on something flat - it's sometimes difficult to decipher exactly which pictures the captions are referencing.

There is a definite form-over-function issue with the book, but the content is what counts - and that gets 5 stars from me without a quibble.

I HAD to buy this book after having read about it in another forum. Kidd's artworks are superb!

This book is bound with a split hardback/softback cover, so if you appreciate design -- which I assume you do since you're considering a compilation of book designs -- the book is worth buying for this odd cover arrangement alone.

This an excellent ,colorful book with very useful and informative comments,they are also humorous.Kidd mentions that he shows failed designs when he lectures to show that even a successful designer has failures.Unfortunately,in my opinion,the jacket for this volume falls in this category,its clever but not practical.because the cover is split in two parts its an irritation to hold and eventually the cover will be bent when laying down or storing in shelf.Still a must have in this genre.Now how about a Susan Mitchell collection?
ps.i followed my advice and bought the hardcover .Amazing its even more unwieldy,the cover is half hard and half soft,yikes!I ended up buying the soft cover to keep and treat it very carefully ,was that the point of this nutty design?I guess this cover will enter the hall of fame and certainly will be a collectors item if its never opened.Argghh!!!

Anyone in love with and charmed by the beauty of France (as I am) will love this book. The illustrations are absolutely lovely.

Already in love with Margaret Hall Hoybach's painting style, I should have known that once I opened her book, both the words and the brush strokes would carry me, faster and faster, through to the very last page. Margaret enables the reader to see, hear, smell, taste, and experience her weeks traveling and painting across France.

It's 10:30 P.M. and I just finished Colors of France: A Painting Pilgrimage. I couldn't put it down---the book is a phenomenal experience. The reader journeys with Margaret while Joan's text flows from Margaret's perceptions. Both women are exceptionally talented. This is a wonderful book.

Feasting and fasting, reflection and spontaneity, fellowship and solitude - all the elements of a pilgrimage are contained in this intimate account of Margaret Hall Hoybach's journey to paint Monet's gardens. Her sketches and paintings convey the wonder of her journey. Joan Brown captures the creative spark that propels an artist forward and the moments of conversion that await those willing to embrace their dreams. Colors of France is filled with rich, inviting textures arrayed for any traveler, regardless of destination. Hoybach's willingness to share her experience leads me to examine my own path. A good book to share with a friend.

I very much enjoyed this delightfully personal and emotional journey through the backroads of a France not previously known. The beautiful illustrations by one of my favorite artists gave the reader vivid images of this gorgeous landscape. For a non-artist, it was especially interesting to experience the journey through an artist's eye...an artist very worthy of the invitation to paint Monet's gardens. The book is a wonderful collaboration by a gifted painter and a talented writer.

Rigorous research of police archives regarding murder cases ocurred in Paris in the 19 th. century. Every case is written in a narrative style that captures the reader form the beginning to the end. This is the best book I have ever read as a journalist and crime investigator. Black and white photographs compiled in this volume are unique.

Raw real life photography, if you have a weak stomache then this
book is not for you. If you think crime is bad today this book will shock you, black and white images of death from the late 1800's to the very early 1900's. This book, though, is a must-have for the true crime buff. Whether it be for the photos, or the stories of how the people were found and how they passed. I can usually look at shocking photos, but this book made me feel like the other photos were nothing, compared to these. If you want a real conversation piece AND a piece of history buy this book. The positions of some of the people are disturbing.

If you're not interested in crime, homocide, early criminological studies, or Paris or have a delicate constitution, don't read this book. However, if these things fascinate you, pay as much as the seller asks because this is a good one. The photos were discovered in Paris by Eugenia Parry, a photography scholar. The photos she found were old Bertillon photos of crime scenes in Paris. Ms Parry then matched the photos to newspaper reports. Some are grotesque, all make you catch your breath: this is what we do to oneanother. Twelve years later came WWI, the trenches, artillery, machine guns and gas. The acts described in this book were not so efficiently conducted. This is a book you won't easily forget.

I truly agree with some of the previous reviews,but let me give you an opinion on someone who knows crime photography well.this book is so well organized as far as text, bescause of the fact that it gives you complete stories behind the photos,plus early crime photos that are magnificent as well as tastefull,(believe me,I've seen some that are much worse,but still very intense photos),makes this book one of the best and most tastefully done works on crime photography I have ever owned!It's not a gore book relying primarily on shock value for it's saleability.Although the only thing it does'nt include is photo type reference,although they are all dated.Take it from a collector of early crime photography,this book is truly a gem!

This is a very disturbing book, with some extremely gruesome photographs of real-life violent crime scenes and murder victims from Paris around a hundred years ago. The author gives us the fascinatingly tragic and horrible stories behind the photographs, showing us that fact is sometimes stranger and more disturbing than fiction. From the murder of a courtesan to a limbless torso found in a suitcase floating in the river, to an infant neglected to death by his own parents, to an old bag lady found strangled in the bed of her run-down shack, to a waiter who killed a fellow waiter, to a dead body incinerated to hide its existence,--these were all well-publicized sensationalistic crimes which filled the public with titillation, fear and dread. This unique book is simply a must-read for anyone interested in criminology and the "true crime" genre.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

although this is a great book at a great buy, the shipping took about a month. this book seems to have a low avaliability so if you can just go the the local book store and buy it instead.

I really enjoyed this book even though it doesn't really have many words in it at all. I really like the art for Evangelion and also the other series in here as well. I also found out that Yoshiyuki also did a few album covers for some famous American singer. This book features the art of Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Wings of Hominese, and a two more I am not very sure about. This book is just a must have for anyone who likes anime and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. I absolutely love his work because of the way it is portrayed on paper with cg, and water color. Not only that it is also because I have something that is from one of my favorite series (Eva). He is a great big insparation to me and I know what the truck I am talking about because I am a fellow Anime artist as well.

The artwork of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is simply amazing to behold. One cannot help but be moved by it. Even Eric Clapton, who'd never seen Sadamoto's anime designs, was impressed, and asked Sadamoto to design the cover to his Pilgrim album, the art for which is found in this very collection.
It's gorgeous renderings of his work from Evangelion, Nadia, and Wings of Honneamaise, as well as some original pieces created for this collection.
It's a beautiful collection, well worth picking up.

Given one glance through this book, otaku or not, you'll find yourself immersed in this man's art! Not to be underestimated, and most importantly, to be appreciated by all, this book gives new meaning to the term Art Book.

Wow! Almost every single page has a full-color, full-page painting. No tiny thumbnails, no rough sketches, and very few works that spread across the spine. Among art books (whether English or Japanese), this is very rare. A majority of the pieces focus on Evangelion, but they are so beautiful that anyone could appreciate them even if they had never heard of Evangelion. The other works, on series like Nadia and Fatal Fury, are just as nice. The large format makes it even easier to admire. I own over 150 illustration-art books in several languages, and "Der Mond" is definitely on my essentials list.

We are very lucky that an artbook as great as "Der Mond" has been published in English, at a reasonable price. Be sure to pick this one up before it goes out of print.

very useful reference book for inspirational creativity.

There was nothing written on this true master of Art Deco metalware, and this book is as comprehensive as a book can be on an artist. Written with respect, admiration and love for the Art Deco style and the metal craft. Cannot be surpassed. Nothing missing, nothing redundant.

I am a practicing metalsmith of 35 years. This much needed book covers it's subject from every perspective. It will become a valuable asset to historians, collectors and craftsmen. My only critique is that Joan did not include a picture of Brandt's stamp and other ways of varifying his work from fraud.

The author has produced a comprehensive work covering this great Art Deco artist and the exciting era in which he flourished. Joan Kahr's tremendous depth of knowledge and understanding comes through on every page of this beautiful book.

This book is a "must have" for any fan of French art deco/art moderne style. It is beautifully researched and written. The wonderful photography only made me long for more.

I love this book. I think every household should have a copy. Great moral to the story.

I stumbled across this book working at a local library and INSTANTLY fell in love with Eggbert. As stated, the illustrations in this book are FANTASTIC. It's detailed as if it were true to life. Many people have mentioned the message of this book, which is accepting things or people that may be different, and realizing the good in everything. I agree with this, but also think it helps develop children's imaginations. It is DEFINITELY one of the personal library.

I can't say enough about Eggbert. When my daughter was two, we checked this out from the library and for four weeks we had a new friend, Eggbert. The peppers and tomatoes and milk and other eggs became a part of our home also. Then one day the book had to be returned. For months we drove past the library and each time my daughter would wail for Eggbert. Then one day she stopped. I did find Eggbert available again, brought it home and for the second time we fell in love with Eggbert. Now I am on Amazon to buy our own copy because we can't bear the separation anxiety once more.

This is an enjoyable book for kids of all ages to enjoy. The art work is hilarious! Celery stands with arms akimbo along with the other angry vegetables who throw Eggbert out of his home in the refrigerator, into the world. It is a message of hope and acceptance of yourself that spans the ages. I bought it because I fanned through the book and loved the art work, but the story that goes with Eggbert's tale of self-acceptance makes this book a classic for children. I want to see more of artist Rex Barron's work and hope he pairs up with the author, Tom Ross, again.

I purchased "Eggbert: The Slightly Cracked Egg" for my younger son who had been read this book in his pre-school class. When I read it to him, I thought it was wonderfull! The message that it is alright not to fit in was presented in a nearly subliminal way. The illustrations are incredible! I loved Eggbert so much that I bought a copy for all of my co-workers. I was fired the next day. Even though my wife divorced me, I have no contact with my son, and I steal purses to survive, it was worth it. Its been 7 years today that i lost my job. I break into bookstores and steal coppies of Eggbert. I use stolen credit cards to purchase thousands of Eggberts. I hand them out in the harsh streets of Boston. I have been beat up dozens of times and arrested twice but I feel it is my mission in life to spread the joy and magic of Eggbert in all througout Boston. I am considering spreading down the entire East Coast.