Artists Books

As a writer, I found this book very much of a revelation. Why? Simply put, Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890) was a prolific writer of letters. He wrote hundreds of brilliant letters to fellow artists, friends and his brother, Theo. Much of a persons character, thoughts, likes and dislikes, loves and hates, fears and loneliness can be found in letters. Both the darkness and the light of the soul come through in personal letters as they are often inner directed as much as directed to the receiver.

Many of these letters tell the story of life. They give us a glimpse of the ideas behind his art. They seem to prove that he was very much in his right mind and that he was not suffering from any sort of mental disability as some have thought.

The letters written to the French painter, Emile Bernard (1868-1941), who was twenty-years-old in 1888, are of great significance. In these, the artists share ideas when van Gogh was working in Arles in the South of France.

This is a very fine work. It's interesting reading and seems to bring the characters to life.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

..in fact, in my entire library, one of the best. I read it before viewing the exhibition. The facsimiles of the letters are as good as seeing them in person. Art and letter lovers alike will cherish this book!

The 22 letters written by Van Gogh to French painter Emile Bernard, in which he almost exclusively discusses the subject of painting with a fellow artist, are the subject of this beautiful volume which accompanies an exhibition of the letters at the Pierpont Morgan library in NYC. Each of the letters is reproduced through a high-quality facsimile and also translated into English. Many works Van Gogh alludes to in those letters are also reproduced and every letter is carefully annotated which helps the reader understand the many references the artist cites as sources of inspiration to his work.

This is a groundbreaking publication that gives the reader invaluable insights into Van Gogh thoughts and working methods and comes as a perfect complement to the already published correspondence of the artist with his brother and dealer Theo. The letters to Bernard are more spontaneous because they were written by an artist to another artist and the introduction of the book explains this very well.

Highly recommended.

An excellent addition to the library of anyone with a serious interest in Vincent van Gogh, or for that matter Emile Bernard.

In 1996 I enjoyed reading the selected letters of van Gogh, a gifted writer, in a book edited by Ronald De Leeuw. This current effort has a more narrow focus but is greatly enhanced by the fine selection of accompanying artwork. The explanatory chapter notes are superb.

Its editors and the Morgan Library should win prizes for this scholarly work.

A friend of many Impressionists, Vincent van Gogh stands alone among artists, beloved, admired and respected by millions. While many of his paintings are familiar to us, this beautiful volume offers insights into his thinking, his cretaive process, and his life. The letters presented herein were written between December 1887 and November 1889 to his younger friend and colleague, Emile Bernard. These epistles are priceless as they focus to a great extent on artistic questions and, at the same time reveal a man blessed with a unique style and plagued by doubts.

Letters in this volume are numbered from 1 to 22. Facsimiles of all are presented. With these we are privy to the artist's apparent disregard for apostrophes and his cavalier use of capital letters. A joy and privilege to see the writing in his own script, complete with drawings and crossed out words.

Following the facsimiles one finds the letters printed in the original French along with transcriptions. Also included are generous full color reproductions of paintings by van Gogh and Bernard, many of which are discussed in the epistles as van Gogh both criticized and praised the younger artist. What comes through very clearly in the correspondence is the depth of friendship the two men shared.

Van Gogh's last letter was written mere months before he took his own life.
Vincent van Gogh Painted with Words is a volume to be read, reread, studied, and treasured. It contributes immeasurably to our understanding of this troubled genius.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

Great book to introduce Van Gogh - nice reproductions and storyline, but then I'm biased as this is my favorite artist!

My five year old was so inspired reading this that she went to the basement and proceeded to make her own copies of his works. It is nice and simple, but with a decent amount of info and great pics.

My 5, 6 and 8 yr old kids are entranced when I read them the Smart About Art books. After reading one, I came back to Amazon and ordered as many as I could.

They are written as a student would write a book report, but are humorous, touching and extremely informative with plenty of examples of the artists' work. I attended Art School 20+ years ago and it was a refresher course for me as well. It includes background/personal info about the artist, but only as much as a child can comprehend and as it pertains to his art. These books have just the right amount of info on the artists and their work.

I wanted to share the world of art with my kids. Though my youngest two still use coloring books and my oldest reads chapter books without illustrations, these Smart About Art picture books are the perfect mix where they all can gain something from them--this series is neither too young nor too advanced.

After years of reading picture books, my kids often ask "can that really happen?" or "is that person real?" I wanted a break from the imaginative world of children's lit and now I'm happy to finally answer "Yes, this person really existed, this really happened!" after reading the Smart About Art books.

I wanted something to spark my 6YO son's interest in art. This book sure did. He asked me to read it to him a 2nd time right on the spot. He also spotted a Van Gogh print that I brought home. This is a fine series. I also got the Degas which wasn't quite as interesting but he still liked it. I just ordered Picasso and a few others. Get the Van Gogh and if your child loves it, try some of the others. (I also liked that this mentioned Van Gogh was very depressed once at loving a woman who didn't love him back.)

This is what my daughter called the famous painting when I first bought her this book. She is almost 4 and has owned this book for about 9 months and it is regularly a favorite that she likes to read...well, more often she likes to look at the pictures and name the paintings. This is a great intro to art book for young children. I highly recommend as a first book for your little art-lover, or art-lover-to-be.

this book was extremely hard for me to get into at first, but after graceland, and sitting in a chris abani lecture i had faith in where he would take me and i followed thru. the ending was superb. very well done. chris abani is a literary genius in a repressive stone age. black, alas i knew him well, he is me.

I can confidently echo for you the praise the other reviewers on this page have granted The Virgin of Flames. It is the lyrical, grotesque, ecstatic, outcast story of a Los Angeles that simmers unknown to many of it's own citizens-migrants and natives alike. Chris Abani's imagery of Black, Iggy, Sweet Girl, Bomboy, Ray-Ray, Rio L.A. and East L.A., among others is quite reverential and even more than the pictures and qualities he conjures, they are brave.
As a resident of L.A. and it's environs I enjoyed those references to neighborhoods (yes, L.A. has neighborhoods), bridges, restaurants (Thai Palms-Thai Elvis) and the like that told me Mr. Abani walks these places and sees the faces and grafitti, decay and sublime magnetism that propels many of us here. He captures the mystery and possibility of Los Angeles in the radical expressionism of Black's identity experimentation, Iggy's underground venues and physical risk, Sweet Girl's bold sexuality and paralyzing trans/pro-gression. As well, the Catholic blood that run through the dusty past of Los Angeles and California, the WEST, in all it's harrowing, piercing pain. Abani's vision of a modern martyr, his many attempts at acceptance and expression reminded me of Leonard Cohen's Beautiful Losers. The artist living his life as a work of art, challenging the dominate modes through as many of his avenues of existence as possible.
Some favorite passages:
"It seemed, though, that those with a clear sense of the past, of identity, were always so eager to bury it and move on, to reinvent themselves. What a luxury, he thought, what a thing, to choose your own obsession, to choose your own suffering. Him, he was trying to reinvent an origin to bury so he could finally come into this thing he wanted to be, and he knew that if he didn't find it soon, it would destroy him, burn him up." (pgs. 123-24)
"This River was alive, this River was here before anyone knew this was a River, before anyone saw it and said, River. And its personality shaped this city. Was this city." (pg. 135)
Referring to the L.A. Mission, downtown: "It had long since lost out to Six Flags fun parks and Universal Studio's theme park. It looked sad, not in the way of a rejected wallflower, but more in the commonplace shame of a community center. A place kept open by a grudging love." (pg. 155)
Mr. Abani expresses one of the prime enigma's of Los Angeles life: "In LA we are always becoming, and any idea of a solid past, as an anchor, is soon lost here. And I mean any, that's why there is no common mythology here, that's why people come here, to get lost or to be discovered, makes no difference. It's the same coin. Other cities, like New York, have an overwhelming myth, and there is no you, as it were, without this-shall we say-New York state of mind. But here, there is none of that bulls**t, there is just you and what you see and imagine this place and your life in it to be, moment by moment. If you can't change, if you don't embrace it, you destroy yourself. The only landscape in this city is in your mind. It's very Zen..." (pg. 207)
"Ambivalence is the heart of this town. Not in spite of, but because of." (pg. 207)

I look forward to reading more of Mr. Abani's works.

In the Virgin of Flames Abani gives us a lyrical, daring portrait of a city and its inhabitants struggling to find their place between darkness and the sublime. Black, a mural artist, is a modern-day Hamlet searching for answers to the riddle of his past, fighting to create a whole from its fragments. This conflict is mirrored in the topography of Los Angeles, where the holy and grotesque combine in a city that reflects the struggles of post-9/11 America. Abani does not provide easy answers to any of this. Instead, he shows us characters that navigate violence and despair but retain the ability to truly care about one another and a city where, despite its urban malaise and constant veil of smoke and ash, people sing joyously in the streets. From its vivid dreamscapes to its gritty realism, Abani's novel will leave the reader breathless at the beauties and complexities of life.

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Abani's characters leap from the page. It's a stunning book and I can't wait to go back and read some of Abani's earlier novels.

The Virgin of Flames is odd, complex, and accomplished. We find many of Abani's earlier themes: lost, found, and created identities, violent acts and defered release and the consequences of both, surreal consciousness, sublime sexuality and abhorent flesh, choices, imperatives, the absence in the human condition of objectivity - all ignited on the page into an escalated blaze that can keep you up nights. Abani's writing is not for those invested in happy endings. The suicides of his protagonists speed up the inevitability of a death most of us strain to delay. Yet, this is fiction, and, if you give youself over to it, The Virgin of Flames reads as a unique, disquieting voice, an extended prosepoem which will leave you changed. What other is the purpose of art?

Waking Dragons is a tough little book to get a hold of, but definitely worth the wait. Goran Powell describes with simple elegance his journey down a martial path. Like all paths, it is not one designed for everyone, but like all paths fully experienced it leads to the same spot: the top of the mountain.

Powell's martial arts training begins with Judo, progresses to Mas Oyama's rough and tumble style of Kyokushinkai, a smattering or Tae Kwon Do and then finally to his beloved Goju Ryu Karate. Like pieces of a puzzle, the various skills and attitudes that he develops and learns from each of his teachers click into place and Powell seems to have genuine gratitude towards all of his teachers and the students that have aided him along the way. There is a lot of humility in this book; for example, Goran Powell may be the only man to write a story that features some bouts that he actually lost. This is refreshingly realistic and really connects the reader to the story. He accurately describes the fear that all fighters feel when faced with a match or challenge that seems too big for any one person to handle. I enjoyed this book very much and it's seems quite obvious to me that Goran Powell, by walking a physical and intellectual path has found the spiritual component at the heart of the arts.

I highly recommend this book to martial artists whether they are at the beginning of their journey or if it is a path they have walked for most of their live.

This book follows Goran's journey in the martial arts from being a youngster taking up Judo through the mental and physical challenges posed by taking on Goju's brutal 30 man Kumite (fighting 30 fresh opponents, one minute each, full contact punches and kicks). It's very well written, I couldn't put it down once I'd started, the book is as much a book about facing your fears, overcoming life's challenges and finding the determination to continue in the face of adversity as it is about the martial arts.

OK, I confess, I'm the author's sister.

I sat down to read "Waking Dragons" one evening as a matter of duty. I knew Goran was an entertaining writer but I anticipated finding the subject matter difficult. I know nothing about martial arts and represent the couch-potato side of the family. I thought, I'll read for an hour and then watch "Big Love" on telly. There's nothing like a TV show about bigamy to refresh a girl after reading her brother's boring book about karate. Five hours later, I realised it was one o'clock in the morning. I thought, I'll just read one more chapter.

"Waking Dragons" is a book about a man who finds a pattern for his life through martial arts. It's not didactic but it is inspirational. Regardless of what your interests are, reading this book makes you feel that you can achieve your dreams as well. I might even rise from the couch and do some step-aerobics!

Goran's enduring relationship with martial arts shaped his approach to work and other activities. His fascination inspired him to start writing this book but the mental discipline he mastered due to martial arts gave him the focus to finish it.

"Waking Dragons" spans Goran's life from a chubby boy eating the filthy Judo mats of the West Midlands to a fit and driven man training for the ordeal of the Thirty Man Kumite. Goran is the everyman of the martial arts. He is honest about his failures in both combat and approach but, in deconstructing them, learns from his mistakes and shows his readers how they might do the same.

On the way, he learns to endure the hard knocks of Kyokushinkai, loosens up with Taekwondo, takes a sneaky interest in Boxing, then finds his Chi with the hard-soft school of Goju Ryu.

"Waking Dragons" is consistently entertaining, with surprisingly profound ponderings and some very witty moments. There are anecdotes from Goran's life peppered throughout the book, which either inform or are influenced by his interest in martial arts and its philosophy. These give "Waking Dragons" the easy momentum of a novel, rather than a self-help book, and build up to the subtly-referenced but pertinent revelation that he found true love in the Goyu Ryu dojo.

I bought this book a couple of days ago and didn't put it down till I finished it today. It is one of those rare books where the author really connects with his reader. In describing his own experiences, emotions, fears, and aspirations so clearly, the author articulates the elusive feelings that I am sure so many have had about there own lives and training.
He writes very modestly of his achievements and skill, which only serves to inspire even more. I recommend this to martial artists and non-martial artist alike, not only as a chance to take a glimpse into the mind of martial artists, but as a look at the power of the mind and spirit.

This brilliant book by Goran Powell (a British Karate 4th Dan), charts his history in martial arts from youngster doing Judo to 3rd Dan Karate expert taking the 30 man Kumite test. For those unfamiliar with the Japanese, Kumite essentially means sparring. Goran had to fight 30 opponents, each for one minute. Not only that, but these were full contact no holes barred fights against progressively tougher opponents.

Goran is a writer by trade so the book is well-written. Although mainly chronological, at certain points Goran jumps forward to record his views on others attempts to take the 30 man kumite test. This is riveting reading, bone-crunching punches and kicks are described in vivid detail, and you are left in no doubt about the difficulty of the test.

The other great moments in the book were when Goran discovered something totally new or different to do with his training, Karate or style. There are 3 or 4 of these revelations throughout the book and the experienced martial artist will probably have experienced the same sort of thing themselves.

For anybody who has studied martial arts this is essential reading.

I first heard about this book almost fifteen years ago and then it was out of print. I was thrilled to locate a copy after all these years and the wait has been worth it! Entertaining stories and fun to read about the history of old Uncle Scrooge!

What a find this was when I purchased it as a teen. This large format book (it's pretty heavy)contains 12 full-color classic Carl Bark's stories of the adventures of Uncle Scrooge, printed on thick high quality paper. Includes biographical info on Bark's, plus background on the origin and development of each story provided by Bark's himself. Also includes some restored pages that were lost or deleted from original comics, a checklist of Bark's duck stories, and a never-before published Bark's "storybook" Uncle Scrooge adventure with great watercolor illustrations.

This is a fantastic book, covering Scrooge McDuck's life from his days in the Klondike to space travel and flying saucers. The book contains many of my favorite stories including "The Second Richest Duck" and "Land of the Pygmy Indians". There is extensive written material about and by Carl Barks giving much insight into the man behind the duck. Finally, there is a checklist of the comics in which Uncle Scrooge appeared from 1952 to 1988. All in all, this book is a "must-have" for any serious fan of Uncle Scrooge.

I am writing this within just a few days of one of the saddest days any comic book fan could imagine. Carl Barks has just passed on to that great Duckburg in the sky. This book is, without a doubt, the definitive tribute to a man whose genius is just now being recognized by many.

As you read these outstanding adventure stories - and that's what they are - you will come to know the technique of how this extraordinary man transcended the comic art into the realm of high fiction. Each story is written on two levels, sprinkled with humor and illustrated in such a realistic, yet exaggerated manner that allows the reader to identify strongly with the characters.

My personal favorite is "The Second Richest Duck." In this story, Scrooge, Donald and "the boys" have their true personalities come out with a richness found only in the best writings of major adventure authors and is the equal, at least, to the best Indiana Jones or James Bond story.

I read these stories to my son as he was growing up and promised him the book for his future children. My daughters now each have their own families and the stories are now read by me to my grandchildren. Truly, this tome is part of our family heritage.

I own the hardcover, coffee table edition with a signed, numbered print by Barks. I shall never part with the print, and will hand it down to my son in my estate.

Thank you Carl, for many hours of delicious reading pleasure and the exercise of my imagination. If I could rate this book an infinite number of stars, I would.

One of the best collections of comic art ever published, this superlative volume not only takes eleven of Carl Barks' best book-length Scrooge adventures, adds an original story and includes his own comments on each, but Peter Ledger's recoloring makes these stories look better than they ever have or ever will. The only flaw with the volume is that it will send you into a frenzy to read more about Scrooge...but thankfully, Gladstone Comics has all the stories still in print. Simply superb.

No matter what the subject is of the book, I have to get it if McBride is the illustrator. You can consistantly count on him to do a 1st rate job. This book is well worth the cash as Mr. McBride is on a roll in this book of his.

Angus McBride is one of the most talented artists in the historical field, and his pieces always rise above mere illustrations and give us snapshots of these people in believable, historical settings. His people aren't just modeling uniforms or equipment, they are caught mid-action, alive, and vibrantly. This is a good collection, though I'd kill for a more complete gathering of McBride's work. If you like this, try to track down the Iron Crown collection of his Middle-Earth work. head and shoulders above everyone else in that field, much like here.

I have been waiting for a large format compellation of Angus McBride's art for some time now. Finally, Warriors and Warlords is here. The only disappoinment is the book's brevity. Fans of McBride's contributions to the Osprey books will enjoy this single volume spanning his career and the bredth of his subject matter. The man has an unmistakable approach to his subjects. What really makes this book a gem is the interview with McBride, where he gives much advice about technique and materials. Some of the unforgettable illustrations in this book include: a gladiator about to administer the coup de grace; a forlorn scene of doomed Vikings making their last stand; a triumphant Celtic chariot crew; Shaka Zulu and his men making a bloodthirsty charge. This artist is expert at capturing period costume yet giving his subjects timeless humanity. His evocative use of light makes him seem less like an illustrator and more like a Great Master. And let's not forget the ubiquitous carrion circling overhead, awaiting the carcass of the loser. This book is not to be missed. Hopefully Osprey will get wise and publish many follow ups.

Mr. McBride's books are always eagerly awaited because of the chance to see another chapter in history spring to life. This large volume of his efforts is highly appreciated. The richness of the textures, the glint of armour, the absolutely wonderful facial expressions are all here. The chance to view a number of his background effects is always welcome. He makes the figures truly part of the earth. I also enjoy his scenes against the white of the page. They are simple but show off the figure in a most dramatic way. This is a wondrous book...highly recommended.

If you are a fan of Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth and similar artists you will love this book! It is great value for the money.

No doubt about it, Angus McBride is a master illustrator. And this great HC-book proves it (although it's a shame there are just 45 plates...). The paperbacks at Osprey Publishing are nice, but to be honest, their color reproductions of Angus' illustrations are not really good. Here the depth of colors used, the shadow-play both in lights and tissues, finally come out. It is clasic illustration at it's very best. The plates (often double-spread) show battle scenes and posed images of warriors from the ancient times /Rameses II) until WWII (only one). Each plate is accompanied by a well written text on either the scene as it occurred or the uniforms and arms on display. As a reader you get to travel through Egypt, Greece, Babylon, Rome, European Middle Ages, Japan, Africa, Middle America as the ancient times come alive in front of your very eyes. Marvellous!!! What I like most about Mr. McBride's work is that he took the time and trouble to create "true" scenes that really could have taken place. As much as I also admire the Funckens' work, this makes you be there and makes you want to know more about history. In the foreword Angus tels us a little bit about his work, techniques and career.
This book isn't just for people interested in uniforms. It's a wonderful starting point for anybody interested in classic illustration and history. Even when you think you know it all. Here you can relive what you might have forgotten.

It's a beautiful book but I would have liked to see all of his work and not just a small part of it. The book could have showed more of his earlier work, like "The Family Tree" and a few other that were very successful paintins and sold out as print. I had to buy the book "Song of Creation" to see 15 of the paintings that were missing in that book.

For the fan of Carl Brenders, this book is a must although it is not complete. I hope he will eventualy publish a book with full reference to his work and in larger size. I don't mind if it would cost 100$ or more.

If you love wildlife art that shows every hair, whisker or feather of a wild creature and every blade of grass, leaf or branch in the "background", Carl Brenders is your man. His work is technically brilliant and acutely observed, resulting in paintings that are more real than reality.

This man can draw! There are a few pencil sketches included in the book. They are a little looser than his impeccable paintings and they appeal to me more than the paintings.

So much art is a matter of taste - I am awe struck by the patience Brenders must possess in order to produce these images, but I personally prefer a more spontaneous approach. I subscribe to James McNeill Whistler's view: "To say of a picture, as is often said in its praise, that it shows great and earnest labour, is to say that it is incomplete and unfit for view." Brenders manages to achieve a fusion of "great and earnest labour" (he must take months to do each painting!) and creative excellence. That's the only reason why I give a four- and not five-star rating! It's just a little TOO slick for my taste.

The layout of this book is clean and fresh, allowing his detailed paintings lots of white space. Accompanying the paintings is a brief commentary from the artist. This text reinforces the artist's absolute love of his subject.

Carl Brenders is a fantastic artist. I had his calendar hanging in my office and people thought his drawings were photographs. This is an excellent book of his works.

I love the works of Carl Brenders and Robert Bateman, and this volume is not a disappointment. Brenders paints with a realism that doesn't look like wildlife photographs; his works look better than photographs. If anyone can improve on the depiction of nature's beauty, it is Brenders.

Carl Brenders is one of the most amazing artists in existence when it comes to realistic animal paintings. His work is so fine and detailed that it would be easy to mistake one of his pieces for a photograph. Being a fan of realism, I can't help but love his exquisite paintings. This book contains over fifty beautiful pieces, depicting a wide array of North American wildlife, including bears, deer, foxes, raccoons, wolves, cougars, squirrels, many species of bird, and more. Each painting is accompanied by its title, dimensions, media information, and year of completion, as well as a few paragraphs explaining the inspiration for that particular piece (written by Brenders himself). With some he has included preliminary sketches, all of which are fine drawings in and of themselves. The margins are large and there is plenty of "white space" (but not too much) so that the pages look balanced and uncluttered. At the end there is a short biography of the artist, discussing his childhood in Belgium, how he came to love animals and nature, his schooling in art, his career as an artist, and a little about his technique. This book would be a terrific coffee-table item or gift idea for any lover of wildlife art.

If you are a fink fan, you have to own this book. Where do I begin? Ace and Kali have been part of the Fink culture for decades, working with "Big Daddy" Roth - learning Fink art and pinstriping from the masters. This book captures fink art in all forms - posters, pinstriping, body art - you name it. Some people call this 'low brow' art - I call it the awesome ability to mix man, machine, and a little wackiness to create an art category all of its own.

Ace and Kali provide great full color pages of their own art, of which they are masters, and have been trained by the masters. This is by far the best book I have on this type of art...and I can study their work for days...going back to the book time and again.

If you appreciate the crafstmanship and wackiness that go into Fink art, you will LOVE this book. It is high quality, glossy color and full of "Finkness" I give it 5 stars all the way!

Casey (Fink Fan)

Workshop of Filthy Creation: The Art of Johnny Ace and Kali Verra

I have loved cars since I was 4 years old. I remember drawing dragsters with crayons on the kitchen table. Johnny and Kali's art bring me back to a time of hang ten t-shirts,the Archies on 8 track, and Big Daddy Ed Roth's rat fink art. I have enjoyed reading it cover to cover. There is just so much there that each time I go back to look at it I find things I missed. Put this book on your coffee table and it's sure to start a conversation or two! The book is very fun and I highly recommend it!
K vick - 30roadster on the HAMB

Finally after what seems like, and may have been years It's here! These two are the most underated artists out there. No one comes close to matching the authentic feel of Monster art. The vibrant colors are a trademark of the thing with two heads that is Johnny Ace and Kali Vera. There's lotsa people doin Monster art out there but very few are doin it right. Ace and Kali are up there with Basil Gogos in my Book and if ya only buy one book this year make sure this is the one! Like The Pizz said, "Big Daddy Roth would be proud." And I'm proud to call these two friends! Buy it!

Having grown up during the 1960s and 70s, and enjoyed building monster model kits, reading Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, watching Creature Features on TV, drooling over any Big Daddy Roth and Rat Fink item, and so on, then spending the last 30 years playing in Punk ROck and Roll bands (The Thing, Electric Frankenstein, The Kung Fu Killers), this amazing book covers Pop Culture life in America with the kind of imagery that only Johnny Ace and Kali Vera can do, thanks to their long time experience in the scene and rich art skills.
Every page is exciting and grabs you immediately. Full rich vibrant color, drooling beasts, this is the closest anyone will get to vein of gold that Big Daddy Roth mined. But, this books also goes beyond simple homage to their roots, and shows the historical development of their unique American made style over the years.

Not only do you get a book full of cool poster art, but also you get a chance to see the many other projects that they have worked on so well.

Within the pages of this book, Johnny Ace and Kali Vera prove that they deserve a much higher profile and are due much more recognition than some of the more well known people in this field.

AND, in this age of laziness and instant crap, they actually do their own hand made drawings instead of using a tracing box! Imagine that!

You can't go wrong by getting this book!!!!

Ace & Kali have found a way to instantly transport you back to high school when you sat in class and studied the Big Daddy Roth t-shirt ads in the HOT ROD, CAR CRAFT mags that were hidden in your desk. The book contains other stuff too, like music theme posters, sculpted icons, and alot of other good stuff. My favorites are the hot rod monsters, but every rendering on every page deserves close examination. Suggest you buy two copies, 'cause you're sure to wear out the first one.

My daughter received this book as a gift on her first birthday. The illustrations are beautiful, but because she is so young, and we want to preserve the book, we mostly listen to the music with her. My wife holds my daughter and dances around the room to the sweet and happy melodies. When she sets her down my daughter makes the sign for "more more more"! Once the music begins, she laughs and reaches up, wanting to start all over again.

The music is not overly "classical", nor is it annoyingly childish. It is just wonderfully simple and can be enjoyed by anyone at any time.

absolute gem!!! wordless story told in pictures and original musical score- everyone should enjoy this book

A very pleasant book. Great to use on a rainy day with the music. The illustrations give a sense of constant motion and are complemented by the fast tempo music. The pictures have a strong correlation between shape, size, and environment, with everything seeming very deliberate. A great medium and angle to depict the journey to school. All the different umbrellas seem to have their own characteristics and throughout the book you are left to wonder who is under the umbrella and where are they going. Beautifully illustrated!! Should be read with the music.

... so much so that I chose to review it. It is an atypical "counting" book... one in which a certain object, in this case -- umbrellas, is added to each page. But the twist is that a CD comes with this book. The CD has various cuts of original piano music. Each cut wonderfully reflects the setting of the given page. On one page, as the umbrellas cross over a bridge, you can hear the plink-plink of the raindrops on the water below. On another page, you can hear an approaching train as the pianist speeds up his delivery of original music. The artwork is beautiful, with a subdued rainy palette used for backgrounds. Only the umbrellas themselves are vibrantly depicted. It's only at the end of the book in which we actually get a glimpse of the people (children) carrying the umbrellas, and even on that page, one only sees their legs. My two sons enjoyed trying to guess who might be carrying the umbrellas and where they might be going. My 9-year-old said, "Wouldn't it be funny if they turned out to be monsters!" Monsters notwithstanding, the audio-visual combination makes for a wonderful experience just before dropping off to sleep.

My daughters (3 and 5) received the book from their Aunt. The first night we popped the CD in and slowly turned the pages...I watched their eyes as we went page by page and saw smiles come and go throughout the book. The fact that there are no words makes us slow down, mingle music with imagination and every now and then we make up our own words - sprinkled here and there among the raindrops - to take the story in new directions whenever we choose.

Now...the CD player in the car brings the pictures back to the girls as we travel down to Rhode Island to visit family. Fabulous choice - thanks Aunt Betty and Uncle Duck.

I constantly turn to 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels for inspiration. The work is astounding, with enough wit and cheek to make you take a second look. I had never heard of Ryan before this book was published, but 100 Posters made me an instant fan. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates great illustration and cuddly (yet somewhat twisted) furry mammals.

In a landscape where the bravado and bluster of busty cartoon pin-ups was the norm, Jay Ryan's work seems downright radical in its understated, yet evocative approach. Jay's talents somehow make me want to see a concert and buy a Caldecott Medal winner in equal measure. A+

The first collection of poster artist Jay Ryan is both a biography and an art celebration: it gathers his works from rock clubs to galleries and arrives not alone but supplemented by essays from other involved in the music, design and poster worlds. Full-color reproductions of his works supplement these insights to create an excellent catalog of screenprint poster genius: a must for any collecting underground poster art.

This book is absolutely essential for all fans of illustration, poster art, and contemporary design. One of the best books you will find on an american poster artist, the layout is top-notch with original drawings for some of Jay's posters next to the finished pieces. Having watched Jay make his work for Ten years, it is great to see such a powerful survey packed into such a beautiful book.

Maybe Narducy of Evanston is kidding, but just to clarify for the kids in New York, Los Angeles, and Berlin--this IS the Jay Ryan based in Chicago, dude. And this book of his posters should grace the collection of any art student or indie music fan...

ps. it would be great if Amazon would fix the typo in the title--it's "Decade," not "Secade."