Illustration Books

This book is one of the most beautiful art books I've ever seen. The detail on the artwork is amazing. The content is nicely laid out. For flowers or watercolor lovers, this is a must have!

For watercolor, this is the best botanical illustration book I've seen yet. Showell is an absolute master, and the illustrations are positively gorgeous. But more importantly, she generously demonstrates how she does it, step-by-step. There is more detail in the lessons than in other similar books. Here is a superb course in watercolor botanical illustration. Be prepared to be inspired.

This book improves on many previous painting books by giving very specific step-by-step instructions. Each step is beautifully photographed and carefully explained. This makes it a must have for both the beginner and the experienced painter.

Billy's paintings bring a contemporary feel to botanical art. Her work is meticulous and detailed. The Artist's talks about all aspects of creating a painting including choosing paints, brushes and paper for the execution of your work. Her comments about composition and her approach to painting help guide you to develop your own approach.

I highly recommend this lovely book.

My wife was thrilled with this book that was added to her resources. She has used it already.

This is a fun, fun book to read together with a child - particularly one who has a favorite stuffed animal or blanket that they can't leave home without. (Which would be most of them). The repetetive refrain "where is my Bennie" will have both of you saying this together out loud over and over and laughing together. This is also a book that will be read together many times and cherished. It is highly recommended.

`Where is My Bennie?' is a delightful children's story of love for a stuffed animal. Authors April, Celeste & Ruby Robins do a wonderful job of sharing the adventure of Austin's mission to find his missing `Bennie'. Any child reading this will sympathize with Austin and yearn to know if Bennie is found and where Bennie is found. The underlying story is one of storytelling magic and delight for all children. I highly recommend this children's story as a delightfully told mishap turns into a `happy ending'.

Rating Number Is: 5 *****
www.thebookattic.us
Reviewer-Author Anastasia Cassella-Young
and Author Theodocia McLean-Owner of thebookattic.us

I read this to the grand son at bedtime and he started repeating the line "where is my bennie?" every time I finished one of the search areas. He really liked it. This a good book to read at bed time.

This book addresses the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. It reminded me of the importance of taking children's losses seriously and how wonderful it is when you play a part in solving their problems. I loved it!

Where is My Bennie? deals with the love between a young boy and his favorite stuffed toy. Austin cannot go to sleep without his best friend, Bennie. Austin travels to his grandparent's home in the country to spend the week. Almost immediately, Bennie becomes missing. Grandma has gone to town, so Austin and Grandpa must find the missing Bennie. Hunter, Grandma's dog, follows their every move. The book has seventeen colorful illustrations depicting country life and the love between family members. It is written by a mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law writing team who have extensive experience working with the school systems. If a child has a favorite stuffed animal, he will love Where is My Bennie?

I would also recommend that you be on the lookout for ¿Dónde está Mi Bennie? which is the Spanish Language Edition of Where is My Bennie? It should go on sale before the end of the year, 2007. It is an exact Spanish translation of the English version: thereby, allowing a page by page comparison of the two languages for any age student.

In the spring of 1851 Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, James Fields (of the renowned Ticknor and Fields), proposing a children's book retelling six well-known stories from Greek mythology. He planned to adopt "a tone in some degree Gothic or romantic." In addition, he wanted to make the fables suitable for young Christian children: "of course, I shall purge all the old heathen wickedness, and put in a moral wherever practicable."

I am usually not a fan of sanitized tales--even when written by someone the status of Nathaniel Hawthorne. But, in spite of their overt preachiness and their occasional preciousness, there's something charming and original about these adaptations. Even adults might enjoy these six tales: Perseus's slaughter of Medusa, Midas and his golden touch, Pandora's box (stripped of Prometheus's role), the apples of the Hesperides (or Hercules's Eleventh Labor), Baucis and Philemon and the magic pitcher (which, in my opinion, is the best of the lot), and Bellerophon and Pegasus's battle with the monster Chimaera.

Threading these stories together is Eustace Bright, Hawthorne's college-age narrator, who relates his versions to a gaggle of local children (a couple of whom taunt him for his bumptiousness). Hawthorne uses this framing device to insert himself as his own critic. Overhearing one of the stories, the father of one of the children is not amused, finding Eustace's taste "altogether Gothic" and advising him "never more to meddle with a classical myth." To this critique, Eustace petulantly responds that "an old Greek had no more right to them, than a modern Yankee has," and he accuses classical writers of forming these tales "into shapes of indestructible beauty, indeed, but cold and heartless." If anything, Hawthorne has certainly brought warmth to these old stories.

Still, the reading level might be a tall order for many children under 8 (although an adult can adapt them for reading out loud). Hawthorne sprinkles his prose with salutatory references to his real-life neighbors in the Berkshires (there's even a line about Melville writing "Moby Dick") and with puns and quips that have lost their context. And he gets carried away with his descriptions of the countryside. Hawthorne's evocative passages will surely strike modern readers as hopelessly old-fashioned, although the author realized that he was trying the patience of children even from his own day. After three florid and nearly insufferable paragraphs describing a meadow, for example, Hawthorne apologetically interrupts himself that "we must not waste our valuable pages with any more talk about the spring-time and the wild flowers. There is something, we hope, more interesting to be talked about."

What's more interesting, of course, are the stories of Greek gods and monsters and flying horses. Fortunately for readers young and old, Hawthorne mostly stays away from the scenery and sticks to the legends.

Once upon a time (I was about 8), a family friend handed down his Collier's Junior Classic series to me - each volume is a glorious hodgepodge of short stories from here, there, and everywhere. I got to be very fond of Greek mythology, especially "The Chimaera" and "The Miraculous Pitcher", since the Collier retellings of their respective legends were much more lively than the ordinary.

Alas, I forgot the name of the author of "The Chimaera", and even that my favourite versions of the myths were all written by the same person. Some talented guy writing for the series, no doubt, I would have said, if I'd thought about it. A couple of years ago, I started browsing through an impressive-looking illustrated volume of mythology in a bookstore (which you now see before you). Whoa. "Scarlet Letter" Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote *THESE*?

His retellings of Greek myths were originally spread over 2 volumes (the other being _Tanglewood Tales_), but they can be obtained in a single volume these days. I can personally do without the gang of Tanglewood kids providing the official audience for the stories-within-a-story, or the defense against critics put into the mouth of the storyteller Eustace Bright, but then I want more space for more myths. :) Each myth in _A Wonder Book_ has an Introductory and After the Story section where the storyteller leads up to the tale, then fends off any awkward questions from his young audience.

"The Gorgon's Head" - The story of Perseus, from his infancy through the quest for Medusa's head. Hawthorne skates delicately past the question of who put Perseus and his mother, Danae, in a chest and abandoned them on the sea, let alone why (toned down for kids, and all that), and of course doesn't go into detail about what mischief Polydectes might intend if Perseus can be got out of the way.

Hawthorne is otherwise thorough about details: he even includes the Three Gray Women, who share the use of a single eye, who had to be persuaded to reveal the location of the monsters whose gaze turns living creatures to stone.

"The Golden Touch" - The Midas legend, of how a king, blinded by a love of gold, foolishly asked Apollo that he be given the gift of turning things into gold with a touch. Be careful what you ask for...

"The Paradise of Children" - The story of Pandora's box. Hawthorne's version, much as I like his other mythological tales, has been prettified a little too much: everyone in the world was a child who never grew up, before the box arrived.

"The Three Golden Apples" - The 11th labour of Hercules, wherein the king sent him to fetch the apples of the Hesperides. The tale begins with Hercules meeting a band of nymphs, who hear his account (only briefly summarized, alas) of his preceding labours before directing him to the one person who can direct him to the garden: the Old Man of the Sea...

"The Miraculous Pitcher" - Philemon and his wife Bauchis have grown old together - the only kindly folk living for a good way around a prosperous village, whose inhabitants delight in tormenting vagabonds (although they'll fawn on wealthy-looking strangers). Then one day a ragged youth called Quicksilver and a taciturn man with an appearance of great wisdom are driven out of the village...

"The Chimaera" - Bellerophon's pursuit of Pegasus, whom he seeks because only in the air does he have a chance of killing the monstrous chimaera. Bellerophon's long wait beside the fountain of Pirene, where Pegasus descends to drink, is enlivened by several characters living round about: an old man who can't even remember his glory days, an overly timid maiden who'd run from anything unusual, a yokel who only appreciates plowhorses, and a little boy (the only one who really believes in Pegasus).

Hawthorne's gentle, charming collection of classic myths retold for the children of his day is a neglected classic. Addressing the reader in personable Victorian fashion, his prose is clear and beautiful. Consider this sample:

"Within the verge of the wood there were columbines, looking more pale than red, because they were so modest, and had thought proper to seclude themselves too anxiously from the sun. There were wild geraniums, too, and a thousand white blossoms of the strawberry. The trailing arbutus was not yet quite out of bloom; but it hid its precious flowers under the last year's withered forest-leaves, as carefully as a mother-bird hides its little young ones."

But Hawthorne is also equal to the task of less genteel, more vigorous images:

"At this sound the three heads reared themselves erect, and belched out great flashes of flame. Before Bellerophon had time to consider what to do next, the monster flung itself out of the cavern and sprung straight toward him, with its immense claws extended, and its snaky tail twisting itself venomously behind."

Adding to the pleasure of these retold tales is the gorgeous art of Arthur Rackham, both in black-and-white drawings and full-color plates, which captures the unearthly beauty and the unexpectedly surprising humor of Hawthorne's work. Highly recommended!

One day last week, I could not, even after hours of deliberation (the snow had made engagements scarce), decide what book to read next. I finally came upon this little volume on the end of my parent's bookshelf and decided to give it try. How could I have known what charms were in store? I felt like a little girl again, and as Eustace Bright, the ambitious college student who narrates these tales, held his little auditors in awe, my eyes, too, were wide with wonder. It truly is a "wonder book," full of high fantasy, thrilling action, and the inimitable imagery of a master. Though geared towards "boys and girls," Hawthorne explains in his introduction that "children possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, in imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple . . . It is only the artificial and complex that bewilder them." Indeed; the book hardly condescends, and so will gently stretch the middle-grader's vocabulary. But readers -- or listeners -- of all ages will delight in this collection of tales, for I was equally, if not more, entertained by the introductories and postludes to each story, which relate the antics and dialogue of Eustace and the little children he entertains. These interludes also expand the stories by slipping in commentary and interpretation.

Don't pass this one by; it will truly win your heart, whoever you may be!

Excellent childrens book in the classic tradition. Robert Stanton is one of the best illustrators to ever come out of Disney! Inspiring stuff.

What a captivating book! My whole family loves it. Here is a charming, inspiring story with exquisite illustrations. The Adventures of Lady: The Big Storm is a real winner. It is a book that you will thoroughly enjoy sharing with your child. I am recommending it to everyone.

A must have book for your family. This is a beautifully illustrated book with the heart-warming story of a real life squirrel (Lady) who was separated from her squirrel family during a Florida hurricane. Rescued by a kind-hearted person and then raised with another squirrel, Lady was then returned to the wild. This is her story and it is a wonderful read for any member of your family.

Me gustaría saber dónde puedo conseguir libros del autor, tales como "The Flights of Icarus" o "Views". Gracias, y espero que se reimpriman pronto. Un saludo

This valuable art and reference work contains a lengthy introduction by Dominy Hamilton exploring the history of vinyl record covers up to 1977 plus an appendix on how the job is done, from the design phase to the printing. It also includes short biographies on Storm Thorgerson, James Slattery, Roger Dean, Diana Korchien, Dominy Hamilton and Dave Howells.

The full colour reproductions of the record sleeves are divided into the following sections: 1. Jazz, 2. Psychedelia, 3. Recent Years (1967 - 1977), 4. Influence and Coincidence, 5. Miscellany - a section that includes examples of various packaging strategies, 6. Portfolios, which features the work of eight sleeve designers in the form of small individual portfolios and include Rick Griffin, John Kosh, John van Hamersveld, Pacific Eye and Ear, Rod Dyer, Hipgnosis, Roger Dean and John Pasche, and 7. Devices and Disguises, that deals with ingeneous alternatives from 1970 onwards and includes sleeves with extra flaps, covers imitating old singles, concert tickets, sleeves in the form of newspapers and covers with movable parts.

The index at the front of the book lists all the sleeve art inside, from Abba and Alice Cooper through Kansas and Three Dog Night to Neil Young, Frank Zappa and Zzebra. Some sleeves have a whole page for themselves, like Zappa's humorous Weasels Ripped My Flesh and Boz Scagg's Silk Degrees. My favorites, to list just a few, include Cheap Thrills by Big Brother And The Holding Company, Abraxas by Santana, Bowie's Pinups, Bowie's Aladdin Sane, Patti Smith's Horses, Lou Reed's Rock 'n Roll Animal, Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica and Joni Mitchell's Blue.

This Album Cover Album is a fascinating look at art in music up to 1977, and also a valuable research and history guide.

This book is a must. If you only like music or if you love the covers more than the music inside or if you are learning to design covers...Well, this book has it all. The covers are show by elements in commom, so you can judge by yourself about the criativity of the designers. Roger Deam is a famous artist well know by his covers and stages for the rock group Yes. But this does not interfere with the overall result. The guys did a fantastic job compiling all the covers in this book. There are rock covers, jazz covers, latim, dance, disco, and so on. All possible covers are there. Don't hesitate. Buy it now!

Alex Sab

The World according to Carmine Infantino is a deep, look into one of the industries giants. Full of clever writing, and lots of historic analogies and tidbits of life in the times.

Reviews Carmine's career from day 1 (birth) all the way to modern time. When you read this and see what this man has brought to field of Art, you immediately want to go grab up everything you have orcan get by him just to see in more detail what has gone on in the background of these pulp paper gems of art history.

Cleverly done, the book appears as if it could have been part of a series of treatises on the men who made comics what they are today.

Very enjoyable, one of those you cant put it down til your done type of books, that you will have no regrets purchasing.

This wonderful book tells the story of Carmine Infantino- one of the true legends of the comic's biz. In addition to being one of the most prolific cover artists of DC's Silver Age, Infantino is credited with a host of distinctions. He drew Green Lantern and the Flash during the Golden Age and co-created Black Canary. He designed the look for Barry Allen and as such is the very first artist to draw the Silver Age Flash for Show Case #4- credited with launching the Silver Age of Comics. His artwork is generally regarded as the very best to ever grace the covers and pages of the Flash. His work on Adam Strange outsold all other Sci-Fi comics before or since with the exception of one title- Star Wars (and it was Infantino himself who, as the artist drawing the early Star Wars comics for Marvel, helped the series beat his own record on Mystery in Space). He also designed and was the first artist to draw Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, creating the Silver Age character that would go on to appear in the hugely popular Adam West and Burt Ward TV show. He also created a new Batman villain, Poison Ivy. His other credits include Airboy, the JLA, Spider-Woman, Suberboy, Charlie Chan, and other titles too numerous to list. Perhaps most importantly Infantino is credited with saving the Batman line of comics from cancellation with his "new look" Batman, re-designed Batmobile and other Bat gadgets. He became editor, publisher, and ultimately president of DC Comics. "The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino" is a true must buy for any comics fan!

This is a long overdue book. From the Flash to Adam Strange, Infantino has (along with Jack Kirby) practically defined the look of the Silver Age of comics. Very nicely illustrated and with an intelligent text, you will not be disappointed. A "must buy!"

American Fancy: Exuberance In The Arts 1790-1840 is a stunning coffee table book focusing upon all forms of physical art - from paintings to furnishings to clocks, glass panels, coffeepots, and much more that could be found American households circa the early 1800's. The full color photographs display a truly remarkable assortment of classic antiques, and the text brings the reader on an in-depth tour of not only the works themselves, but the lives and sweeping historical changes surrounding the men and and women who cherished them. American Fancy is a veritable treasury of vintage creations, many of which were pragmatic as surely as they were beautiful.

From the two color book ribbons sewn into the binding to the heavy duty paper and bright, clear illustrations, this book is almost certainly the best produced new book I have ever seen. I resisted buying it for some months because of the price, but I was wrong to delay. The Chipstone Foundation and the Milwaukee Art Museum, and especially the designer, Wynne Patterson, are to be highly commended for producing a book of the highest quality. That is no small achievement in these pinch-penny days.

Long lost is the fine art of hand-binding books in leather and half-leather, but this book comes as close to the sensual delights of a handmade book of the 18th century as any I have ever seen.

Some of this praise must, of course, be reserved for the author. Some of the sensual delights of this book arise from the integration of black and white advertisements from historical sources, color pictures of painted furniture, close-up images of painted surfaces and ancillary images such as pictures of mocha ware, doll houses, quilts and folk portraits. The conscious effort to vary our range of focus adds a whole new dimension to the experience of reading the book.

I think that Priddy has an esoteric argument to make in his text, and I'm not sure he entirely makes his case. Sometimes, the words fight against the images, but the book is so beguilingly beautiful that the reader is ultimately won over by the sheer fancy imbedded in the effort.

Most of the time, we buy a book for its subject matter and treatment. Here there we have an additional reason. American Fancy is simply one of the finest books made in modern times. It is pure a delight.

Disclaimer: I was a lender to the exhibition and objects from my collection are illustrated in this extraordinary book, more than a catalogue of the exhibition. I heard the author, Sumpter Priddy, lecture on his concept of Fancy well over ten years ago and it resonated within me for years afterward. To finally have the expression of that concept so brilliantly realized must be both thrilling and empty-feeling for him. But those who have the book are the beneficiaries of his insight. The book is beautifully illustrated with top-level color photography by Gavin Ashworth of objects from museums and private collections that flesh out Priddy's vision of what constituted Fancy in the 1790-1840 period. The text is accessible and comprehensive while well-presented graphically. My only quibble is that the book's cover doesn't begin to suggest the riches within. In all, an exceptional effort at an extremely attractive price, thanks to the Chipstone Foundation's involvement.

I just bought this book a year ago. first time i saw this book at the bookshop, the first impression is the packaging/ cover of this book. its so thick and heavy, but the content...WOW! what can i say, the best reference for illustrator / graphic designer. many techniques have been used to make great illustration. From science fiction, cyber-art, human form, fantasy, comic and etc. It costs me a lot to pay this book, cause i'm in Australia, but it's worth to buy. That's why i bought american showcase 22 and 23. And this time from Amazon, cause Amazon has give me better deal! :-) Now i'm waiting for American Showcase 24!

American Showcase is the best reference to know what's new in Illustration tendency.

...a must have for any artist that is constantly learning from others. Every one of these books that I've seen has been great. As most artwork goes, every one is very different. I first found out about them through my father who purchased #17 in New Orleans, where I used to live. Since then we both have been hooked. I really suggest any of the American Showcase books if you can find the spare cash. P.S. Just to let you know, this book really contains no data on "how to". It is simply this, a HUGE collection of famous and not so famous graphic designer's work, who all deserve recognition if only we had that much space in our brains.

This book has great visuals to show the students about different areas of the human body. A must have!

Very good quality at the cheap price.
I recommended it to my students as well.

The charts are excellent... photos are colorful and labeled nicely. The print is a little small on the charts but the color and diagrams are very clear and excellently done.

Through Judith's verse and drawings, she is able to take you to another universe. She takes you to a higher plane of contemplation and awareness most do not find within themselves. Reading her poetry gives one a stepping stone for self exploration. Her drawings are something one could only imagine in dreams.Excellent book, I am looking forward to reading her new book Mortification Stew.

"Angels All About" by Judith Gayle Sherrouse is a deeply thought provoking yet enjoyable book to read. The drawings, while tending towards too much nudity, are tastefully moderated and show an uncommon natural artistic flair. The poems accompanying the illustrations are bizarre enough to cause the reader to reflect on their inner self. While at first appearing to have little meaning, upon contemplation they seem to reach into your soul. I would recommend this book to any and all that feel they are searching or are lacking in something.

Through Judith's verse and drawings, she is able to take you to another universe. She takes you to a higher plane of contemplation and awareness most do not find within themselves. Reading her poetry gives one a stepping stone for self exploration. Her drawings are something one could only imagine in dreams.Excellent book, I am looking forward to reading her new book Mortification Stew.