November 25, 2013

Messy Picturebooks

So there are some picturebooks out there that almost look like journals or scrapbooks created by kids. They look less finished than most picturebooks, almost like someone cut and glued the images and then scanned them really quickly. I'm writing about these books because I've had been collecting them over time, and they're beautiful...but I had no idea what category to put them in until now. After scanning my collection I realized I'd collected enough of them to finally write a post about them, so here it is!

Let's begin with the first one I purchased, The Sun Is Yellow by Kveta Pacovská. An Alice in Wonderland-esque adventure, the book follows a frog and the eclectic friends he meets. I totally found this book by accident, and I have to say it's one of the best purchases I've made. Take a look!









I thought this book was stunning when I bought it. And almost every spread has some sort of interactive activity on it: lift the flap, turn the wheel...It's a fabulous book that I'm really lucky to have come by.

Next on the list is And to Name But Just a Few: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue by Laurie Rosenwald. This picturebook guide to colors, this book is just as lovely:



Lastly, we have Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg, probably the most well-known of the three books. Here's the description: 

"A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator...Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion “telescope”—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder."

Its interactive features and seemingly messy composition make it feel like an authentic look at how an "oops" can be a work of art:




That's it for this week! Have a great Thanksgiving to those who live in the US!

Messily yours,
Mel

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