Accidental Bestiary

Stefania Camilli is a brave woman. Not only has she started a new publishing company 

at a time when both the editorial world and the Italian economy are in the midst of a crisis,

but she has chosen to come out with a first book which is unusual and daring. 

For this project she has contacted Guido Scarabottolo, one of Italy's best art directors, 

graphic designers and illustrators (I have previously written about one of his children's books here).

To her surprise and delight, he was very approachable, and willing to collaborate with a new unknown publisher.

The result of his work is beautiful and innovative: an open-ended volume featuring a random collection

 of surprising animal pictures designed to be enjoyed on their own, or to serve as a stimulus for the creation 

of an endless series of stories. To add to the fun, all the illustration pages are perforated

so that the favorite pictures can be detached and hung or played with.

The large format book is wordless except for the animals' latin names, 

and can appeal to both young children and adult animal and art lovers.

I wish all the best to Camilla and her Vànvere Edizioni 

and I am hoping to see a new production soon!

Bits & Pieces

Finally, I am getting to share one of the books I discovered at the Bologna Book Fair.

It was created by Chiara Armellini, a talented young Italian artist living in Vicenza,

and published by our friends at Topipittori. Printed on high quality heavy matte paper, 

this large size volume has a really nice feel to it. I love the clever illustrations 

made with rubber stamps, and the colors on the facing pages are just gorgeous.

 The concept of Ti faccio a pezzetti is simple and consists of a series of riddles. 

After each spread featuring an abstract composition of various shapes and a short text 

offering clues, another follows with the answer and a picture of the animal built out 

of those shapes. If you read italian, you can find the story behind the book here.

 

 Definitely another book for young children that adults can feast their eyes upon!

Chinese Brushstrokes

Thanks to the YouTube channel Obscure Animation, I am very happy to showcase for the first time

 a video from China. And a lovely one it is, too. This award winning 1960 short was the earliest example

 of brush painting animation. It was produced at Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and co-directed

 by Tang Cheng and Te Wei, who is also generally credited with inventing the technique.

The watercolor paintings of Qi Baishi inspired this unique approach to animation, which was reprised 

three years later in The Buffalo Boy's Flute. After a decade of Cultural Revolution

 had all but destroyed the Chinese animation industry, Te Wei utilized again the technique

 for his 1988 masterpiece Feeling from Mountain and Water. Hopefully this is the first

of many new interesting eastern discoveries...

Sunday Safari - Let's Dance

Toti Scialoja

Everyone's invited to the Great Italian Liberation Ball! 

Danse Fantastique from La Caricature, 1830, Via Vintage Printable

Elise Bake, Der Ball der Tiere, 1891, 

and Eugen Osswald, Der Ball der Tiere, 1917

via the International Children's Digital Library

W. W. Denslow's Mother Goose

The Grasshopper Ball, 1927, via SurrenderDorothy

 WIlly Schermele, Ondjes (1930s?), via Jan Willemsen

Garth Williams, Wait Till the Moon is Full, 1948, thanks to try-whistling-this

Anthony Gilbert from Lilliput, March 1947

Cornelius van Velsen, Het Draaiorgeltje,1965, thanks to Arthur van Kruining

Cristina Berardi

Kitty Crowther

Gianluca Folì, Kuma Dansu

Vladimir Radunsky, Hip Hop Dog

Oscar Baillif

Calef Brown

Jon Klassen, Cat's Night Out

Sunday Safari - Looming Presences

Martin Wittfooth, A Milder Fate Than Tyranny

John Brosio, Fatigue, thanks to Dark SIlence in Suburbia

Gerald Rose, illustration for Nessie The Mannerless Monster By Ted Hughes 

thanks to Hazel Terry's Classics of Children's Illustration Flickr set

 Michael Sowa, Haunted City

Peter Ferguson 

 Di Liu, two photos from the Animal Regulation series

 Pietari Posti

 Shuichi Nakano, Premonition of Storm and Chill at 5:25

from the Searching for Paradise series

Ryan Heshka

Chris Appelhans, Midnight Party