D'Aulaires' Book of Animals (New York Review Books) [Hardcover]

Ingri d'Aulaire (Author), Edgar Parin d'Aulaire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2007 | Age Level: 2 and up | Series: New York Review Books

THE CELEBRATED HUSBAND-AND-WIFE TEAM OF INGRI AND EDGAR PARIN D’AULAIRE
prepared this exceptionally beautiful volume for their own son Ola, and it is as fresh and enchanting today as it was when it first sprung from their imaginations.
D’Aulaires’ Book of Animals introduces young children to the creatures of every continent. Here more than fifty animals lithographed in full color form one side of a book that can be read page by page or unfolded to form a continuous panorama; the flipside of the panorama reveals the nighttime world of the animals in the very same settings. Each tableau presents the subjects in their native environments—from the tropical to the arctic—and is rendered with the exemplary richness of color and delightful understanding of the children’s world that distinguish the d’Aulaires’ much-loved retellings of the Norse and Greek myths and their wildly playful Book of Trolls. Young children, meeting animals from all over the world for the first time, will be delighted not only with the animals themselves but with the simple and engaging text which provides information about the way they act, the world they live in, and—best of all—the sounds they make. D’Aulaires’ Book of Animals is not only a perfect picture book for preschoolers, but a work of art that can be enjoyed by all.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Unfold this glorious eight-foot-long frieze of nature's wild things and share a round-the-world safari with your favorite young animal lover. First published in 1940 and now happily back in print." -Parenting Magazine

"Those familiar with D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths will appreciate the New York Review Books' efforts to unite the authors' backlist. Having reissued both D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths and D'Aulaires' Book of Trolls , the publisher now presents the paper-over-board D'Aulaires' Book of Animals by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire, originally published in 1940 as Animals Everywhere. The book folds out into a glorious full-color landscape, stretching from jungle to desert to Arctic climes; the reverse side, in b&w, names the animals and the sounds they make." -Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Edgar Parin d’Aulaire (1898—1986) studied art in Germany and France and apprenticed with Henri Matisse. In Munich, he met Ingri Mortenson (1904—1980), a Norwegian-born art student. They married, emigrated to the US, and began a long career together, publishing over twenty picture books for children. Their biography of Abraham Lincoln won the 1940 Caldecott Medal. They were awarded the Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association in 1970. New York Review Children’s Collection has recently published both D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths and D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: NYR Children's Collection; 1st Ed. edition (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590172264
• ISBN-13: 978-1590172261
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 0.6 x 11.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The work of Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire has needed no introduction - their beautiful picture books have delighted countless children ever since. Ingri Mortenson and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire met in Munich where both were studying art in the 1920's. Ingri had grown up in Norway; Edgar, the son of a noted portrait painter, was born in Switzerland and had lived in Paris and Florence. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to the United States and began to create the picture books that have established their reputation for unique craftsmanship. Their books were known for their vivid lasting color. a result of the pain-staking process of stone lithography used for all their American history biographies. This was an old world craft in which they were both expert, which involved actually tracing their images on large slabs of Bavarian limestone. Throughout their long careers, Ingri and Edgar worked as a team on both art and text. Their research took them to the actual places of their biographies, including the countries of Italy, Portugal and Spain when they were researching Columbus; to the hills of Virginia while they researched Washington; and to the wilds of Kentucky and Illinois for Abraham Lincoln, winner of the Caldecott Medal. The fact that they spoke 5 languages fluently served them well in their European travels and in their research of original documents. Since their deaths in the 1980's, Ingri and Edgar's books and works have been kept alive by their two sons Ola and Nils.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Homeschooler's Review, September 9, 2007

By 

A. Karlsson "AKWindsong" (Alaska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: D'Aulaires' Book of Animals (New York Review Books) (Hardcover)

The d'Aulaires were best known for their biographies for children (Leif the Lucky, Benjamin Franklin, Pocahontas, and others) as well as their collections of Norse and Greek myths. We recently found Book of Animals back in print on Amazon and I shouldn't have bought it because of my budget but Brad has really enjoyed this book. The pages fold out as a panorama longer than I am tall. One side is in color and has simple text spreading north to south and explaining what different animals like best about their climate. The reverse side is a black and white sketch of equal length mainly covering the sounds the same animals make but showing them more in action. Again the text is simple:

The Polar Bear growls.

The Whale blows, and he is the biggest of al the animals on land and in the sea.

The Gull cries.

The Sea Elephant roars.

The Walrus snores.

The Eiderduck squawks.

The Seal barks.

The text continues heading south (geographically).

What I like about this book is that it is a springboard. We can look through it and move on to the globe showing where these animals live. We can use it to launch us into poetry about different animals, or books about them. The simple drawings are not intimidating and encourage children to draw their own. From this simple book and a little discussion, "school" flows naturally into other projects.

The illustrations are fun and engaging for all ages, simple in a childlike sense and yet realistic enough not to lead small minds astray. It's also a great "activity" discussion book between an older child and a younger sibling.

The only down side is that the text is so simple as to be easily outgrown. It would have been nice if there had been some animals fact pages or verse included at the end of the book (considering the d'Aulaires originally prepared this work for their own young son the lack is understandable -- it was designed for delight and not for the single purpose of meeting the needs of educators), but as long as you are willing to use it as a springboard and pull in other sources as your child gets older, it is still a living book that allows one to lead children to other imformation without becoming dry and textbookish in one's approach to learning.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars D'Aulaires' Book of Animals, May 12, 2007

By 

S. Holsather (Minnetonka, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: D'Aulaires' Book of Animals (New York Review Books) (Hardcover)

Beautiful, classic D'Aulaires artwork. The entire book folds open into one long panorama. All of my children ages 4-13 love this book. It is one of those books you enjoy reading and admiring again and again.