Customer Reviews

The Illustrator's Notebook

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a beautiful book. I purchased this book for the illustrations but I like it even more for the writing. There is a short vignette on each page accompanied by an illustration or collages of some of the authors old pictures, postcards, and other items. Although this is a children's book, it's also appealing to adults. For those who know Arabic, the vignettes are all hand-written in Arabic and translated into English so you can pick up new words. Additionally, the author has a couple of very sweet vignettes describing how individuals from different countries perceive the world differently. Definitely a gem.

I heard about this book on NPR before Christmas. It took me 4 months to actually get it for my daughter. We ended up giving this as a birthday gift and I intend on ordering another for my 8 year old. The book will take you into another culture, yet is completely relevant to everyone.
I highly recommend it.

This is a rich and unique book with many levels of meaning. It is an account of an artist's creative sources and of how he grew up to be a famous illustrator. It is an appeal to children to see the world and to find inspiration in the most ordinary visual sources. It is a testament to the value of diversity, exemplified by the fact that while some people read from left to right, others read the opposite way, which affects how they see and even dream. It is an introduction to Egypt and its extraordinary visual world and, finally, it is a demonstration of the beauty of written Arabic. A joyous and inventive melding of genres, this stereotype-smashing book is a remarkable study of memory and perspective.

Teachers: 6th grade to adult. Each of its pages would make a fabulous overhead transparency powerpoint visual - to be used for wonderful classroom sessions. It will be a required "text" for an online curriculum about the Timbuktu manuscripts: Legacy of the Written Word.

This review LOVES this book and is VERY excited about its possibilities in YOUR classroom!