Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch [Hardcover]

Nancy Willard (Author), Leo & Diane Dillon (Illustrator), Lee Dillon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Here is an imaginative tale about the unconventional fifteenth-century Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch, as told by his wildly dissatisfied housekeeper. Caldecott Medalists Leo and Diane Dillon and their son, Lee, depict a most unusual household filled with pickle-winged fish, flying furniture, and other bizarre delights. “From its sumptuous paintings to its gilt frames to its quixotic verse, everything about this exquisitely produced tour de force bespeaks wit and elegance.”--Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fascination of Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450-1516) with bizarre imaginary beings is the springboard for a chimerical vision--elegantly realized in this resplendent work. In Willard's playful poem, the artist's housekeeper is vexed to the utmost by such distractions as "a beehive in boots and a pear-headed priest / who call monkeys to order and lizards to feast," but ultimately ac- cepts that her lot--and, her expressions suggest, her affections--lies with Bosch and his menagerie, however maddening. Once again, the Dillons have tailored their style to perfectly suit--and here, lend waggish twists to--their subject. Rendered in the opulent tones and peculiar, wild spirit of Bosch's works, their parade of fantastical creatures would make the master proud: animate cucumbers, an armor-plated, two-headed dragon, a flying fish with wings of pickles. Each exquisite painting is contained within a meticulously designed, sculpted gilt frame that produces a three-dimensional effect and adds to the immediacy and power of the surreal tableaux. The book's design is further enhanced by the calligraphic text, rich ivory stock and splendidly ornamented sepia endpapers. This eccentric work may not be for youngest children, but anyone with unusual vision and an affinity for the quirkiest corners of the imagination will find it a source of endless fascination. All ages.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up-- One needn't know Bosch's paintings of nightmarish otherworlds to be intrigued by the fantastic cast of characters Willard describes and the Dillons depict--although this visual parody is even more delightful to those familiar with the artist's work. The painter's housekeeper complains of the extreme frustration produced by the hordes of weird creatures that keep her from her proper duties, and she leaves. But she's followed by the lot who clamor for her loving attention , and she returns resigned to an active life with those who need her. Willard's verse has a Seuss-like dash to it, most frequently rhymed couplets with unusual words and even odder references to things such as a "pickle-winged fish." All the words are hand-lettered in an unlikely mixture of upper- and lower-case letters in the same tones of warm brown used to create vignettes on the pages facing the full color scenes. And such illustrations they are! The Dillons' son has cast four winged beasties and intergrated them onto a gilt wood frame with a softly arched top. Inside the artists have painted scenes in the spirit of the 15th-century genius but in a more modern, post-Renaissance fashion. The setting and humans are realistically portrayed in period dress, the artist as a bit of a crackpot and his housekeeper as a young woman fed up with his madness. It's the "beehive in boots" and "three-legged thistles" that infest all parts of these scenes that are based on characters from Bosch's vision of hell. Only now the effect is comic rather than frightening. Once again the artists show their virtuosity, their ability to don the robes of another artistic period or place, and yet play the play in their own fashion. --Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (October 31, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152622101
• ISBN-13: 978-0152622107
• Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 12.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous and Enticing, October 10, 2001

By 

Ivy (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch (Hardcover)

This book is worth buying for the illustrations alone. Although the story is not terrifically compelling, and some of the words are too difficult for young children, the book as a whole is a pleasure - endless fun for reading aloud, quite enjoyable for adults and children both.

The rhymed verse tells of the woes of Bosch's beknighted housekeeper, who must do all the standard house chores while caring for - and being harrassed by - Bosch's collection of weird creatures. She decamps, but finds she can't live without Bosch or his menagerie. Naturally, they live happily ever after. Some of language here is a little advanced, and most kids will understand the book better if an adult helps read it the first few times through.

The real heart of the book is not the story but the menagerie - the fish with pickle wings, the dandified oven, the three-legged thistles, the assorted dragons and reptiles - that lives all over and through Bosch's house. The illustrations perfectly capture the peculiar creatures, making them oddly appealing as well as just odd, in lovely, richly-colored and highly detailed renderings. The special frame (the work of the artists' son) is also wonderful.

So, although the story is a little weak, this book as a whole is a treasure; it's a literate, intelligent work that acts a springboard to fun and imagination for readers of all ages. The hardbound edition makes an excellent gift for adults who are fans of Bosch or just fantasy, as well as for kids who are tired of cute little stories about Squishy-Wishy Squirrel.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious illustrations matched by singing language, September 22, 2003

By 

Kathryn (London, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch (Hardcover)

This has got to be one of my favorite children's books. I don't know which is more impressive--the extravagant Bosch-inspired illustrations, or the witty verse with its precise rhymes and impeccable rhythm. At first it appears to be a too-precious book appreciated only by adults, but in fact children seem to love it too. My 3-year-old son, entranced by the jumping, singing langauge, loves it. He particularly enjoys all the talk of creepy crawlies and moster-animal hybrids. ("Which one is the pickle-winged bat, Mama?")

It appears to be out of print at this time (9/22/03). No!!!!!!!!!!! It is an unbelievably good book, and it ought to be available. Anyone I've ever given it to as a gift has treasured it. Now we'll have to treasure our copies all the more.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Introducing Hieronymus Bosch....., June 9, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch (Hardcover)

"Once upon a time there was an artist named Hieronymus Bosch who loved odd creatures. Not a day passed that the good woman who looked after his house didn't find a new creature lurking in a corner or sleeping in a cupboard..." So begins Nancy Willard's inventive picture book about this mysterious Dutch painter who filled his canvasses with fantastic and intriguing beings of all shapes and sizes. This poor housekeeper couldn't take it anymore. "I'm quitting your service, I've had quite enough/of your three-legged thistles asleep in my wash,/of scrubbing the millstone you use for a dish,/and riding to shops on a pickle-winged fish." She packs her bags and leaves, but once out on her own, finds she misses all the chaos her employer's imagination brings to life, and comes flying back home on that pickle-winged fish to a happily-ever-after ending..... Ms Willard's clever, rhyming text has a medieval look and feel, and a lyrical cadence that begs to be read aloud. But it's Diane and Leo Dillons' amazing and evocative artwork that really makes this book stand out and sparkle. Youngsters will enjoy poring over and exploring the bold and engaging pictures of two headed dragons, dancing cucumbers, monkeys, and lizards, and beehives in boots... and are sure to find something new and exciting each and every time they open the book. Perfect for kids 5 and older, Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch is a creative and entertaining introduction and includes a short biography at the end to complete the story. This is definitely a picture book budding art lovers shouldn't miss.