Seasons [Hardcover]

Blexbolex (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2010 | Age Range: 3 and up

In this graphically stunning picture book, Blexbolex explores the cyclical nature of time by looking at the seasons. Using objects, landscapes, activities, and different types of people that are associated with each season (such as a skier, a swimmer, a roasted chestnut seller), Blexbolex evokes the sense of permanency given to life by its cyclical nature, despite the fact that time is always passing. The purpose of this book is to encourage observation of the world around us and lead the reader to form all sorts of logical and imaginative associations having to do with the seasons, the cycles of life, and time.

An illustrator of graphic genius, Blexbolex entered art school with the intention of becoming a painter, but left having discovered his talent as a silksceen artist. Since then, he has worked regularly with book publishers in France and Germany, as well as for the press. In 2009 he received the prestegious Golden Letter award for best book design throughout the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Words and phrases loosely associated with the seasons appear in a blocky pink font on each page of this contemplative book, above grainy prints with a decidedly retro flavor. The pages often play off one another, creating a succession of evocative observations. Debris litters a shady grove, but yields discovery for a black bird, opposite, tugging on discarded string. A gleaming plum, seen early, later becomes a prune. Figures engage in many recognizable activities, and a subtle sense of humor can be seen at work (a traffic jam mirrors a caterpillar crawl). The creamy matte paper, rich colors, and deceptively simple imagery combine to breathtaking effect, encouraging readers to take notice of fleeting details. All ages. (Apr.)
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From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2 At first glance, this work may appear to be a simple concept book. Four spreads depict the same landscape during each season. Then Blexbolex turns to images of objects, activities, and concepts that remind readers of life's everyday and unusual occurrences as days and months pass. Above each image is a one- or two-word caption printed in block capitals. Sometimes the relationships between illustrations are straightforward, as when cocoon appears opposite butterfly. Other times, turning the page results in contrast or continuity. For example, a scene recalling Manet's painting of people on a picnic is followed by debris left after their departure. Still other connections occur pages apart as characters or objects reappear. The red-and-white house from the initial landscapes can be spotted in several places, sometimes in perilous circumstances such as flood or tornado, but also during snowy silence. The stunning artwork demonstrates Blexbolex's mastery of printmaking. From preschoolers identifying familiar objects to adults pondering visual representations of ideas such as late bloomer, attentive readers will find new connections with each perusal. A book to savor. Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books (April 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592700950
• ISBN-13: 978-1592700950
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An inter-generational treat ready to be shared between parents and children April 22, 2010

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Hardcover

"Seasons" is a richly complex, abundant gathering of artistic word and imagery pairings evocative of several cycles of seasons. At first paging through the 180 page book is a trifle confusing, because the seasons keep repeating in their cycles. Then all is explained in the end by the author/artist's note to the reader: "Blexbolex got lost for a while in the pages of his books. He has needed two summers, an autumn, a winter, a spring, several storms and a lot of sunshine to rediscover the seasons for himself." The beautiful book experience that emerges is a true taste of the intense variety of the four seasons. The vintage color prints are both evocative and starkly modern; they freshen our minds to receive impressions of life anew. "Seasons" is an inter-generational treat ready to be shared between parents and children, teachers and students, or just savored alone.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia for the New June 8, 2010

By Matthew J. Burgess

Format:Hardcover

Reading SEASONS feels like finding a cherished book from childhood that has miraculously turned up. The nostalgia it inspires might have something to do with the delicious color palette (1970s Kodachrome? Pedro Almodovar circa All About My Mother?) or the surprising heft in the hand (was this how "big" books felt when we were smaller?). Blexbolex's irresistible silkscreen illustrations have the retro charm of old Childcraft Encyclopedia sets and those alphabet books you dimly remember from kindergarten, but as you turn the pages (and you can't stop turning the pages), you become drawn deeper into layers of meaning. The opening pages introduce the seasons across two-page spreads and then the free-association begins--a word and its accompanying image often paired with another on the opposing page. The connections can be logical (LEAF / CATERPILLAR), visually analogous (FIREFLIES / SHOOTING STAR), sonic (BOCCE / ITCHY), even perplexingly oblique (DAY-TO-DAY / TORNADO). This is what I love about SEASONS and why I'm inclined to shelve it with my poetry books: the reader's invited to be a creative participant, to make her own connections and to daydream. I've taught poetry in New York City elementary schools for almost ten years, and I look forward to sharing this new treasure with my students. Any given page could trigger an association, a memory, a poem. And as we witness the current wave of book digitization, SEASONS is a gorgeous argument for the distinct, sensory pleasures of the book as an object-in-our-hands. Young or old, you'll want this book within arm's reach.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Change of Pace February 1, 2011

By L. W. Heinz

Format:Hardcover

As the mother of a toddler, our bookshelves are crammed with stories of turkeys who can't put their clothes on correctly, big red dogs, baby animals, what it means to be a good helper, etc. This book is a nice change of pace from the usual toddler fare. Some disagree and find the book unrelatable, which makes sense because this book is art. Works of art generally have their admirers and detractors. In our family, we are admirers. This book greatly interests my 1.5 year old because of its big, bold colors and shapes. She does not understand some of the more advanced concepts illustrated. But I enjoy the challenge as a parent to talk through some of the more complicated images, if she finds them interesting on some level. It is a fun exercise for both of us, I think--and gets us out of the "puppy/kitty" box. I would compare this book to Charley Harper's ABC book--not for everyone, but certainly worthy of a try if you like the idea of exposing your child to different types of illustration. (And challenging yourself to make art relatable to a developing mind.)