Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The Hunter and His Dog (A Fantastical Journey through the World of Bruegel) by Sassafras De Bruyn from Eerdmans Publishing [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts:  Unless one is schooled to understand and recognize the works of various artists through the centuries, one would likely miss the fun of a book such as The Hunter and His Dog. To begin with, this is a "wordless" book in that the story is told visually alone. The story is that of The Hunter and he leaps from page to page following the black bird. His companion is his dog. The two of them see the black bird soar through a crevasse that appears on the virtually blank page.

Turn the page and you see and "town square" packed full of peasants from long ago engaged in village activities of playing, dancing, and life in general.

But the scene changes just as in the Works of artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder. We see the Tower of Babel, Winter hunting scenes, folks diving into holes in the ground, and a scary figure.

So the "readers" can create their own story but the real fun would be exploration of the multitude of characters revisited from Bruegel's famous works.

A short bio about Bruegel's paintings is at the end of the book. And there are numerous websites where you can find information and images of Brugel's paintings. Here is one: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bruegel-the-elder-pieter/artworks/

I highly recommend libraries acquire a copy of this fun book and homes where love of art is important would want to add it to their children's libraries.

About the book: Spotting a bird in the distance, the hunter and his dog begin a madcap chase across the world of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. They stumble into some of the artist’s most famous scenes: wedding dances, snowy villages, even the winding stairs of the Tower of Babel. Will they ever find the place where they belong?

This wordless book introduces young readers to the Flemish Renaissance artist and his most beloved works, including The Hunters in the Snow and Children’s Games. Includes informational endnote on Bruegel and an index of the paintings that inspired each illustration.
GIVEAWAY
Begins February 12
Ends March 11 at 12:01 a.m. ET
Open to USA addresses only.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's copy is provided by and shipped directly to the winner by Eerdmans Publishing.

3 comments:

  1. The Chickens Build a Wall sounds pretty good, but I'd love to learn more about As It Is In Heaven.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would like to own and see it reviewed-As It Is In Heaven.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would like to have The Song of Francis and the Animals and see a review of Little Apple Goat.

    ReplyDelete

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