{"id":37224,"date":"2020-05-14T14:49:06","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T18:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=37224"},"modified":"2020-05-14T14:49:06","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T18:49:06","slug":"review-of-helen-oxenbury-a-life-in-illustration-by-leonard-s-marcus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=37224","title":{"rendered":"Review of Helen Oxenbury: A Life in Illustration, by Leonard S. Marcus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Helen Oxenbury<\/p>\n

A Life in Illustration<\/em><\/p>\n

by Leonard S. Marcus<\/p>\n

Candlewick Press, 2018. 288 pages.
\nStarred Review
\nReview written 02\/20\/2020, from a library book<\/p>\n

This big, beautiful, heavy book tells the story of the career of the amazing picture book artist, Helen Oxenbury. I was delighted to read it, because Helen Oxenbury\u2019s Tom and Pippo<\/em> books were a huge favorite of my firstborn child, who is now almost 32 years old.<\/p>\n

The pages are as large as a picture book, the paper is thick, and there are almost 300 pages. There\u2019s a decorative ribbon, so this is suitable for a coffee table book, which is where I kept my library copy while I was reading it \u2013 but I\u2019m afraid that meant I didn\u2019t get around to it very often. By far the majority of the pages are filled with paintings, and when there is text it isn\u2019t long. So this book doesn\u2019t take a long time to read if you sit down and look. Every time I thought I should give up because I wasn\u2019t getting around to it, I\u2019d read another chapter and be so delighted that I didn\u2019t have the heart to part with it until I was done.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a beautiful book and filled me with nostalgia especially about the books I\u2019d read to my kids. But I also enjoyed the wonderful art from books I hadn\u2019t been familiar with. It\u2019s arranged in a way that you can see Helen Oxenbury\u2019s strengths and her growth as a writer. The story of her career is fascinating, too. She met her husband, the noted illustrator John Burningham, when they were both in art school. She began her own career in the 1960s and continues to this day.<\/p>\n

This wonderful book looks in great detail at her many illustrated books and celebrates her life. There\u2019s a Bibliography at the back as well as testimonials from authors she\u2019s worked with. So much fun if you or your child have ever loved a Helen Oxenbury book. And if you haven\u2019t, you\u2019ll discover ones you must find and enjoy.<\/p>\n

At the back of the book, we discover that Helen Oxenbury is the one who created the Walker Bear, also used by Candlewick Press. The book finishes with a quote from Deirdre McDermott, the Publisher of Walker Books:<\/p>\n

So it is that the story of Helen Oxenbury\u2019s astonishing contribution to children\u2019s books is intrinsically woven into the fabric and legacy of Walker Books and Candlewick Press. She is as steeped in our history as we are in hers. Helen\u2019s beautiful, iconic bear has illuminated the creative path for the thousands of stories that we\u2019ve published, and shines a way forward for the many, many more to come.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Nonfiction\/helen_oxenbury.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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