Trailblazing Women Printmakers by Elena Sarni is a wonderful and (I believe) the only book about the Folly Cove Designers. I recommend it for any VLB lovers out there.
I was just coming here to say, "E.B. Goodale recommended a book called Trailblazing Women Printmakers to me, and I got it out of the library, but am overwhelmed by how much excellent information it has, and now I'm going to buy it."
I was so, so excited when I walked in my favorite cafe/used bookstore today and saw a copy of The Little House, which I had never read before reading your post. I bought it immediately, ostensibly for my two-year-old, but obviously for me.
This was great! I haven't thought about this book NEARLY enough until today--thank you both!
Laugh-snorted at, “They should probably keep an eye on some of the water rights, right, Daddy?”
Especially loved the discussion about house stakes (such a great pun) and how "you have to imagine how you would feel if you were a house," and I am seeing some overlap in my own process/thoughts (which so far, people seem to refer to as deadpan). Maybe deadpan should be called "imaginepan," and it's like panning for things that glimmer in the reader's own mind.
You're right about the Disney overlap. In fact, we of a certain age fondly recall the 6 minute animated short, "The Little House", narrated by the unmistakeable Sterling Holloway. This is the same story, Disney-ized. Listen in about 8:06.
For a brief moment I thought this was going to be a deep dive into The Wild Little House by Irish author Eilís Dillon and illustrator V. H. Drummond (1955) and I got very excited because it's a favourite of mine. I hadn't heard of this beautiful little house book but enjoyed the deep dive immensely and loved discovering similarities between the two texts. In Dillons'/Drummonds' the house moves too but, things get a bit surreal and it goes walkabout of its own accord 😅! Have you come across this book? It was published in the US and I'm not sure it ever even reached Ireland despite Dillon being known as a prolific children's writer here. My own copy is an old library book from the US. Would love to hear your thoughts on it!
I'd love to know how many of the clever illustration tricks and layouts just came instinctively to her and how many were brainstormed and figured out over time, it's really fascinating. Will you ever do a deep dive on your own books?
I love this, I absolutely love the close readings, they are my absolute favorites of all the emails to show up in my inbox ever. (More please!)
Trailblazing Women Printmakers by Elena Sarni is a wonderful and (I believe) the only book about the Folly Cove Designers. I recommend it for any VLB lovers out there.
I was just coming here to say, "E.B. Goodale recommended a book called Trailblazing Women Printmakers to me, and I got it out of the library, but am overwhelmed by how much excellent information it has, and now I'm going to buy it."
I love the Mary Anne the steam shovel cameo. Stealth marketing!
I was so, so excited when I walked in my favorite cafe/used bookstore today and saw a copy of The Little House, which I had never read before reading your post. I bought it immediately, ostensibly for my two-year-old, but obviously for me.
As always, I loved reading this. I feel quite emotional … !
This was great! I haven't thought about this book NEARLY enough until today--thank you both!
Laugh-snorted at, “They should probably keep an eye on some of the water rights, right, Daddy?”
Especially loved the discussion about house stakes (such a great pun) and how "you have to imagine how you would feel if you were a house," and I am seeing some overlap in my own process/thoughts (which so far, people seem to refer to as deadpan). Maybe deadpan should be called "imaginepan," and it's like panning for things that glimmer in the reader's own mind.
Anyhoo. Thank you.
You're right about the Disney overlap. In fact, we of a certain age fondly recall the 6 minute animated short, "The Little House", narrated by the unmistakeable Sterling Holloway. This is the same story, Disney-ized. Listen in about 8:06.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1G4y9DLwA
(Thanks to John Frame for this digitized audio version from 1959.)
For a brief moment I thought this was going to be a deep dive into The Wild Little House by Irish author Eilís Dillon and illustrator V. H. Drummond (1955) and I got very excited because it's a favourite of mine. I hadn't heard of this beautiful little house book but enjoyed the deep dive immensely and loved discovering similarities between the two texts. In Dillons'/Drummonds' the house moves too but, things get a bit surreal and it goes walkabout of its own accord 😅! Have you come across this book? It was published in the US and I'm not sure it ever even reached Ireland despite Dillon being known as a prolific children's writer here. My own copy is an old library book from the US. Would love to hear your thoughts on it!
I'd love to know how many of the clever illustration tricks and layouts just came instinctively to her and how many were brainstormed and figured out over time, it's really fascinating. Will you ever do a deep dive on your own books?