Gerald Rose, The Fisherman and the Cormorants

New books (new old books) were waiting for our return, amongst them, this beautiful Gerald Rose book which explains the origins of fishing with Cormorants in China. As ever Gerald Rose has captured the essence of the animals, in this case cormorants, and I am stunned at the space allowed in the second illustration from the bottom, perfect.

Gerald Rose XI

 

The Walrus and the Carpenter and Other Poems by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Gerald Rose, published in 1968. Readers of this blog will know that Gerald Rose is an absolute hero of mine and these illustrations are truly wonderful.

Gerald Rose XIII

 

Yet again I have been sent into rapture by Gerald Roses work, Professor Martin Salisbury found this in the archive of Gerald's work a poster from 1950 Royal Academy School.

Gerald Rose, The Ginger Bread Man

I love Gerald Rose's work and 'The Ginger Bread Man retold by Barbara Ireson is just wonderful. I love the cheeky ginger bread man. Gerald's treatment of water is always so perfect you can hear it babbling and gurgling. Whilst the stove and spring suiting take me back to when I was a very small child. 
I am very happy to have added it to my collection of treasured children's books.

Michael Foreman

I briefly made it over to the Edinburgh Festival yesterday and spent a couple of hours at the Edinburgh Book Festival, where I was thrilled to find this book; 'The General' by Janet Charters. It was originally published in 1961 and reprinted by Templer Publishing in 2010 to celebrate it's 50th anniversary.
It is a book to cherish, about peace and beauty and an end to wars.
It was of course the illustration that drew me to it as it looked so much like my favorite illustrator Gerald Rose's work. In fact I was not so surprised to see that it was illustrated by Michael Foreman, as he attended Lowestoft Art School the same as Gerald Rose, but it did make me wonder about who was teaching at this school and whether Michael and Gerald had fallen under the same tutorship.
This was Michael's first book, his style developed into solid washes of colour and I had many books illustrated by him as a child. This less finished style is a revelation to me in Foreman's repertoire, I really love the quality of line and the use of colour, humour and space in these works.

Gerald Rose 'Albert And The Green Bottle'

  

 

'Albert and the Green Bottle' by Elizabeth and Gerald Rose, came all the way from Canada this week to join my other favourite vintage children's books. I am so glad it did as it is a lovely book, illustrated by my favourite illustrator Gerald Rose. It is a story of a family who's son builds a boat to sail around the world. On becoming ship wrecked he writes a message in a bottle which is eaten by a giant fish, that his father subsequently lands and the search for Albert is on.

Elizabeth and Gerald Rose III

I added to my collection of Gerald Rose and yesterday received a 1958 copy of 'How St Francis Tamed The Wolf'. So happy to have another book by this wonderful partnership. Gerald Rose's illustrations continue to be among my favorites and I love it when I get the opportunity to see more of his wonderful work. 

Gerald Rose XV

The next few posts I have separated , they are all illustrations from 'The Giant who drank from his Shoe and other stories (selected from Le Marchand de nuages) Translated by John Buchanan Brown and illustrated by the phenomenal Gerald Rose. The illustrations are so rich in line that I wanted to keep each story separate. 

Gerald Rose XII

This giant 'O' of a mouth mirrored by the painted 'O' around the text is genius at work. Gerald Roses Illustrations for 'The Emporers Oblong Pancake' written by Peter Huges Published 1961.

The Big River by Elisabeth and Gerald Rose II

'Beneath the water were man-made things that the river had made her own. There was a bed - but no one lying there - only a flat fish with both eyes on one side of his head.' The Big River by Elizabeth and Gerald Rose. 
Happy Sunday!