Animal Humor in an Awesome Blend of Fact and Fiction

 Quick Covid 19 anchor in time:

The status of "spread" or "flattening" of the virus varies in different regions of the country, but our nation's overall numbers keep climbing. Some kids will resume physical or virtual school, some families are working virtually or leaving home as essential public workers, and some are out of work and struggling with the financial stresses of that situation (with governmental supports currently expired and little sign of restoration). Whatever your local circumstances are, please stay safe and well, and show others the respect of keeping public spaces as safe as possible.

I have been seeing sidewalk chalk for sale in every possible location as I make my way during essential trips into retail spaces for medicines, foods, and hardware. The pandemic and protests for Black Lives Matter and racial justice seem to have heightened the creative impulse in kids and adults. That reminded me of a breathtaking picture book I am overdue to feature. 

Henry Holt and Company, 2019

HANDIMALS: Animals in ART and NATURE includes nonfiction text by Silvia Lopez and mind-boggling  body art by Guido Daniele. The artist's mission is to call attention to the plight of endangered animals by showcasing their distinctive beauty, behaviors and adaptations on an unusual platform. In this book the text provides informative and engaging details about particular animals, tucked on each broad-layout double-page spread between bookends of a vibrantly colored photograph of an actual animal on the left, mirrored by a full-bleed photographic image of the animal Daniele has created  on hand(s), sometimes including arms, shoulders, and multiple individuals.

Interior image- CHAMELEON

The art is so incredible that it takes intense  attention to distinguish the body parts on which the image is painted. I remain in awe of the positioning, texture, and dimensionality of each creature, and, most especially, the eyes. There is helpful thumbnail back matter to augment the scientific content about each species, but I was even more intrigued by Daniele's afterword discussions of how (and why) he works to achieve these images. 

I'll admit I was suffering on behalf of the models as I examined each finished piece, feeling my own hands cramp in sympathy with how long they must have held each position. Daniele's process allows for extensive preparation to avoid that, analyzing and achieving intended positions, taking photographs, sketching/drafting the details, and planning color and detail applications before applying colors to the actual models. Those eyes I so admire in each case are his starting point, he says, and he chooses particular hands/arms/poses to suit the textures and content for various plans. 

How many hands, arms, shoulders do you see?
What connects to what? Whose are whose?

There are added important and intriguing details in that back matter, including that he uses make-up rather than paint, and only natural materials. His dedication for this book is to Jane Goodall, who is pictured with him and her own chimp-painted hand. This amazing book will intrigue and inspire readers of any age, and is an ideal example of  #STEM content being elevated by ART to become #STEAM. This book has been available for some time, but I feel like it is a perfect book for right now. 

GREYSTONE KIDS, September, 2020

A new picture book will be available in September, 2020, and it flips the above approach by using  a delightful FICTION premise to introduce NONFICTION content, sparking research, observation, and comparisons, not to mention some potential art efforts. ANIMALS BRAG ABOUT THEIR BOTTOMS is the inspired work of MAKI SAITO, translated by Brian Bergstrom. The very simple text assumes each animal is, indeed, quite proud of their bottom, with some minimal text reference to similarities, differences, and traits.

interior of some posteriors.

Bottoms of all kinds!

As this final spread indicates, diversity is a virtue, and comparisons are rarely going to make sense. On the other hand, (for pun fans), these two books would benefit by comparison in EVERY way. Whether focused on the front, the whole, or the rear, each animal has characteristics that suit its needs for protection, survival, and habitats. One type of art is complex and precise, while the other is interpretive with softer details. One uses elaborate factual text and images, the other uses simplified fictional text and images, but both inform, invite, and entertain. With a bit of investigation it turns out that both are translations, both have global appeal and both are published in other countries and languages. The appeal is clearly global.

Here's hoping you'll get your hands on HANDIMALS for now, and ANIMALS BRAG ABOUT THEIR BOTTOMS in September.  

Public zoos and museums have been reopening, some with prescheduled attendance and restricted displays. Still, they are open for visiting and direct observation. Wouldn't it be a great idea to make a trip (or more) and use those handy handheld cameras to capture these and other intriguing critters in a variety of positions and with varying expressions? Wouldn't it be fun to create your own art, or even books, adding information discovered through observation and research?