Four impressively illustrated children's books

by Four authors

Publisher: Human & Rousseau/Tafelberg
Genre: Children's books
Verdict: Illustrious illustrations
Book Reviewed by: Jay Heale

Today I’m going to introduce you to four South African illustrators. The first thing children look at is the pictures. But do you know how to look? Can you look into the pictures? Do they show details that are not in the text? Do they convey atmosphere?

All four books are impressive, hard-cover volumes. Three are published by Human & Rousseau; the one illustrated by Fiona Moodie comes from Tafelberg. They are all in Afrikaans. I admit happily that I have absolutely no right to comment on the writing in the books because I don’t know enough of the language. But I do know a little about visual language.

Three of these books are collections of stories. So Marjorie van Heerden has the harder task with Die avonture van Alice in Wonderland because she has to revitalize an already known story and to maintain a central character. Her Alice has the long golden hair we might have expected, but she has a questioning glint in her eye and a no-nonsense look about her, even as she encounters the scatter-brained White Rabbit, the wildly eccentric Mad Hatter and a slightly malicious Cheshire Cat. Marjorie uses colour spreads effectively, often incorporating text and story.

Piet Grobler is the ideal illustrator for Die Mooiste Sprokies van Grimm. He can combine childlike innocence with looming unpleasantness, and at the same time become fascinated with intricate detail that is totally relevant. He weaves branches and leaves and wildly dancing figures like a strange embroidery. Some stories from the Brothers Grimm are zany; Piet makes us laugh with ease. Some are almost pure magic, like the moon which Piet conjures brilliantly out of tree branches. Some are ominous, like the great sea-serpent that threatens the foolish fisherman as much as his wife does.

Fiona Moodie was presented with a glorious mixture of stories, some African, some traditional. It’s called In die Nimmer-Immer-Bos. She chose to use hand-coloured drypoint etchings which have a crisp clarity set against colour washes. Precise and delicate art. Sometimes the characters are arranged around the page like an antique pattern; sometimes Fiona offers us a moment of drama, as with the dying Chinese emperor in Andersen’s ‘Nightingale’ story. Though they are stories from around the world, the western Cape keeps creeping into the background in delightful fashion.

If the Rondomtalie which faced Rosalind Stockhall are as unpredictable as her artwork, then this is a book to treasure indeed! She works mostly with cut-out collage figures, yet they are anything but flat or static. Sometimes ornate, sometimes framed in architectural fragments, often flying through magical space. Rosalind provides 21st century illustration, grabbing our attention, awakening imagination, suggesting humour, delight or something as breathtaking as a flying red dragon.

How impressively South African illustration has escaped from the concept of children’s books being sweet and sugary, and has leapt into the bizarre, the unexpected, the creation of character and atmosphere.

Reviewed for FMR BOOK CHOICE January 2011 on 101.3: www.fmr.co.za. .JAY HEALE is a freelance reviewer specialising in youth literature from South Africa and around the world. Editor of www.bookchat.co.za

Four impressively illustrated children's books

by Four authors

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