There is an incredible depth of literary talent in New Zealand ranging from Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton to Kate di Goldi, Lloyd Jones, Janet Frame and the incomparable Margaret Mahy. NZ is also the base for amazing publisher Gecko Press, which publishes books from around the world for children. We should keep an eye […]
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Blog: Perpetually Adolescent (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: margaret mahy, lloyd jones, Gecko Press, Wake, joy cowley, janet frame, eleanor catton, Elizabeth Pulford, international children's books, Elizabeth Knox, Book Reviews - Childrens and Young Adult, Book Reviews - Fiction, NZ literature, Joy Lawn, Kate di Goldi, Add a tag
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Blog: KidsBooksNZ (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Scholastic, Gecko Press, Kyle Mewburn, Elizabeth Pulford, Add a tag
People by Blexbolex, Gecko Press
Anotherchallenging book by Gecko Press. It’s hardbound with a jacket and is presentedin an unusual size (25cm x 19cm). It’s as thick as a proper book (that is, nota picture book) but this is in part due to the very solid paper used.Librarians will be scratching their heads wondering where to shelve it. Eachpage presents a minimalistic image of a person in some kind of role, along withwords that describe the role. So we find School Children, a Conductor, aPainter, a Stevedore, an Astronaut. So far so good. But the artist’s sly senseof humour comes through when we find images for A Seasonal Worker (SantaClaus), a Myth (Prometheus pushing his stone), a Nudist, an Invisible Man, aRisk-Taker. Humour is also evident in the juxtaposition of the images – anExplorer is next to Tourists, a Monk is next to a Rabbi, a Vagabond is next toa Bedouin.
Now, whowould appreciate a book like this? I could see it being used in primary schoolsfor social studies lessons, but children will probably need guidance fromteachers to help them think about the not-so-obvious aspects of the images. Artteachers may also be interested in it because the illustrations certainly bearout the “Less is more” guideline. By the way, Blexbolex is a French illustratorand graphic artist, and this book won the Best Book Design in the World Awardat the Leipzig Book Fair.
D.E.S.I.G.N.* by Ewa Solarz, illus. Aleksandra andDaniel Mizielinski, Gecko Press
