story number 1
April 10th, 2008
Another post about another artist, because there’s not much coming out of my studio these days and what is coming out comes out very, very wrong. I picked up this book at a thrift store a while ago because I recognized the author’s name. Eugene Ionesco was a playwright in the sixties who wrote in the style of the Theatre of the Absurd (thanks wikipedia).
The story is not so absurd, just a little silly. Thankfully it’s not like his other plays: “Ionesco’s plays depict in a tangible way the solitude and insignificance of human existence” (thanks again wikipedia). In the story, Josette’s mother and father are lying in bed tired and hungover (it’s always nice to read a book where the parents are real, instead of cheery cheery and never busy) and her father tells her a silly story about a girl named Jacqueline.
Everyone and everything Jacqueline knows is named jacqueline. Really not the best story–the father is hungover, cut him some slack–but the illustrations are fantastic. The colors are muted, but the pictures are still psychedelic. Etienne Delessert is the artist and a quick search on amazon came up with a couple of books he’s illustrated and I know this book is the first in a series he did with Ionesco. Anyway, I just think his pictures are great and wanted to share them with you.
more here and here if you are interested.
Those illustrations are great. Not so sure about the story, but then again kids seem to like the stories that make no sense anyway! :)
Don’t you think the illustrations are a bit reminiscent
of Alice on the other side of the Looking Glass? Sounds like the story could be there too. (I really liked Ida’s art work. Thanks for connecting us all to it.)
I know Ionesco from when I was a theatre major but I had no idea he wrote off the stage as well. Thanks for teaching me something new!
Love those illustrations. Very reminiscent of my childhood. It’s interesting how sometimes you can definitely appreciate a book for one element over another. Great illos, story, ehhhh, not so great and vice versa of course. I am tempted to cut up and use the ones I don’t love the stories on, as I quickly grow weary of reading them to my little ones. This makes it easier for a packrat like me to overcome my urge not to cut anything vintage. Thank you for sharing.
Sounds fantastic. Reminds me of Remy Charlip–we love Arm in Arm around here.
Wanted to write because today I have to mend my own shoes (well, sandals) and that reminded me of another rhyme for Miss Marley: “Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe. Get it done by have past two. Stitch it up and stitch it down and I’ll give you a half a crown.” Can’t spare the half a crown these days.
What a find! Love the illustrations and am in agreement with AJ and kids and the no sense stories.
very inspiring illustration!