I don't know what it is about this time of year, but I always seem to turn inward a bit and feel extra curious and ravenous about words and pictures. The pile of books coming into my house keeps stacking up, so I thought I better mention at least a few of them before the stack grows too tall!
1. Hillary's amazing creation, Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew & Love, is one of the most beautiful craft books I've ever seen. Okay, it might just be the most beautiful craft book I've seen. From the sunny yellow cloth spine, to the substantial format, it's a really nice object. And the part that really matters, the insides, are even better. Every single one of the dolls is special and distinct...there isn't a single one that feels like filler. Hillary was one of my first blog-friends, and her impeccable craftsmanship, funny acerbic wit, and sweet sensibility have always made Wee Wonderfuls a real humdinger of a cottage industry. I am so happy that is all wrapped up in a beautiful book now.
2. Dillweed's Revenge is one of the best-looking children's books I've seen lately. Carson Ellis' illustrations are hilarious and wonderful and really make the book outstanding. I admire the heck out of her illustration chops! In fact, I think Dillweed could be wordless, because the illustrations do the lion's share of the storytelling. Ms. Ellis has a really interesting post on her blog about the book's history (it was originally slated to be illustrated by Edward Gorey!)
3. Not new, of course, but I'm re-reading The Secret Garden right now for the first time since I was a little girl. As I'm begining to work more and more on my own stories and craft my own worlds, I'm realizing (and it's being pointed out to me, in some cases) how much the sensibility and feeling of books like these took root with me. It's a really lovely feeling to go back into a familiar-but-unfamiliar place like The Secret Garden - bits and pieces come back to me, and other things had completely drifted out of my memory.
4. And last, the new Nara monograph (entitled Nobody's Fool)! I will confess that I just snagged this last night at Floating World, so my grubby paws haven't torn through it yet, but I'm so excited! I didn't even know about it. That's always such a great feeling - I mean, anticipating something being released is nice, too, but surprise books from favorite artists are a real treat.
Happy Friday to you!
