Book Talk: A PLACE TO CALL HOME by Alexis Deacon, Illustrated by Viviane Schwarz

Hey everybody, I have a book to share with you:  A PLACE TO CALL HOME written by Alexis Deacon and illustrated by Viviane Schwarz. (Published by Walker Books 2011). 

I am so happy to have stumbled upon this book because it reminded me how I had intended to look up more of author/illustrator Viviane Schwarz's work after reading THERE ARE CATS IN THIS BOOK. I love the expressions she gives her characters, and the over all life in her pictures.

The author of A PLACE TO CALL HOME,  Alexis Deacon has been a great discovery for me as well, he is a very good author and illustrator.

This book is cute, it's funny, it's about a crew of (gopher? hamster?) siblings who out grow their cozy hole. They are a bit disoriented as they embark upon a search for a new home. Things like this happen:

This book cracks me up. I am sure you would enjoy it too.

GAY-NECK The Story of a Pigeon

I found this book GAY-NECK The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji and illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff at the library the other day. I was drawn to the decorative cover. It was first published in1927 by Dutton Children's Books. It has beautifully ornate illustrations inside. I was puzzled by the title, why a pigeon would be named "Gay-neck", but it is a translation because Gay-neck is from India. His name was Chitra-griva; Chitra meaning "painted in gay colors," and Griva, "neck". Sometimes he was called "Iridescence-throated."

I only had time to skim some, but it looks like a great read, lots of adventure.

I am also drawn to these because I have been thinking I need to work more on the balance of my compositions, the balance of dark and light.