Burning the camel on both ends
I’m interning this term in the Wallcoverings department at the Cooper-Hewitt, and in the course of my research I came across the website/ gallery of Chris Beetles (who seems to specialize in representing children’s book illustrators).

This “burning the camel on both ends” from illustrator Simon Drew made me smile (since I’m up late). Keeping me company while I work is a great funk radio show (Night Train) on Columbia’s student radio station (WKCR 89.9). I highly recommend the show and all of the WKCR programming. Little known fact about me: I had my own late night jazz and blues show in college!
I also spied this illustration on Chris Beetles site and was cast back to childhood — to reading, to being read to and the wonder that illustrations gave me then, and still give me now.

PS What are everyone’s favorite children’s books? Mine are Hop on Pop, Scupper’s the Sailor Dog, The Littles and more that will surely come to me… The Runaway Bunny, Good Night Moon…






March 5th, 2008 03:46
Hmmm children’s books. I must say I like the illustration of the camel and the silhouettes!! I think my favorite books as a child were Curious George, Where the Wild Things Are, and the Bernstein Bears
Karen
March 5th, 2008 09:54
ooh, favorite children’s books- fun! i love the “this is’ series by miroslav sasek (this is ny, this is san francisco…)
some faves from when i was a kid: ‘rainy day magic,’ ‘caps for sale,’ anything by richard scarry, the ramona quimby books…. gosh, those were they days, eh?!
March 5th, 2008 10:49
What exactly is the silhouettes of? It doesn’t look like a children’s book illustration. It looks like the Napoleon and slaves. Maybe it is in fact a children’s book illustration because the 19th century is full of scary illustrations just think of the Grimms fairy tales. Love you post!
March 5th, 2008 12:26
What great images! I’m going to have to hunt them down! Can’t you see that bottom one screened on a drum lampshade? Gorgeous.
March 5th, 2008 20:31
velveteen rabbit all the way for sure. That book used to make me cry and cry!!
March 5th, 2008 23:14
My favorite book a a child was anything by Enid Blyton! Especially the Far Away tree series