|
Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober add a gorgeous new book to their series of famous painter board books. Dreaming with Rousseau is a perfect combination of dreamlike paintings that are absurd yet realistic in equal parts.
“Henri Rousseau’s vibrant paintings invite readers on a journey to dreamlike jungles packed with playful monkeys, a racing tiger and other surprises,” according to the back cover. The back cover is correct.
The Rousseau book benefits from Merberg and Bober’s strongest poetry yet. The dreamy paintings provide a lush landscape, and the story of a girl falling asleep on a sandy bed with leaping dreams in her head is smooth and engaging.
The collection of Rousseau’s paintings may be one of the few in this series of books where you can see every painting in North America. The last page shares the name and location of each painting, the group of ten completed between 1890 and 1910.
Children will love the animals, but it will take some time to get into the depth of the paintings. Fortunately, that is the whole point of Merberg and Bober’s series of books: to introduce fantastic art to kids. They are doing a commendable job.
|
|
Dreaming with Rousseau (Mini Masters)