Two by Two
Registered by GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 6/17/2006
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
4 journalers for this copy...
I was introduced to Barbara Reid's marvelous and unusual "clay-painting" form of illustration by BCer jessibud, thanks to Have You Seen Birds?, and I enjoyed it so much that I started looking for more of Reid's work. (And found some - click here to see the other Reid books I've registered!)
This somewhat battered book was one that I bought online, and I only discovered after it arrived that its title page was missing - a shame, but at least all the illustrated pages are still there, and they're impressive!
It's an account of the story of Noah and the Ark, from the "dirty deeds" of the people [these are illustrated mainly as picking pockets or over-indulging in sweets; I suppose it was too much to expect a clay orgy!] to God's rather chilling command to "Wash it clean! Let them drown!" [Many versions of this story - especially the ones aimed at kids - seem to gloss over the part about condemning so many people to death, so I give it points for keeping that clear.]
The tough decision having been made, the story switches to the building and loading of the ark, so most of the book features incredibly detailed bas-reliefs-in-plasticine of Noah and his family, the landscapes surrounding his village, and as many different kinds of creatures as the artist could fit in. The page with pandas and penguins (and skunks, zebras, and cows) is a poem in black and white. One picture is of all kinds of cats, tigers to tabbies, with stripes and spots galore - and with the pair of lynxes eyeing the pair of domestic cats very closely indeed. There's an aerial view as the rain begins to fall, showing more critters scooting up the ramp - and it even shows the animal tracks in the mud at the base of the ramp! In another picture, the ostriches look around in consternation as the porcupines waddle between their feet...
When the waters rise and the ark floats, there's a haunting image of a sunken city with whales and other sea creatures swimming above it, and the ark floating away in the distance. But the next image shows a charming interior view of the ark stuffed with living things - so much detail, from the planking on the ship to the laundry on the line, must have been an immense task.
The simple rhymes of the story are bouncy and would be fun to read aloud, but it's the illustrations that make this book.
This somewhat battered book was one that I bought online, and I only discovered after it arrived that its title page was missing - a shame, but at least all the illustrated pages are still there, and they're impressive!
It's an account of the story of Noah and the Ark, from the "dirty deeds" of the people [these are illustrated mainly as picking pockets or over-indulging in sweets; I suppose it was too much to expect a clay orgy!] to God's rather chilling command to "Wash it clean! Let them drown!" [Many versions of this story - especially the ones aimed at kids - seem to gloss over the part about condemning so many people to death, so I give it points for keeping that clear.]
The tough decision having been made, the story switches to the building and loading of the ark, so most of the book features incredibly detailed bas-reliefs-in-plasticine of Noah and his family, the landscapes surrounding his village, and as many different kinds of creatures as the artist could fit in. The page with pandas and penguins (and skunks, zebras, and cows) is a poem in black and white. One picture is of all kinds of cats, tigers to tabbies, with stripes and spots galore - and with the pair of lynxes eyeing the pair of domestic cats very closely indeed. There's an aerial view as the rain begins to fall, showing more critters scooting up the ramp - and it even shows the animal tracks in the mud at the base of the ramp! In another picture, the ostriches look around in consternation as the porcupines waddle between their feet...
When the waters rise and the ark floats, there's a haunting image of a sunken city with whales and other sea creatures swimming above it, and the ark floating away in the distance. But the next image shows a charming interior view of the ark stuffed with living things - so much detail, from the planking on the ship to the laundry on the line, must have been an immense task.
The simple rhymes of the story are bouncy and would be fun to read aloud, but it's the illustrations that make this book.
I'm sending this on a bookring. Bookray/ring instructions:
When you receive the book, please journal it, and PM the next person in line for their address so you'll have it ready when you've finished the book.
When you're ready to pass the book along, please make another journal entry containing your comments about the book and stating where you've sent it, and set the book's status code to "traveling". [If you find that you're having problems contacting the next person in line, or don't think you can manage to mail the book as originally agreed, please let me know; I'll be glad to try to work something out.]
***
Participants so far, in mailing order:
AmaniS [Germany]
quizgirl [UK]
rebeccaljames [Ohio]
...and back to GoryDetails in New Hampshire.
When you receive the book, please journal it, and PM the next person in line for their address so you'll have it ready when you've finished the book.
Note: even if you've sent books to that person before, please PM them before mailing this one, to confirm that the address is correct and that they're able to take on a bookring book at this time.Try and read the book promptly - ideally, within a month of receiving it. (If you expect to take longer, you can request to be put at the end of the list. If you find you're swamped with other books when the person before you contacts you about the bookring, you can ask to be skipped, and then let me know whether you'd like to be moved down the list or dropped entirely. If you receive the book and find it's taking longer than you'd planned to get through it, I'd appreciate an update in its journal entries or on your profile, just to let me and the other participants know you haven't forgotten it.)
When you're ready to pass the book along, please make another journal entry containing your comments about the book and stating where you've sent it, and set the book's status code to "traveling". [If you find that you're having problems contacting the next person in line, or don't think you can manage to mail the book as originally agreed, please let me know; I'll be glad to try to work something out.]
***
Participants so far, in mailing order:
AmaniS [Germany]
quizgirl [UK]
rebeccaljames [Ohio]
...and back to GoryDetails in New Hampshire.
Controlled release:
The book's on its way to BCer AmaniS in Germany, to kick off the bookring. Hope you enjoy it!
The book's on its way to BCer AmaniS in Germany, to kick off the bookring. Hope you enjoy it!
I received the book.
Very nice pictures.
I will keep it until next week and then send it out.
The kids will enjoy a new story in English.
Very nice pictures.
I will keep it until next week and then send it out.
The kids will enjoy a new story in English.
Journal Entry 5 by quizgirl from Chesterfield, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Saturday, September 16, 2006
Arrived today. I just love this book. It must have taken a lot of patience to fashion so much plasticine into these gorgeous pictures. I would love to see other works by this artist.
Thanks to GoryDetails for arranging this ring.
Thanks to GoryDetails for arranging this ring.
Journal Entry 6 by quizgirl from Chesterfield, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Forwarded today to rebeccaljames
I just received this book today. I have already read it. I am going to read it to my class on Monday and then I will mail it back to GoryDetails.
The children in my pre-school class really enjoyed the book. I mailed this out Wednesday morning.
Two by Two made it safely home; thanks to everyone who participated! [Browsing through the book again I discovered more bits that I hadn't noticed before; in the illustration of the fully-loaded ark rocking on the seas, you can just barely see that one of Noah's sons is looking pretty darned seasick!]
Journal Entry 10 by GoryDetails at Shell Station At Exit 4 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, November 23, 2006
Released 17 yrs ago (11/23/2006 UTC) at Shell Station At Exit 4 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Since a heavy rainstorm is moving in today, I thought it'd be a good time to release this book - not that I hope anyone actually needs an ark this time! I plan to leave the book propped up near one of the gas pumps at the Shell station at Exit 4, some time around 9 AM; hope the finder enjoys it!
Since a heavy rainstorm is moving in today, I thought it'd be a good time to release this book - not that I hope anyone actually needs an ark this time! I plan to leave the book propped up near one of the gas pumps at the Shell station at Exit 4, some time around 9 AM; hope the finder enjoys it!