"Jack In Luck" By The Brothers Grimm, Illustrated By Eve Tharlet (published in Greek by AMMOS Publications, Athens 1994 - originally published by Michael Neugebauer Verlag AG, Zurich 1991) Part 3

 

 

There is so much attention paid to the details by the artist that you can imagine being there among the characters and these beautiful houses. The flaking plaster on the walls, the grain in the wood beams, the rustic guttering, the patchwork quilt - you could look at them for hours. Also the viewing angle from above is very interesting as it gives more depth to the pictures unlike other children's illustrations which tend to be more flat. I'd love to see these at a slightly larger scale as the book is quite small (15x15.5cm) but still, this is a true classic!

 

"Jack In Luck" By The Brothers Grimm, Illustrated By Eve Tharlet (published in Greek by AMMOS Publications, Athens 1994 - originally published by Michael Neugebauer Verlag AG, Zurich 1991) Part 2

 

Another one of my all time favourite children's books! The lovable characters of Eve Tharlet in beautiful traditional village settings. Every detail of the buildings meticulously drawn: the iron work on the window hinges, the hanging sign and railings, the thatched roof, slates, the tiny windows, wood work, stone work are a delight to look at! I love the colour schemes of soft whites, yellow ochre, browns and greys reminiscent of Rembrandt and Van Dyke. Here's a link to the artist's website with many more amazing illustrations and lists of her other books: http://www.evetharlet.com/en/accueil

 

"Jack In Luck" By The Brothers Grimm, Illustrated By Eve Tharlet (published in Greek by AMMOS Publications, Athens 1994 - originally published by Michael Neugebauer Verlag AG, Zurich 1991) Part 1

 

 

"Henri, Schlitzohr", Written and Illustrated by Eve Tharet (1989), Part 3

Eve Tharlet has to be one of the most talented and skillful illustrators working today - I haven't come across many contemporary books that could match the craftsmanship, colours and humour found in her pictures. Note the limited palette she uses, with soft blues and browns in contrast with warm, glowing whites creating a retro effect. I couldn't help showing three more from this book with Henri the pig in action! I've also got 2-3 more of her books which I'll be posting sometime in the future.

"Henri, Schlitzohr" Written and Illustrated by Eve Tharlet (Published by Verlag Neugebauer Press, Salzburg, Austria, 1989), Part Two

 

The title in English is "Little Pig, Big Trouble" (it was published in English as well, but I happen to have the Greek version!) and I loved this book ever since I saw it some eighteen years ago. The story is quite simple - a clumsy little pig accidentally walking into some black coal, white flour and blue paint and then making a huge mess in a picturesque French village. It is the way that it's drawn that makes it so special. The angles the artist is achieving present the action from more than one viewpoint creating suspence, laughter and anticipation for the young reader. There's great fun in tracing little Henri's colourful footsteps around the cobbled streets of the village, in and out of shops and seeing the damage he is causing. Even more fun watching the growing number of angry people trying to catch him! Eve Tharlet has been writting and illustrating books ever since this one came out in 1989 (I think this was her first) and you can view most of the titles on her own website: http://www.evetharlet.com/en

 

 

"Henri, Schlitzohr" Written and Illustrated by Eve Tharlet (published by Verlag Neugebauer Press, Salzburg, Austria, 1989)