Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling and multi-award
winning author and creator of many beloved books, graphic novels,
short stories, film, television and theatre for all ages. He is the
recipient of the Newbery and Carnegie Medals, and many Hugo,
Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner Awards. Neil has adapted
many of his works to television series, including Good Omens
(co-written with Terry Pratchett) and The Sandman. He is a Goodwill
Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and Professor in the
Arts at Bard College. For a lot more about his work, please visit:
https: //www.neilgaiman.com/
Dave McKean is best known for his work on Neil Gaiman's Sandman
series of graphic novels and for his CD covers for musicians from
Tori Amos to Alice Cooper. He also illustrated Neil Gaiman's
picture books The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, The Wolves
in the Walls, and Crazy Hair. He is a cult figure in the comic book
world, and is also a photographer.
PreS-Gr 2-This award-winning duo delivers a new romp "through a labyrinth of hair." Bonnie, the intrepid young heroine, encounters an odd fellow with a masklike face and comments on his long, wavy locks. Affronted, he defends his do: "In my hair/Gorillas leap,/Tigers stalk,/And ground sloths sleep.. Hunters send in/Expeditions,/Radio back/Their positions/Still, we've lost/a dozen there/Lost inside my crazy hair." McKean's computer-enhanced, mixed-media illustrations offer a wondrous interpretation of the outrageous objects enumerated by Gaiman: cockatoos are composed in feathery, neon strokes; transparent hot-air balloons expose intricate collage interiors; leaping dancers radiate color. Many of the scenes have a blurry, dreamlike quality, suggesting movement or a hint of foreboding. The hair varies in density from slender strands to massive jungles to tubular trunks, as under a microscope. The text for this surreal poem (at times a bit awkward) curves, spills, vibrates, and dangles, graphically signaling the mood and the message. Viewers will want to follow closely the design on Bonnie's T-shirt; its transformations offer emotional cues and are partially responsible for the scary/safe feeling readers have after she combs the hair and is pulled inside. This imaginative concoction fits perfectly with Deborah Nourse Lattimore's The Lady with the Ship on Her Head (Harcourt, 1990) to celebrate the potential of hair with a life of its own.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
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