Saturday, March 12, 2011

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs illustrated by Wanda Gag


Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage)

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs illustrated by Wanda Gag was recently reprinted, an older picture book first published in 1938. There's a chance this is one of the versions your grandmother or great grandmother or even great great grandmother read as a young girl. There is something about Gag's illustration style--popular at the time and similar to Lois Lowry to name one--that is simply charming. These illustrations are black and white.

From the University of Minnesota Press which has reprinting much of Gag's works in recent years:

‘Oh, please, dear hunter, have mercy! If you will let me go, I’ll gladly wander away, far away into the wildwood and I’ll never come back again.’

“The huntsman was glad enough to help the sweet innocent girl, so he said, ‘Well, run away then, poor child, and may the beasts of the wood have mercy on you.’ As a token he brought back the heart of a wild boar, and the wicked Queen thought it was Snow White’s. She had it cooked and ate it, I am sorry to say, with salt and great relish.”

Wanda Gág interjects her own humor and adorable illustrations into this classic tale of the Brothers Grimm.

“The small size of this Caldecott Honor Book encourages intimate sharing. The pen-and-ink drawings are treasures, loaded with details. Inventive compositions and an asymmetrical picture shape are key features in Gág’s works.” —Book Links

Best known for her Newbery Honor winner Millions of Cats, Wanda Gág (1893–1946) was a pioneer in children’s book writing, integrating text and illustration. Born in New Ulm, Minnesota, she rose to international acclaim. In recognition of her artistry, she was posthumously awarded the 1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Millions of Cats and the 1977 Kerlan Award for her body of work.
And some illustrations:






















To read more about Gag--who lived a fascinating life--there is a great picture book that can be shared with the children in your life.

Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Lived to Draw

Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Lived to Draw

More of Gag's fairy tale works:
Three Gay Tales from Grimm (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Hertitage Book Series) Tales from Grimm (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage) More Tales from Grimm (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage)

No comments:

Post a Comment