by Lane Smith
Aw, crap. This book had such promise! As the story developed it had this Sendak / Edward Gorey / Van Allsburg thing going where I was sure the boy was using the garden to imagine himself through a whole trajectory of life beyond his childhood. That would have been much more true to the 'secret garde...
I liked this story about a Great-grandfather who shapes his life in topiary and who is now sharing the stories with his great-grandchild even though he is very old and his memory is leaving him. These are different than the Lane Smith illustrations in his earlier books.
Because it's a picture book, I expect many adults will never see this, which is a pity. First, because Smith's art is amazing, simple and complex, rewarding to stare at. Second, because the story told, a man's entire life into his mentally declining years, is poignant and touching. When I finished r...
Loved the art in this one. Full review to follow.
Lane Smith tells the story of Grandpa Green through the topiary Grandpa made to commemorate all the events of his life. Lovely story depicted with perfectly complementary text and illustration, with a stunning final fold-out page. “He was born a really long time ago, (illustration is a shrub in the ...
This is a phenomenal children's book. The illustrations are very well done. A great-grandson tells the story of his great-grandpa's life with the help of drawings of artistically manicured shrubbery. This was very well done and sure to become a favorite among kids and parents alike.
The most stunning children's book about topiary I have ever seen. Edward Scissorhands has got nothing on Grandpa Green!
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