A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A Pop-Up Book by Charles Dickens; illustrated by Chuck Fischer; paper engineering by Bruce Foster

CLOSED.

Thanks to the holly-jolly folks at
Hachette Book Group,

I have been authorized to
 give away one (only 1) copy of

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
A Pop-Up Book
by Charles Dickens, Chuck Fischer.

Rules for entering this giveaway
are at the bottom of this post.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

A Pop-Up Book

by Charles Dickens

illustrated by Chuck Fischer

paper engineering by Bruce Foster

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Category: Fiction, Juvenile Fiction

Format: Hardcover Book

Publish Date: 11/10/2010

Price: $30.00/$36.00

ISBN: 9780316039734

Pages: 12

Size: 7-3/4" x 9-3/4"

Description (from the publisher):

This beautiful re-imagining of Charles Dickens's timeless fable, A Christmas Carol: A Pop-Up Book features artist Chuck Fischer's richly painted depictions of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, brought to life in intricate pop-up scenes by paper engineer Bruce Foster. The entire text of A Christmas Carol is reproduced in five removable, illustrated, keepsake booklets. An introductory booklet provides a biography of Dickens and an illustrated feature on the enduring appeal of this beloved story.

Click here to view the pop-up book.

Click here to visit the website of paper engineer, Bruce Foster.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

My Thoughts:
Let's face it -- it hardly seems like Christmas without Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. But, let's continue to face it, after a lifetime of retelling, the story can get a little -- how can I put this? -- stale. If that's how you're feeling about this classic story, then this is the book for you! Chuck Fischer's beautiful illustrations and Bruce Foster's ingenous paper engineering literally bring this old favorite to 3-D life.

Six delightful page spreads definitely make the story pop -- as in UP, of course! Beginning with a beautifully detailed depiction of a London street at Christmastime. We are then visited by Marley's Ghost and each of the three Christmas Spirits - Past, Present, and Future. The final pop-up is again of the London street but this time the foreground includes the joyous Tiny Tim held aloft on the shoulder of a beaming Scrooge. There is so much detail in each of the individual scenes that you will want to spend some time examining each one. I continually find something new each time I look the book over. I think my favorite depiction is that of the Ghost of Christmas Past. There's an extra little series of pop-ups which give us glimpses of Scrooge's younger years and help explain how he came to be so close-hearted and tight-fisted.

Another thing that I really liked is that each pop-up page includes a little booklet, dividing the text of A CHRISTMAS CAROL into five segments. It makes it easy to read the story a little at a time allowing the reader to savor both the message and the period detail. Additionally, the little pamphlets are illustrated with pictures by John Leech, the original illustrator of A Christmas Carol. The first pamphet contains an essay on the enduring appeal of the story and a brief biography of Charles Dickens himself. These little pamphlets enhance the story told in pop-ups and should not be overlooked.

We've all enjoyed Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A Pop-Up Book here at my house. Chuck Fischer and Bruce Foster have created another beautiful book that will appeal to to anyone of any age. I highly recommend it.

About Author

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was one of the most prolific authors of the nineteenth century. In his many short stories, plays, novellas, and

About the author and illustrator (from the publisher):
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was one of the most prolific authors of the nineteenth century. In his many short stories, plays, novellas, and novels, he created some of literature's most memorable characters.

Chuck Fischer's paintings hang in some of the finest residences in the world. His designs have been reproduced on holiday ornaments and home furnishings, including wallpaper and fabrics in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. He is the author of six previous pop-up books: The White House, Great American Houses and Gardens, Christmas in New York, Christmas Around the World, In the Beginning, and Angels: A Pop-Up Book. He lives in New York and Florida. Click here to visit his website.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave an original comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

• You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

• PLEASE NOTE: One win per household. If you win this title in another contest hosted at another blog, Hachette will only send one copy per household address.

• Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, December 3, 2010.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

• Winners are determined using the sequence generator at Random.org.

Thank you to Anna
at Hachette Book Group

for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Book Review #34: BEAR PORTRAITS by Jill Greenberg

BEAR PORTRAITS

by Jill Greenberg

Publisher:  Little, Brown & Company

Category:  Photography

Format:  Hardcover Book

Publish Date:  11/3/2009

Price:  $26.99/$32.99

ISBN:  9780316031882

Pages:  104

Size:  8" x 10"

Description (from the publisher):
A top celebrity portrait photographer, Jill Greenberg has a unique ability to coax powerful emotions out of her subjects -whether human or animal. Her portraits of bears, collected here for the first time, surprise and engage. We encounter cubs as cute as a child's Teddy, grizzlies that look like they might swallow you whole, and Polar bears seated in Sphinx-like tranquility.

Full-grown brown bears, grizzlies, black bears, Polar bears, and bear cubs are photographed on location against a portrait backdrop. The poses and facial expressions are at turns oddly comedic, pensive, terrifying, and sometimes unexpectedly human. Alive with Greenberg's signature lighting and seen through the unique perspective of her lens, these startling bear portraits bring us face to face with our fears and fantasies.

MY RATING: 5/5 Stars; Highly recommended.

MY THOUGHTS:

I'll be honest and say that when I first flipped though this book, I was downright horrified! All I saw were jaws and claws, and they were terrifying. I'd never seen such detailed closeups of a grizzly's mouth before. I shut the book quickly and thought, there's something odd about those photos - are those bears stuffed? I didn't want to think about it, and I was very disappointed. I'd been thrilled to have the opportunity to review this collection of bear portraits by Jill Greenberg. I wasn't familiar with her work, but who doesn't like a giant cuddly teddy bear?  I was reluctant to look at the book again, but I had committed to post a review so I knew I'd eventually need to take a closer look.

A couple of days later, I sat down and braced myself, literally, to look into the jaws of death. Fully prepared to be able to count cavities, I reminded myself that these were only pictures and they couldn't bite! I started with the introduction and was pleased to find out that, contrary to my previous thought, these bears were all alive and well and not taxidermied specimens. As it turns out, Greenberg herself thought that the bears didn't look alive when she first examined her initial polaroids. Many of the portraits have that effect because Greenberg photographed the bears indoors using artificial light and a portrait backdrop. Once you settle down with the book, the illusion of unreality falls away and the bears "come to life" as their personalities are showcased. As I slowly turned the pages on my second perusal, I wondered, where are all those really scary shots I saw the first time I looked at this book?

Well, they were still there, but they weren't nearly as numerous as I had first thought. This time around, I found much more to charm, delight, and intrigue me.  Pictures of the cubs are just adorable. What I hadn't expected was the playfulness and range of emotion displayed by the adult bears.

On this second and closer examination of the portraits, the bears took on a quality of humaness as the photos captured looks and poses of coyness, flirtatiousness, brooding, and calculation. Charmed as I was, I came to appreciate the inclusion of the more ferocious photos. As much as I wanted to humanize these bears and think that I could relate to them, they are dangerous, carnivorous creatures. I think you have to look at the bears in all their grand magnificence to appreciate what a gift it is to have this glimpse at their existence.

Jill Greenberg has done an outstanding job with this collection. I highly recommended it. Photographers will appreciate the quality of the photos and the techniques that define Greenberg's signature style. Bear and nature lovers will enjoy the range of moods captured forever of these wild creatures. And any thoughtful group of people would surely enjoy conversations on art, environmentalism, or animal conservation that would be sparked by these provocative photographs. I've enjoyed this book immensely, and I'm so glad to have taken a long second look at it.

Jill Greenberg regularly shoots advertising and celebrity portrait photography for clients such as Dreamworks, Sony Pictures, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Time, and Entertainment Weekly. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, children, and dog, Scooter.

Jill Greenberg also has published the book MONKEY PORTRAITS.

Giveaway and Book Review #30: ANGELS: A Pop-Up Book by Chuck Fischer

Thanks to the heavenly beings at
Hachette Book Group,

I have been authorized to
 giveaway one (just 1) copy of

ANGELS: A Pop-Up Book
by Chuck Fischer.

Rules for entering this giveaway are at the bottom of this post.

ANGELS: A Pop-Up Book

by Chuck Fischer

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Category: Art

Format: Hardcover Book

Publish Date: 10/19/2009

Price: $30.00/$36.00

ISBN: 9780316039703

Pages: 18

Size: 9-3/4" x 7-3/4"

Description (from the publisher):
Whether you consider angels to be divine messengers, spiritual guides, or the stuff of legend, you will find something to marvel at in Chuck Fischer's beautifully illustrated Angels: A Pop-Up Book. Fischer's original art, inspired by classic images from art history, is crafted into astoundingly intricate three-dimensional pop-ups with fold-outs and moveable parts. Angels brings to life the most captivating stories of these celestial beings, from the angels of the zodiac to Biblical angels to angels in the arts and popular culture. Much like its subject, Angels: A Pop-Up Book inspires awe and wonder and is a unique gift book for all ages.

Check out this video to see the book "in action."




My Rating: 5 out of 5 Sparkling Stars!

My Thoughts:
As if just the concept of angels isn't awe-inspiring enough, Chuck Fischer has created an absolutely stunning pop-up book from which the celestial beings spring forth and seemingly take flight. Words just cannot do this book justice - it must seen, experienced, in order to fully appreciate its beauty.

There are six spectacular pop-ups and two smaller ones. My favorite is probably the one in the center of the book, Archangel Gabriel. In this representation, Fischer recreates the scene of the Annunciation depicting Gabriel as a messenger of God. The Holy Spirit, in the traditional form of a dove, hovers at the top of the scene. Rays of light (golden threads) shine down and illuminate the holy texts being read by Mary as she sits in what appears to be a loggia. Over the railings and past the trees one can see a stonework bridge crossing a river. It's all very elaborate and beautiful.

The pop-ups themselves are from original paintings by Chuck Fischer. His work is inspired by classic artwork through the ages from the Babylonians to the Renaissance. Each original pop-up is accompanied by small booklets and/or foldouts with images from classic paintings and text.

And speaking of the text, ANGELS is not just eye-popping eye candy. The accompanying text, written by Curtis Flowers, delves into the very earliest recorded references to angels and covers all the different forms of angels as conceived across the world's cultures and throughout the centuries. It is well-researched, interesting, and informative. It's rich in details that I think will be new to most readers without being inaccessible in a scholarly way. My interest was piqued, and I intend to a little more research on my own.

ANGELS is a gorgeous book to behold full of fascinating information. It would make a wonderful gift for anyone with an interest in angels, art, or world history. It's sure to spark plenty of ooo's, ahhh's, and conversation. Don't miss out on it!

Further information about the construction of this book:
Kathy at Bermudaonion's Weblog has posted a fascinating interview with Bruce Foster, the paper engineer who put Fischer's vision into three dimensions. He's an extraordinarily talented artist, and you can click here to read Kathy's interview with him. If you'd like up to 5 extra entries in the giveaway I'm hosting for this book, read Kathy's interview and come back and tell me, in up to 5 separate comments, things you learned or were particularly interested in about Bruce Foster and his work.

About the author (from the publisher):
Chuck Fischer's paintings hang in some of the finest residences in the world. His designs have been reproduced on holiday ornaments and home furnishings, including wallpaper and fabrics in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. He is the author of five previous pop-up books--The White House, Great American Houses and Gardens, Christmas in New York, Christmas Around the World, and the forthcoming In The Beginning. He lives in New York and Florida.

Click here to visit the author's website.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

• You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winner must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

• Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 5, 2009.

• The winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from the winner, I will draw another name.

Thank you to Anna
at Hachette Book Group

for supplying my review copy and
for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
This contest is now closed.