Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm not one typically drawn into "art project" books. You know the type: tissue paper projects rendering things that vaguely resemble palm trees and the like. That having been said, I can't help but be captivated by Ashley Bryan's "All Things Bright And Beautiful", which to me is a total and welcome surprise.
Following the lyrics to the titular hymn, Bryan uses brilliant colored, hand scissored paper to compose multi-layered, symbolically engaging renditions of each line. Broad varieties of wildlife and people from every continent are beautifully represented in eye-popping color combinations. I've found myself on more than one occasion slowly flipping the pages, just allowing my eyes to wander about. With all the shapes and colors, this lovely book also doubles as a great I-spy-with-my-little-eye hunt with the kids.
The last two pages give a brief biography of Cecil Frances Alexander, who penned the lyrics to "All Things Bright And Beautiful", and also have a musical score for the hymn.
The illustrator's note on the copyright page is not only enlightening, it's endearing: "The scissors shown on the endpapers [see: photocopied scissors inside covers] are the scissors that my mother used in sewing and embroidery and that I, in turn, used in cutting the colored papers for ALL of the collage compositions in this book." Wow. What a neat tribute to Bryan's mother that in turn gives us a further connection to the rather simple utensils used to create this remarkable work of art.
It's a book that can be a quick read (perfect for little bottoms that have trouble sitting still), but also can be easily lingered over. It's a great combination that makes this artful book a winner.
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