Monday, January 10, 2011

This is for You by Rob Ryan

This is for You by Rob Ryan
Copyright 2007
Chronicle Books
64 pages

I bought This is for You on a therapeutic book-shopping trip recently, merely because it made me smile to look at the pictures. A story told entirely in paper cut-outs, you really just have to see it to believe it. Here's an interior spread:


Isn't that lovely? The story is a little odd, about the author's feelings of loneliness during times he was alone as a child and how he learned to live with himself. It honestly wasn't something I could relate to -- being alone is not something I consider a bad thing unless I get too much of it and as a child I was such a busy-busy creature that there was never a time I wasn't occupied with reading, sketching, dancing, biking, music or about a million other activities.

But I didn't really care so much about the storyline because you could say I was mostly there for the view. I love the illustrations in This is for You and I'm considering cutting a few of them out to frame. Does the idea make you cringe? Just curious.

We got a lot more sleet during the night and schools were closed so Kiddo has an extra day to rest and prepare before classes begin, but it's melting so rapidly it sounds like rain. I rushed out to take a few ice pictures before it all disappeared and I'll share some of those as the week progresses. Here's one of my favorites.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

6 comments:

  1. Brr, it is cold over in your neck of the woods! Well it's supposed to get colder here in central Texas but so far not too bad. I like that.

    That book is darling and well, you know I do take apart books so I say go for it. Cut up the pages and frame them. They are beautiful!

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  2. Iliana,

    It's a good kind of cold -- cold enough to wear a coat but not windy, so walking around with the coat unzipped works fine. Cold with a working heater . . . also a very big positive.

    I have this perpetually-sunny image of Austin in my head, maybe because I've always been there in the spring! I hope it gets just cold enough to enjoy without being uncomfortable.

    Haha! You were definitely the right person to write the first comment to this post! I'll have to figure out how to unbind the book carefully, so I don't rip up the pages but I do think those illustrations are worth framing! Glad you agree. :)

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  3. Frame those pages! This is the kind of book that will be much more appreciated if you do. Especially if you didn't like the narrative that much, framing the pages would provide visual pleasure daily instead of being stuck on a shelf and forgotten.

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  4. I have a couple of art books that I have purchased purely with the intention of taking out pages and framing them. I just haven't worked up the nerve yet because I have issues with "ruining" a book. (That and a lack of wall space right now.) :) I say go for it though!

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  5. Pretty cool! Have you seen this site?

    http://thomasallenonline.com/

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  6. Jenclair,

    My sentiments exactly. I'm glad you agree!! :)

    Alyce,

    It'll take a little summoning of nerves because I fear I'll do something hinky and end up tearing a page or two or three, but I'm redoing my office . . . or I'm planning to (we are so, so slow at improvements) so I'll have a place to put it on my wall. Wahoo for that. Thanks! :)

    Carrie,

    Nope, I'll check it out as soon as I close this window. Thanks for the link. I love me a link. LOL

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