Under the Spell of the Moon edited by Patricia Aldana

Under the spell of the Moon: Art for Children from the world's greatest illustrators

Stop telling us of war and destruction,

The children cry out

Across the boundaries

That adults establish.

And they press gloriously on

Into the uncharted future,

Creating again what the other

So mercilessly ruined.

The forward in this book is by the esteemed author Katherine Paterson and this book was produced to raise funds for IBBY. It was published in 2004 and again in 2006 so it is sadly long out of print but I am sure many libraries will hold copies.

In the wake of WWII Jella Lepman persuaded generals and bureaucrats that what the children of Germany needed was books - the best children's books from all over the world - to feed their spirits after years of cruel dictatorship and devastating war. This dream is expressed in the poem above. 

"Tragically, Jella Lepman's dream of a peaceful world for children has yet to come true, but despite international suspicion, terrorism and open warfare, this book ... is the bright hope-filled evidence that the dream of IBBY is alive and well. ... Give them books, give them wings."  Katherine Paterson

For some reason I am really drawn to these books which celebrate illustrators from around the world. I am of course curious to see who is included, to see which names I recognise, and I look for the Australian contributor. But I am also delighted to see names I do not know and I like to ponder how the illustrators are chosen. You can glimpse some images from inside this book here. 

Mitsumasa Anno

Who is in this book? 
Names I know:

Mitsumasa Anno (Japan)

Quentin Blake (UK)

Anthony Browne (UK)

Philippe Dumas (Switzerland)

Eva Eriksson (Sweden)

Marie-Louise Gay (Canada)

Piet Grobler (South Africa)

Trina Schart Hyman (USA)

Isol (Argentina)

Alison Lester (Australia)

Květa Pacovská (Czech Republic)

Peter Sis (lives in USA)

Marie Tornqvist (Sweden)

Rosemary Wells (USA)

Vera B Williams (USA)

Lisbeth Zwerger (Austria)

Names I need to investigate:

Jainal Amambing (Malaysia)

Muhammed Amous (Palestine)

Rotraut Susanne Berner (Germany)

Pulak Biswas (India)

Carll Cneut (Belgium)

Baba Wague Diakite (USA)

Boris Diodorov (Russia)

Ora Eitan (Jerusalem)

Luis Garay (Nicaragua)

Dusan Kallay (Slovakia)

Nasrin Khosravi (Iran)

Angela Lago (Brazil)

Manuel Monroy (Mexico)

Noemi Villamuza (Spain)

Jose Wilkon (Poland)

Linda Wolfsgruber (Italy)

Ange Zhang (China)

So now I have a list of illustrators that I may talk about further on this blog - especially the ones I am missing from the first list above. 

A riddle, a story, or a poem in the artist's native language and in English accompanies the work of 34 children’s book artists from more than two dozen nations in this stunning anthology. It's a delightful, unparalleled celebration of children and childhood the world over. American Library Association

A gorgeous book created by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Under the Spell of the Moon is a collection of the work of more than 30 children’s book illustrators from around the world. Each artist was asked to contribute a double-page spread illustrating a piece of writing of his or her choice. Some selected nursery rhymes, others favourite poems, yet others included original text. Each text is presented both in the original language and in English. The result is a fantastic trip around the world of children’s illustration that reflects a wide range of artistic styles, techniques, media, and subjects. The only consistency from page to page is the high quality of the work. Many of the included artists are winners of international awards and will be familiar to anyone who loves children’s books (Peter Sis, Rosemary Wells, Quentin Blake). Other artists are young, emerging, or well-known regionally but have not yet gained an international audience. Canadian Book Review Annual

Here are some reviews quoted by the publisher:

“...a true treasury of stimulating plenty...” —Toronto Star

“...a vibrant testament to the range and resonance of contemporary children's book illustration all around the globe.” —Publishers Weekly

“...teens with artistic aspirations [and] adult collectors of children's literature...will marvel at work by emerging new talents as well as familiar artists...” —Booklist

“A dazzling variety of styles...is on full display.... this visual feast more than satisfies.” —Horn Book

“The beauty of the calligraphy in Japanese, Hebrew, and other scripts adds to the visual and cultural appeal of the book, while hand-printed texts by such illustrators as Quentin Blake are an essential element of the illustration.” —Quill & Quire

“This handsome offering is evidence of the universality of children's literature and the eloquence of the picture book.” —School Library Journal

“This is a book to inspire future illustrators and writers - and possibly peacemakers.” —Globe and Mail