Paws, Claws, Tails and Roars illustrated by Brian Wildsmith

Brian Wildsmith's breathtaking animal paintings are accompanied by new lyrical text, inviting readers to pause a while and linger over the glorious wild animals, birds, and fishes within. Whether already a fan of Brian Wildsmith, or discovering his work for the first time, readers will cherish this book for a lifetime.

I previously talked about the wonderful Brian Wildsmith exhibition in Barnsley, UK. The featured book at the exhibition was Paws, Claws, Tails and Roars but over 90 pages and in hardcover this book was way too heavy for my luggage. Now my copy has arrived.

The art in this book comes from works by Brian Wildsmith Wild Animals (1967); Birds (1967); and Fishes (1968).

If you are looking for a very special gift for a child perhaps when they are born or for a christening gift Paws, Claws, Tails and Roars [9780192784216] would be perfect. It is a large format book to treasure and revisit.

In his introduction Michael Rosen talks about his first experience of art by Brian Wildsmith in the Oxford Book of Children's Poetry: "Again and again, either the subject or the background flooded out from the book: the pictures didn't obey the margins. They weren't contained by convention. It was as if the luxuriousness of the colours was too rich to be confined by something as mundane as a page."

"The pictures tell us that the Earth and its creatures are precious. ... I'm as delighted as his jolly hedgehog ... I hope you enjoy (this book) and that you and the children in your life snuffle through these pages with the many feelings this vibrant art conjures up."

The other wonderful thing that your child will experience reading this book is the encounter with familiar and unfamiliar animals. I well remember my childhood alphabet book contained a Yak - a creature that fascinated me. In this book there are less well known animals (especially to children here in Australia) - raccoon; badger; hedgehog; pheasant; jay; heron; snipe; woodcock; minnow; stickleback and porcupine fish. My favourite illustrations are the tiger; the hedgehog; the robin and the kingfisher.

Children will also discover the intriguing names we use as collective nouns: a cete of badgers; a round of robins; a walk of snipe; a party of rainbow fish; and a corps of giraffes. 

You can see all books by Brian Wildsmith here. And if you are unfamiliar with his work take a look at this blog post. 

There is quiet knowledge in the design of each spread. The colours are vivid or subtle in accord with the animals’ own colours and the worlds they inhabit and the brush strokes splash, smear and wash the settings for each animal, evoking swirling waters bursting with flying fish, iridescent bubbles reflecting the many colours of the angelfish, the mottled camouflage of the woodcock. Paws, Claws, Tails and Roars: Brian Wildsmith’s Animal Kingdom is a book to be shared over and over again, joyfully, with readers of any age. Just Imagine

What I love about his work is that behind all the wondrous colour, pattern and texture there always lies the fundamental essence of whatever he’s depicting. Words and Pics

"This is a book I'd like to see in every classroom from the foundation stage upwards as well as on family bookshelves. And, what a wonderful present it would make." - Jill Bennett, Red Reading Hub