Humpty Dumpty and Friends by Oleg Lipchenko

I have fond memories of the nursery rhymes I read as a child.  They were fun to read and entertaining.  The subtitle of this book is:  Nursery Rhymes for the Young at Heart.  That's me!

Tundra Books has published another very nice quality children's picture book and shared a copy with me for review.  Oleg Lipchenko is a member of the Ukrainian Union of Artists.  He now lives in Toronto and is a gallery painter.  I previously reviewed his illustrated Alice in Wonderland edition (also available from Tundra Books) and I enjoyed his artwork in that book.  This book is no exception.  His style is all his own.

I really enjoy the rhymes he chose for this book.  Some were very familiar to me, some I'd never read before.  His illustrations look old fashioned and that's just the mood you want to set to appreciate the age and words of the rhymes.

Here's a sample rhyme: 

Three wise men of Gotham
Went to sea in a bowl;
If the bowl would have been stronger
My song had been longer.

I have also noticed that Mr. Lipchenko is on Facebook.  He and I are friends now and I will be able to keep up with his book and art news.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes rhymes.  Whether you are young or old, this book will appeal to you.  Check out your local bookstore for your very own copy.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol

This edition was published by Tundra Books, and they kindly sent me a copy for review. It's an oversized book that has been bound and decorated in a lovely manner, a very collectible edition.

The outstanding feature of this edition (besides the binding) are the illustrations by Oleg Lipchenko.

This classic tale has been standing alone for years and is a favorite with many people, but Oleg's illustrations bring the story to life. You can watch the progress of the story by "reading" the illustrations on the pages before you read the text. It's delightful!

I had never actually read the story (saw the movie years ago) and I'm very glad this elegant copy was my first "read".

If you have an Alice fan in your household or you just want to give a someone a lovely collectible gift, this is the book for you. It's a wonderful tale with magical pictures to keep you turning the pages.

I highly recommend it.