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Thursday 25 March 2010

I've Been Pasting: Dick Bruna

The first book I ever loved was a Dick Bruna hardback called My Vest Is White. Not the most obvious of choices for someone who went on to become so very bookish. The plot consisted of listing various clothing items - from the eponymous vest outwards - and their respective hues. If Julie were writing this, you might be less surprised (her sartorial leanings haven't gone unnoticed, right?). But me?

The truth is, I was totally suckered by the pictures. I knew all the words by heart, but it was the bold colours and simple lines that kept me asking for the same story, night after night.

Dick Bruna’s work still has a similar effect on me. It’s pared down, retro and modestly beautiful. Even the slightly heavy-handed licensing of Miffy in recent years hasn’t dented its appeal.











In true Copy+Paste spirit, it occurred to me recently that I was more influenced by My Vest Is White and its leporine cousin than I'd previously realised. Does this little pasting look familiar?

Or this one?

Thanks to Mr Bruna, I suspect my rabbits will forever be marked with an ‘x’.

How about you - what were your favourite children's books, and how have they influenced your later years? If you could pick a modern-day favourite, who would you like to 'paste', and why? You never know, it might influence a whole new C+P challenge.

Kirsty

x

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Lovely bunnies! I too love the simplicity of Miffy, and I also loved Jan Pienkowski (Meg and Mog) for the eye-popping colour combinations. I think I also had some mini fairy tale books darkly illustrated by him - all silhouettey and scary. Those were my favourites. Ah the beginnings of book obsession :)

Julie Kirk said...

The 'my vest is white' cover should totally be an advert for Gap or similar purveyor of the glory of jersey cotton.

Love your bunnies [if feeling slightly odd phrasing it like that ....]. x

Carmen said...

Ohhhhh I love Miffy but strangely never discovered her till I was late teens. I did however love Meg and Mog. My favourite books when I was ickle were the Brothers Grimm. Shoulda told my parents something really.

My modern favourite, who I ADORE and am desperately trying to brainwash my youngest with (with a degree of success I might add) is Lauren Child. I absolutely love her work and am very slowly building up a little library of her stuff *g*

Julie Kirk said...

Lauren Child. Aaaaahhhhhhh.

Both Miss.Copy + Miss.Paste *adore* Lauren Child.

An absolutely, totally much amount! Who wouldn't want a library of her work. Bravo!

:D

Unknown said...

Me. Haha. No, just joking. I like Lauren Child too, it's all those patterns :)

Clair said...

I'm sort of hoping (wildly hoping) that there will be much Moomin inspired loveliness hitting the handmades when the new feature length film is released. Oh my. Moomin loveliness. *swoon*

alice said...

I love dick bruna! i find it difficult to find images of his work! thank you so much :) i have a dick bruna matching game from my childhood that i LOVE!

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