Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 6-9. Using examples of illuminated manuscripts from the Pierpont Morgan Library as illustrations, Wilson describes how a book was crafted in the Middle Ages. The discussion ranges from the intricacies of illumination to the inclusion of entertainment stories--such as the King Arthur tales--in the manuscript process. The author also explains how vellum is made from animal skins, lettering styles, and the various kinds of Gospels. Despite Wilson's effort to make her subject understandable to young people and the book's accessible layout, this is a complex topic, and the book will need a persevering reader. On the other hand, everyone can enjoy the magnificent illustrations, which have been chosen for their appeal to young eyes--for instance, the detail of a border featuring a rabbit doctor and his two canine patients on crutches. A beautiful adjunct to studies of the Middle Ages, the volume is as elegant and special as its subject. ~--Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Medieval manuscripts inspire Rosalyn Schanzer's illustrations of a 14th-century kingdom in Ezra's Quest: Follow That Dog. Readers, armed with the nifty purple crayon and bright pink eraser that come with the book, battle their way through a series of elaborate mazes to reunite Ezra with his kidnapped dog (Doubleday, $12.95, 32p, ages 4-9 ISBN 0-385-32262-3, Oct.). (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-This finely wrought volume illuminates the power of words and pictures on paper (or velum) to inform, to influence ideas, and to stir emotions. Using the extensive collection of manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library, Wilson demonstrates the many ways that writers and artists recorded the major concerns of their day. Of special interest for modern minds is the impressive demonstration of the artistic importance of what, too often, is called the ``minor art'' of illuminated manuscripts. Using examples from Europe as well as Persian and Arabic works, the author shows the aesthetic content of the calligraphy, decorations, pictures, and their design. She makes a fine case for considering them major art objects. The 87 beautifully reproduced illuminations (mostly in color) have the quality of replicas, and they allow readers to respond to the details and to appreciate the ultimate craftsmanship of the frequently anonymous artisans. The text is brief and lucid, and the expanded captions supplement the flow of the narrative with informative, even amusing anecdotes. The author offers considerable insight into the relationship of text and illustration. This handsome title should help youngsters better value our legacy of manuscripts and their contemporary descendents-the picture book.-Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Using the vast resources of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City, Wilson has created this exciting and beautiful history of the illuminated manuscript. In her introduction, Wilson explains the importance of manuscripts in medieval times: The cost of a large and lavishly illustrated volume could be about the same as that of building a medium-size cathedral, she informs us. These were clearly no ordinary books. A single one could take years to complete, and Wilson explains everything from parchment preparation to how scribes handled errors in the text. (One picture shows a phrase that had been left out being carried from the margin by a little creature and a man as another man points to the spot where it belonged.) She describes the scriptorium, the origins of the codex, and traces the changes in the illuminated manuscript from early medieval times through the printing of the Gutenberg Bible in the 15th century. (To ease readers into the new technology, ruled lines were added to the Gutenberg Bible, though of course there was no need for them.) Nearly 100 photographs are included, with detailed captions that are as interesting and informative as the main body of text. A glorious book, both fascinating and gorgeously presented. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
