One Hundred Butterflies
Photography by Harold Feinstein
Author Fred Gagnon
128 Pages
Non-Fiction: Photography of Insects
Little Brown and Company
November 2009
When this colourful delight came in the mail I could barely pry out out of the hands of my two safari-ready boys. They were peering at the pages choosing their favourite butterflies and re-naming them with names all their own. I hesitated in pulling it away because they were enjoying it so much, so I just sat and let myself watch and listen to them. I think they would have done a better job with this review than me, with so many more exclamation points because of their sheer happiness each time the page was turned. They said things like, “each one is prettier and prettier” and “mom, this one should be called rainbow because it just has so many colours”. Yes, it seems they could have published an excellent review themselves.
When I finally got my chance to look at it closely I felt their excitement as well, it really is impressive that each time you turn the page the butterflies and moths have that- I know this is real, but how could it be not digitally altered to be so beautiful- thing about them. This book is one hundred percent the best of both worlds. You know how when you are little (or not so little) and want the butterfly to just stay still so you can watch its colours? There are those who pin them and then have the beauty to look at as long as they want, but that was something I never wanted to do. One Hundred Butterflies allows the kids and I to have a looksy any time we want and we didn’t even have to net and pin these suckers- yep, the best of both worlds.
One Hundred Butterflies would be the perfect gift for a kid who loves nature, or even one who needs to be exposed to it. Also it would be great for a person who isn’t a kid, but still allows himself(herself) to sit and admire the beauty of creation, and butterflies are wonderfully good at being some of the most beautiful pieces of creation. I don’t think it was written with kids in mind necessarily, but kids and adults who can still be filled with awe and wonder would delight in this book alike. Excellent book, pure loveliness.
I will leave you with a little more beauty, it is a poem by the photographer of this book, Harold Feinstein.
The wing of a butterfly,
The petal of a rose;
What a joy!
I celebrate every flower.
And yet, what a piker I am.
This glorious planet of ours,
Mother earth,
Festooned with multiples
Of glory surrounded by glory.
Oh but I aspire,
From the depths of my soul
To pay tribute
To the array of wonder
We so often take for granted;
Wake up! Wake up!
Look around you!
It is here!
Heaven on earth,
Our endless gift,
Give Thanks.
-Harold Feinstein
What book has made you stop in your tracks weather you were an adult or one that you remember even now from your kid-days??
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Hachette Author Photo Image
BEAR Portraits
by Jill Greenberg
104 Pages
Photography of Animals
Non-Fiction
Little Brown & Company
Known for her artistic approach to celebrity photography and advertising, Jill Greenberg goes back to her roots of animal photography with this book- Bear Portraits. Don’t worry, she still gets up close and makes it shinny- but the shine does not radiate off of human skin in this pretty read, but off of the silky smooth fur coats of bears. Closer than ever and sweeter than ever possible for humans, her lens captures the emotions of these not-so-gentle giants.
Jill Greenberg has done some controversial shoots in the past, one with distressed kids, labeled End Times. In that shoot she provoked the children to tears by giving them a lollipop and then taking it away. As much as I don’t agree with those methods, or with her politics- I love this book so much that I can forget that about her. I adore the shots of the bears in Bear Portraits. I don’t think even Greenberg would have tried to take a lollipop away from one of these huge and fuzzy models.
I recommend this for any animal person, any bear lover, or photography freak (yes, that is me too), or for kids as well. The boys and I read this (note: looked at it) and they were so absorbed in the expressions that they made up their own words for the pictures “he’s saying, ‘I think I am MAD!’” . There are quotes on many of the pages, ones that aren’t cutesy or clever- quotes that are actually good!
The bear portraits are so perfect and amazing that the reader will want to pet the fir on the page, and as the page is turned jump back realizing the ferociousness of the teeth and the size of the animal. These are not teddy bears! I highly recommend this Bear Portraits, perfect for that animal lover on your list for Christmas young and old alike with enjoy this read.
I’ll leave you with a bear:
Images by Jill Greeneberg
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We are in Spain for the next bit, some of you have begged for pictures, others have done nothing short of threatening me….either way I feel the love, thanks! We have loved every day so far, and we are headed to Segovia to see the sights there, the castle there is impressive and the aqueduct is insanely cool. Stay tuned, I hope to have pictures up of that soon….depending on internet connection. Until then, enjoy a little tidbit of our journey in photos.
I will try to post pictures here again, but I will be uploading them all to my flickr album España.
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The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders
by Emmanuel Guibert, Frederic Lemercier and Didier Lefevre
267 Pages
Memoir Graphic Novel/Photography
Published by First Second
My Rating of The Photographer: 90/100
Didier Lefevre, a photographer from France joins in with the physicians working through Doctors Without Borders. He left his home, Paris, after packing up his apartment and settling everything before heading out on this expedition. Once in Afghanistan his mission has begun, he follows the MSF (or Doctors Without Borders) taking pictures of their journeys through the rural villages setting up clinics and working on patients. When he sets out, it is obvious that he has no idea what toll this expedition will take on him emotionally and physically. He is very naive at times, he gets bored easy, and when he hears the MSF are going to take a different route back in order to treat some other villages, he can’t handle the extra wait in getting back to the city, and essentially back home. When Didier decides to leave the comforts and safety of the MSF group and head back on schedule, it is 
not until they are gone that he begins to understand what is so important about having a good understanding of the native language and established relationships- he has neither. Death is more likely the outcome of this choice than survival.
This is an outstanding graphic novel, filled with photos taken while Didier Lefevre paired with the art excellence of Emmanuel Guibert. The Photographer continues to recieve notice around the world, for an inside view of a desperate war-related experience. What most amazed me was how naive Didier was when he got on the plane leaving Paris, and the growth that is shown by the end of the book. He is a fighter, and when in the beginning he thinks he is setting out for an adventure, in the end that same adventure is what is making him fight for his life.
I have never read a book like this one, since I love photography and I love art it was sure to be a hit. What I enjoyed even more was the honesty, the way Lefevre displays his stupidity, and how he chooses to place himself in circumstances that are really bad. It is through just this honesty that he is more real, more alive and just more human. I could relate to his feelings of desperation, loneliness and sadness, it was easy to follow him on this journey and somehow know that it would have been possible for me to make those same choices. He is driven to get the best shots possible, even if it does mean a risk. If you like graphic novels, this is a great one, the photos making it even more interesting- it is photo journalism at its best along with a desperation for life, and to life to tell the tale. I highly recommend this book, it is still making me think.
What is the cost of adventure?
If a story is not fought for with your very life, is it much of a story to tell?
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