Henri Rousseau S Jungle Book

In this delightful introduction of to the art of Henri Rousseau, children explore a tropical jungle while they learn about the colors and themes that make the artist's paintings masterpieces of deceptive simplicity.

A child's biography of French artist Henri Rousseau, who spent his life as a toll collector, but created unheralded masterpieces in his spare time.

In these colourful and vibrant works, monkeys play among tropical flowers, tigers stalk their next meal, and mysterious figures lure the viewer into this exotic, captivating world.

Publisher description

Henri Rousseau's famous 1908 jungle painting Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo is presented through the windowed format of this appealing cousin of the pop-up book—the tunnel book. Following the tradition of the paper peep show, sturdy covers support the two ends of an accordion-pleated paper tube that can be stretched out to provide a three-dimensional view of Rousseau's flora and fauna, including snakes in the trees and tigers ready to pounce, all layered in paper cutouts faithfully reproduced from the painting. A 16-page book providing an introduction to the self-taught French painter and his fantastical canvases is also included.

Henri Rousseau wanted to be an artist. But he had no formal training. Instead, he taught himself to paint. He painted until the jungles and animals and distant lands in his head came alive on the space of his canvases. Henri Rousseau endured the harsh critics of his day and created the brilliant paintings that now hang in museums around the world. Michelle Markel's vivid text, complemented by the vibrant illustrations of Amanda Hall, artfully introduces young readers to the beloved painter and encourages all readers to persevere despite all odds. Watch the trailer: