I picked up Mice, Morals & Monkey Business : Lively Lessons From Aesop’s Fables because I saw a social media mention of Christopher Wormell’s illustrations. I’m glad I did, but once I got a better look at it, I realized I had already seen it, on the cover of Helen Macdonald’s novel H is for Hawk.
You might recognize it too:
It would be hard to overstate how striking Mice, Morals & Monkey Business : Lively Lessons From Aesop’s Fables is. Wormell works in wood engraving and lino-cutting, and the images here are breathtaking. Wormell is a master of design and layout, so that this book felt more like a handheld art exhibit than a book. Colors are bright, contrasts extreme, and shadows and edges crisp.
The bulk of the book is made up of two-page spreads. On the left is the moral and title of one of Aesop’s fables. On the right is the illustrating print.
The later portion of the book presents two fables on each page, with smaller versions of the prints. That’s my only concern or hesitation about this book’s design. Most readers will know “The Hare and the Tortoise” and almost as many “The Fox and the Grapes,” but I suspect only Aesop enthusiasts will know others, such as “The Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat.” This means parents may need to flip ahead if they don’t want to shrug when kids ask what the moral means.
But that aside, my gosh this is a beautiful book. This is a work of art, and I’ll be reading (or looking at) all the Wormell I can find.
