
“…The other cats gathered in their circle, only this time, instead of calling up cat dreams, they had a dying girl in the middle of them. Lillian wasn’t aware of any of this. She was falling up into a bright tunnel of light, which was an odd experience,
because she’d never fallen up before. She hadn’t even known it was possible.”
I admit I’m not thoroughly familiar with his work (I’m primarily familiar with his picture book collaborations with Neil Gaiman), but every time I see a book illustrated by Charles Vess, I remember how I’d like to showcase some of his art here at 7-Imp. Well, better late than never. I finally am today.
Vess has illustrated the latest from Charles de Lint, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, a novel for children released by Little, Brown this past week. A beautifully designed book, it tells the story of Lillian Kindred, a young girl who lives with her aunt near Tanglewood Forest, filled with wild cats, and who wakes from a forest nap one day to discover she’s been turned into a kitten. The magical cats of the forest have performed this feat, all in lieu of Lillian dying of a snakebite. Lillian is returned to human form, thanks to the magical Old Mother Possum, and then discovers that, as a result, her aunt has perished. Thus begins Lillian’s journey to right things, a complicated journey that involves meeting a whole cast of mysterious characters from the forest and tons of twists and turns (a rather “twisty story,” Kirkus calls it). All of this is wrapped up in classic folktale motifs, giving the story a very traditional feel, and includes Native American characters and motifs as well.
Vess’ illustrations are lithe, lavish, and detailed, some positively glowing from the page. (His use of light is striking.) His landscapes are nearly breathtaking, and he captures tension between characters well, with elegant lines and deep earth tones all throughout.
Here are some more illustrations from the novel. I’ll let the art speak for itself. Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry �