THE CITY
- By Armin Greder -
Illustrated by Armin Greder
ISBN: 9781742371429
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, Sydney, Australia
Published: 2010
Binding: HARDcover 32 pages
Condition: UNread & displayed condition! HERE in MELBOURNE! A retired display
copy as illustrated!
Edition: FIRST EDITION: 1st printing COMPLETE NUMBER LINE
TIGHT, SCARCE HARDCOVER ~ IN MELBOURNE ...
WHY do ebayers buy from US?
Because you KNOW what you're getting. My
close up photos are of the actual item!!
Remains UNread - it was the display copy instore . It is Tight
- neat, no inscriptions or marks within but for an erased name on lower title page. Appears as in my photos - this is the exact copy!!
A nicely preserved copy - superb!
Minimal, if any, discernible shelf
wear, the interior is tight and spotlessly clean with 32 pages. THIS copy is the FIRST EDITION: First printing COMPLETE NUMBER LINE from 2010 - the Australian publishing by Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
There are many beautiful color illustrations by Armin Greder.
SCARCE title - this is an UNread copy!!
In original pictorial HARDcover binding, in
publisher's covers which are in excellent condition.
(Stored with 2021!)
Larger book - it measures approx. 12 x 9 inches or 32 x 27cms
SYNOPSIS
....
An expressionist story on mother-son love, over protectiveness and social isolation.
Following on from the success of The Island, Armin Greder offers young readers and adults, a contemporary mother-and-son fable. Powerful and compelling. Some time ago, in a big city in a distant country where winter would sometimes last three ..
Some time ago, in a big city in a distant country where winter would sometimes last three years, there lived a woman. She had a child. A son. And because she loved him very much she promised herself that he should be spared the terrible things that happen in life, and with him in her arms she left her house and the city and in a place where there were no roads and no bridges she built him a house and in it she cared for him and was happy. But one moonless night she died...
A fable for children and for mothers, this courageous tale explores the effort and the suffering it takes to grow—and above all else, to let grow.
* Original Title: First published in Italian as La citta, Orecchio Acerbo s.r.l. Roma, Italy, in 2009.
About The Author
Picture book illustrator Armin Greder was born in Switzerland and migrated to Brisbane, Australia in 1971. Armin has worked as a graphic designer and currently lectures tertiary art students, illustrating picture books in between teaching and other interests. As a child Armin spent a lot of time drawing in the back of his exercise books when he should have been paying attention in class. In books such as The City, The Island, The Great Bear and An Ordinary Day his art reflects his European background. Charcoal often features in his work. He is the award-winning author of The Island and illustrator of Danny in the Toolbox, An Ordinary Day, Princess and the Perfect Dish, and Uncle David.
Very Interesting read!
Reviews
Industry Reviews ..
‘A remarkable book, full of silence and space, that forces its readers to reflect on the notions of childhood, parental responsibility, death, human conditioning and, ultimately, whether love can be enough.’ ~ Ibby Link
"One of my ten favorite picture books of all time." —John Marsden, author, Letters from the Inside, on The Island.
Teachers Review ... A woman and her child live in a big city. The son is the most precious thing she has and she loves him very much. When her husband dies in the war, the mother promises to spare her son a similar fate and also to protect him from all the terrible things that happen in life. She embarks on a journey, leaving her house and the city in order to find a safe place where ‘nothing would hurt him’. In a part of the country where there are no roads or bridges she builds a house where they live happily together. But one night she dies leaving her son unprotected and vulnerable to the dangers of life.
This is another extraordinary picture book from Swiss author and illustrator Armin Greder after his award-winning book The Island. Greder expertly deals with human fear and insecurity in this book. The stark visual narrative is extremely powerful and Greder’s charcoal drawings of different shades and tones, particularly black and grey convey the feelings of desolation and isolation of the young boy.
Definitely a picture book for older readers (including adults), it is a contemporary fable that tackles some complex issues such as the over protectiveness by a mother of her child and a retreat from society. It also explores the dangers of not allowing them to face life for themselves and to confront their fears and emotions. By protecting her son to such an extent she causes more harm by allowing him to become more vulnerable. Teachers might find this a useful book to use in the classroom for discussion.
Fascinating book … I guess this speaks about overprotectiveness, but this isn't just helicopter parenting. Given the mother had been through war etc., her desire to shelter her child from harm is completely understandable.
Strange almost haunting picture book …. of over protective mother who wants to protect her son from the evil of the world but leaves him totally unequipped to deal with the same world.
Interesting story and illustrations combine to make this work one that is intriguing and worth reading.
Unique ....A widowed woman fearing for her child in a war ravaged city, removes him from all outside influences far from anything man made. She redirects travelers who might harm her child and over protects him then leaves him abruptly without the skills to cope. Isolation, fear and hopelessness are portrayed strongly in the dark illustrations. The book could lead to some interesting discussion amongst more mature readers or writing students. I appreciated the art and found the story content sad and disturbing. There is a deep underlying message of the dangers of protecting a child too much. Something many new helicopter parents with their cotton wool kids might benefit from reading.
Armin Greder’s The City appeals to all senses and breaks conventions….. In a distant country where winter would sometimes last three years, in a big city, there lived a woman who had a beautiful son. Contrary to all expectations, considering the theme, there is nothing poetic or idyllic in the visual and narrative discourse.
When her husband died in the war, the woman promised herself to spare the baby of all the terrible things that happen in life so she left the city for a solitary existence in a wasted land. Isolation brought the woman happiness. She saw threat in every human contact so when some travelers became lost and asked for directions she could only feel a deeper and desperate need of protecting her child.
Very emotional and symbolic. ….. An unusual sophisticated picture book about a boy who is over protected by his mum.
Marvellous Reading!
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