The Sea Stranger, The Fire Brother and The Earth Father were written by Kevin Crossley- Holland. http://www.kevincrossley-holland.com/ The trilogy describes the life of a Saxon boy, Wulf, and how he is converted to Christianity around 653AD when the monk Cedd comes to East Anglia and builds St Peter's Chapel in Bradwell-on-Sea. When I did the illustrations for these three books I didn't know East Anglia, but later when I married, my husband and I bought a derelict farmhouse in Suffolk which we restored, so I came to know and love that part of England very well.
In the last book, The Earth Father, Wulf journeys to Northumbria to visit Cedd who is dying of the plague. The following illustrations show the change of landscape from the flat Essex coast to the stony moors of the North.
Joanna, these illustrations are absolutely beautiful, sensitively done and so rich in detail but somehow not "overcrowded". Makes me want to read the books - I'm going to watch out for them in the local library.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheila, Kevin Crossley-Holland is a wonderful writer of both prose and poetry. I felt honoured to be asked to illustrate his books when I was quite a young artist. I met him again a few years ago as we had both contributed to the collection 'Lines In The Sand',the proceeds of which went to UNICEF's emergency appeal for the children of Iraq.
ReplyDelete